‘The Birds’: Scarlet Johannson Allegedly Tapped To Star In Hitchcock Remake
Mary Beth McAndrews
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Hitchcock heads, we have some tentatively exciting news! According to Giant Freakin’ Robot, there is allegedly a remake of Alfred Hitchcock’s horror classic The Birds in the making at Universal.
And that’s not all. A-list star Scarlet Johannson has also allegedly been tapped to play the remake’s lead. This all comes from Giant Freakin’ Robot’s unnamed “trusted and proven sources,” so this report isn’t 100% confirmed. But just the idea has us at Dread Central very excited.
Hitchcock’s The Birds was released in 1963 and starred Tippi Hedren as the glamorous and romantically ambitious Melanie Andersen. Upon a meet-cute with a handsome man in a local pet store, Melanie buys a pair of love birds and drives to his hometown of Bodega Bay to surprise him. In retrospect, especially in 2022, such a dating tactic should probably get you arrested. But the fate Melanie and the town’s residents face is a fate worse than death.
Suddenly, the town’s birds begin to attack humans with seemingly no rhyme or reason. While perhaps not as shocking to audiences now, Hitchcock’s The Birds contained a surprising amount of gore and disturbing imagery. Though, this shouldn’t be much of a surprise after what the renowned director accomplished in his previous films such as Psycho.
This isn’t the first time a reboot of The Birds has been rumored. In 2014, Naomi Watts was supposed tapped to star in a remake directed by Diederik Van Rooijen and backed by none other than Michael Bay.
With the few details we have now, it would seem that Johannson would be cast as Melanie Andersen. Unless the film takes a new modern direction, which we’ve seen with plenty of other horror reboots such as Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2022), Hellraiser, and more.
A contemporary take on The Birds is full of fascinating potential. It would easily be a vehicle for environmental horror and the effects of pollution, nuclear waste, or any such natural disaster.
Since this report is very new and not completely confirmed, we have no further details about the director, plot, or other cast members. But be sure to check back to Dread Central for more information as we have it.
How do you feel about a potential remake of The Birds? Let us know on Twitter @DreadCentral.
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