It was reported ages ago that Hollywood was adding The Birds to their list of remakes. The idea of remaking Alfred Hitchcock’s 1963 classic was hated by many (myself included) and for those people we have some good news:
The Birds remake is apparently dead, at least for now.
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On the set of Platinum Dunes’ (Michael Bay’s production company) A Nightmare on Elm Street remake, producer Brian Fuller explained why the idea of a Birds remake presents problems for them – “We lay ourselves out there and get annihilated out there online all day long and [The Birds] just opens us up to a whole different level of annihilation.” In simple terms, Fuller says that, “…it doesn’t feel like that’s [The Birds is] up next for us.”
Fuller and co-producer Andrew Form pointed out a specific problem with remaking The Birds, other than the fact they’re remaking it, of course. The idea of birds attacking may have worked in the ’60s, under the skillful watch and guidance of the late-great Mr. Hitchcock, but the two producers have said that all birds do is, “peck and poke,” and that, “there’s not a lot of variety as to what can happen.” I can completely see where they’re coming from with those comments, as, admittedly, birds don’t really do much. And with the horror remake likes of the The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, The Amityville Horror and Friday the 13th that Platinum Dunes have under their name that amp up the bloody side of horror (I’m sure Elm Street will follow in their footsteps), I don’t think The Birds is suited to their usual style.
I’m sure I’m not the only one who is against the idea of remaking Hitchcock’s classic film. It just doesn’t need to be remade, plain and simple, and the only reason I can see that Hollywood would want to remake it is because of the name recognition it would bring, and hence $$. The only resemblance of interest I had in the project was that Naomi Watts was apparently set to star in the lead role that Tippi Hedren played in the original (Watts is suited to the role, you must admit). But even then I would rather they just not remake it.
Needless to say I’m glad this looks to be not happening, or at least not for a while. I hope Platinum comes to their senses and drops the project altogether: Hitchcock is no longer with us, please don’t attempt to make a new version of one of his best films.
Hollywood, didn’t the remake of Psycho teach you anything?
Are you glad The Birds remake appears not to be happening for the time being? Do you think a remake is at all worthy?
Sources: /Film, Horror Squad & CHUD
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11 Comments
Leave well enough alone…some things can’t be updated for the modern world and this is one of them
Quote the Raven…
@ greenknight
That will never stop the tiny brains in hollywood, my friend. I’m just hoping they all die or get abducted before they try to “reboot” us…
Good news on the remake front.
Glad too hear it.
Not being a fan of the original and given the modern fx i wouldn’t mind seeing this one remade.
Nowhereman you give them more credit than I do as you said they had little brains..
Good….now this and “Rosemary’s Baby” are safe from the remake disease.
YES!!
Lots and lots of CG birds……so what?!
Straight 2 Video
When the producers say that the Birds might have worked in the 60s with Hitchcock but not now, what are you saying? That any modern director cannot make birds scary? Peck & Poke, you saw how scary and gruesome it was when those crows pecked those prisoners in Dead Man’s Chest at the beginning, Verbinski made that look scary why not this.
Are the producers saying that all we have today are hacks? LOL, anything is possible with someone with a vision, like Verbinski.
No way a Platinum Dunes remake would measure up to the original. There was already a made-for-TV sequel in the 90s, and it was as bad as you’d expect it to be; I have a review of it on my site.
“Hollywood, didn’t the remake of Psycho teach you anything?”-Ross Miller
Psycho II (1983)…Psycho III (1986)…Psycho IV: The Beginning (1990 TV-Movie)
In a word, NO.
If you must remake a film, try the film co-written by Psycho star Anthony Perkins and musician Stephen Sondheim:
Plot summary for The Last of Sheila (1973)
Sheila is killed in a hit-and-run car accident following a party one night. A year later her multi-millionaire husband, Clinton, invites a group of her friends to spend a week on a his yacht. He’s a notorious practical joker and insists his guests play a mystery game where each has been assigned a crime for the others to discover. Each night a series of clues is planted in the local port and the team must solve the identity of the criminal-of-the-day. However, things get out of hand and soon there’s a real crime to solve. Written by Col Needham {col@imdb.com}
Impressed the heck out of me…starred Richard Benjamin, Dyan Cannon, James Coburn, Joan Hackett, James Mason, Ian McShane, and Raquel Welch.
I read Daphne DuMaurier’s short story, The Birds, before seeing Hitchcock’s movie. The story is awesome, and I hated the film. If they made a film true to the short story, it would be an excellent movie about the end of the world.
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