New adaptation of the suspense novel in development.
Writer-director Walter Hill (‘Bullet to the Head,’ ‘The Long Riders,’ ‘The Warriors’) is teaming up with The Aldrich Company to develop a new adaptation of Henry Farrell’s gothic horror novel ‘What Ever Happened To Baby Jane?’
The novel was previously adapted by Lukas Heller and directed by the late Robert Aldrich back in 1962 with Bette Davis and Joan Crawford in the leads. An instant classic, the film told of the nightmarish relationship between two aging sisters in a decaying Hollywood mansion, where former child star Jane Hudson (Davis) holds captive her crippled former movie-queen sister (Crawford).
“The two equal leads demand great performers — that is a given. The intensity of the Gothic storyline makes a reconfiguration of the drama still a potentially searing experience. The idea is to make a modern film without modernizing the period. It needs to resonate the golden age of Hollywood,” said Hill in a statement.
Aldrich’s daughter Adell commented, “I am greatly honoured that Walter Hill will be joining us in the collaboration of this film. I know that he will respect the material and the legacy of this terrific project.”