Walter Hill set to remake classic psychological thriller Whatever Happened To Baby Jane?

Last Updated on August 5, 2021

Here’s a bit of a head-scratcher…

Walter Hill, the man behind a legion of action pictures like 48 HOURS and RED HEAT, has just struck a deal to remake Robert Aldrich’s 1962 thriller WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO BABY JANE? And not just produce (along with Aldrich Co.), he’ll write and direct the flick as well.

For those who haven’t seen the Joan Crawford/Bette Davis classic, the flick spins:

A tale that almost redefines sibling rivalry, faded actresses Blanche and ‘Baby’ Jane Hudson live together. Jane was by far the most famous when she performed with their father in vaudeville but as they got older, it was Blanche who became the finer actress, which Jane still resents. Blanche is now confined to a wheelchair – Jane ran her over with the car while drunk, even though she has no memory of it – and Jane is firmly in control. As time goes by, Jane exercises greater and greater control over her sister, intercepting her letters and ensuring that few if anyone from the outside has any contact with her. As Jane slowly loses her mind, she torments her sister going to ever greater extremes.

Quite a psychological terror, especially for 1962. It’ll be interesting to see how Hill handles the nuances of the material, not having to fall back on heightened set-pieces and action sequences. Remember, Hill just did BULLET TO THE HEAD with Sly Stallone, much more his speed.

BULLET O THE HEAD star Sarah Shahi