Since the start of 2011, there’s been talk about Sir Anthony Hopkins playing Sir Alfred Hitchcock in a big-screen adaptation of “Writing with Hitchcock,” Anthony De Rosa’s fantastic book about Hitchcock’s 1950s collaboration with screenwriter John Michael Hayes. (I blogged about this book here.)
Now, it looks like we’ll have our pick of Hitchcocks. And Alma Revilles, too.
First, the BBC has announced plans this week for the movie “The Girl,” about Hitchcock’s difficult relationship with Tippi Hedren during the making of “The Birds.” The movie will star Sienna Miller as Hedren, with Toby Jones as Hitch and Imelda Staunton as Reville. Hitchcock biographer Donald Spoto will serve as a consultant on the film; no word yet on when it will air, but it’s a good bet that it will be sometime in 2012.
Today, the Anthony Hopkins Hitchcock project got an update, with Fox Searchlight announcing that the movie would be about the making of “Psycho,” with Helen Mirren as Reville. Reports say that the film’s story will focus on Hitchcock’s decision to make a horror film, and his struggle to finance it when he could not get the studio backing he had expected. It looks like this movie may start production in the spring.
So, film fans – who do you like better as Hitch? And who will be the better Alma: Helen Mirren or Imelda Staunton? I think it all sounds pretty amazing – but Helen Mirren may be a little too glam for Alma – but we’ll have to wait and see.