Last week we reported that Sasha Gervasi, who wrote Spielberg’s The Terminal and the recent Henry’s Crime but who’s probably best known as the director of the rock documentary, Anvil! The Story Of Anvil, was taking over helming duties on a long-gestating movie about Alfred Hitchcock, which will chronicle the making of Psycho.
At the time we noted that in one of its previous incarnations (the idea has passed from company to company for nearly a decade), Anthony Hopkins was loosely attached to star as the great director. Well it appears they’re trying to get him back on board as THR says that Hopkins is now back in talks to play Hitchcock in the film. No deal has yet been made (and Gervais hasn’t actually signed on the dotted line yet either, incidentally), but hopefully this’ll give Hopkins something to sink his teeth into, rather than just turning up and saying lines as he’s done for the past few years.
The screenplay looks at Hitchcock’s difficulties getting Psycho made, which was a radical departure for the director and one no studio really wanted to touch, despite Alfred’s box office clout. However he scrounged around for financing and took a gamble that making what many initially thought was schlocky, bargain basement horror wouldn’t kill off his career. It also apparently focusses on the relationship between Hitchcock and his wife Alma, who was his main cinematic collaborator for decades, yet rarely gets a mention.