MOVIE NEWS – It looks like one of Robert Downey Jr.’s following starring roles could be in Alfred Hitchcock’s classic Vertigo. Paramount is working on a new remake.

It’s one thing to remake a movie from the 50s for modern audiences who think anything released before 2000 isn’t worth watching. But what if this film is one of the best films of all time? It looks like that scenario may soon come to pass. For it has been mooted that Robert Downey Jr. will be cast as John “Scottie” Ferguson in the remake of the 1958 Alfred Hitchcock thriller, Vertigo.

The character was originally played by James Stewart, who, as Ferguson, became entangled in a web of murder, deceit and mistaken identity in what Sight & Sound previously voted the best film of all time.

Deadline reports that Peaky Blinders and new Star Wars writer Steven Knight will write the new film. The production is being overseen by Paramount Pictures, who have acquired the rights. According to the report, Paramount was the preferred studio for the remake instead of Universal. The latter had owned the rights to the Hitchcock legacy since the 1980s. As they previously distributed the original film, as well as many of Hitchcock’s best-known films, including Rear Window, The Man Who Knew Too Much and the iconic Psycho, it makes sense to bring the remake home.

Robert Downey Jr. will not only star in the film, but he and his wife, Susan Downey, will also be part of the production team Team Downey. They will be joined by Davis Entertainment’s John Davis and John Fox. A release date for the film has not yet been set.

The original 1958 film is not only regarded as one of Hitchcock’s best films, but in 2012 it overtook Citizen Kane as the best film of all time with Sight & Sound. It is a very rare occasion when another film manages to knock Citizen Kane off the top spot. With a recommendation like that, it is a brave decision to attempt a remake of a movie that many consider to be perfect.

Of course, several Hitchcock films have been remade over the years, although in many cases, we could be forgiven for not remembering them – okay, can anyone forget Vince Vaughn’s Psycho?

It’s hard to believe that the case of Vertigo could be any different. Robert Downey Jr. has a wealth of acting experience behind him, and he’s certainly capable of giving a credible performance as Detective Ferguson. But it’s hard to imagine that the new version of the film will be anything other than a pale imitation of the innovative and unsurpassed original.

Source: Deadline