Joe Eszterhas returns to write Basic Instinct reboot for Amazon MGM’s United Artists

Basic Instinct is an erotic thriller film that was released on March 20, 1992. This Paul Verhoeven-directed film was written by Joe Eszterhas, while Alan Marshall and Mario Kassar were the producers. Here is the official synopsis as per Letterboxd,

Catherine, a novelist with an insatiable s*xual appetite, becomes a prime suspect when her boyfriend is brutally murdered – a crime she had described in her latest story.

Eszterhas will be writing a reboot of the film for United Artists, which is owned by Amazon MGM Studios. Let us find out more about this forthcoming reboot of the Sharon Stone starrer.

Joe Eszterhas to pen Basic Instinct reboot

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Amazon MGM Studios' United Artists, and Scott Stuber have acquired the rights to the 1992 film Basic Instinct. Joe Eszterhas, who wrote the first film, will be penning a reboot that is yet to be titled. In an official statement, Eszterhas said:

“To those who question what an 80-year-old man is doing writing a sexy, erotic thriller: the rumors of my cinematic impotence are exaggerated and ageist. I call my writing partner the ‘Twisted Little Man’ and he lives somewhere deep inside me. He was born 29 and he will die 29 and he tells me he is ‘sky high up’ to write this piece and provide viewers with a wild and orgasmic ride. That makes me very happy.”

The film will be produced by Stuber as well as Nick Nesbitt, and Craig Baumgarten and Adam Griffin will be the executive producers. The production of the project will be under the banners of United Artists and Vault Entertainment.

Basic Instinct focuses on a detective who is looking into the m*rder of a rock star in San Francisco. During that time, he starts seeing a woman who is the main suspect in this case. Here is a list of its cast members:

Michael Douglas as Nick Curran
Leilani Sarelle as Roxanne Hardy aka Roxy
Sharon Stone as Catherine Tramell
Denis Arndt as Lieutenant Phillip Walker
Wayne Knight as District Attorney John Correli
George Dzundza as Detective Gus Moran
Jeanne Tripplehorn as Dr. Elisabeth Garner
Bruce A. Young as Det. Sam Andrews
Chelcie Ross as Captain Talcott

The film met with mostly positive critical response and grossed $353 million at the box office, against a production budget of $49 million. The leg-crossing scene involving Stone became a central point of the film, which the actress said she was tricked into doing. Stone reprised the role of Catherine Tramell in its sequel Basic Instinct 2, which was released in 2006. Verhoeven and Michael Douglas were not involved in the project.

Eszterhas worked as a journalist before becoming a full-time writer in Hollywood. He has written films like Showgirls, Flashdance, and Jagged Edge. The cast and director of the project have yet to be announced.

The reboot is expected to be set in current times while retaining the essence of the first film.

Are you looking forward to the Basic Instinct reboot?