ROTTEN TOMATOES: Anthony Hopkins Channeling Hitchcock for Psycho Movie

Anthony Hopkins Channeling Hitchcock for Psycho Movie

He gives MTV Movies a preview.

by Jeff Giles | October 23, 2007

Hot on the heels of the news that Naomi Watts has joined the cast of the Michael Bay-produced remake of Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds comes word that Hitchcock himself will be returning to the big screen. Sort of.

MTV Movies reports that Running with Scissors director Ryan Murphy is getting started on Alfred Hitchcock Presents, a movie about the making of Psycho -- and that the director will be played by none other than Anthony Hopkins. In a February post on Presents, Tom Wells of Hollywood Elsewhere said this about the project:

Who would've imagined Murphy directing something as unusual and film-buffy as Alfred Hitchcock Presents, a drama about the making of Hitchcock's Psycho, and particularly the hurdles and roadblocks that the great British director...went through in order to bring it come to fruition. Hitchcock was discouraged left and right from making it. The script was seen as way too dark and perverse (especially with the lead female star getting killed off after 45 minutes), and no one wanted to see a movie based more or less on the macabre exploits of serial killer Ed Gein.

Hopkins sat down with MTV Movies recently and gave them a few tidbits about Presents, including a description of the opening and a public debut of his Hitchcock voice. Click on the link below to see more!

Source: MTV Movies
Source: Hollywood Elsewhere

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(1-16 of 16 posts) | Reply

xenogears writes:
on Oct 23 2007 07:27 AM

Hopkins is awesome.

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Baccus83 writes:
on Oct 23 2007 07:33 AM

Wait, what? A Michael Bay produced remake of "The Birds?"

Sweet Jesus.

There really is nothing sacred anymore. In any case, if they HAVE to remake a Hitchcock film, it might as well be that one.

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Mazula writes:
on Oct 23 2007 07:54 AM

Actaully, if they HAVE to remake a Hitchcock film, it might as well be one of his early movies because they were actually crap. Seriously. Go to the dollar movie section at walmart or something and youll find these four-movie sets of Hitchcock and others. and they suck.

Also, although I think teh movie sounds pretty intriguing, I just cant see Hopkins as Hitchcock. Both guys have distinct looks that just dont match at all. Hopkins might give a good preformance, but I just cant buy the look. I mean, look at that picture up in teh corner. Hitchcock has this lip thing going on that couldnt be duplicated by Hopkins.

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jacog writes:
on Oct 23 2007 08:23 AM

Perhaps they'll just give Hopkins big-*** collagen lips. :)

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KubrickIsG-d writes:
on Oct 23 2007 08:39 AM

How could Richard Attenborough NOT be directing this movie. The guy helmed four of some of the greatest biopics- Gandhi, Shadowlands(C.S. Lewis), Chaplin, and Cry Freedom(Steve Biko). On top of that, some of Anthony Hopkins best performances have been with him (particularly the forgotten classic chiller "Magic") He will also bring a classic style of filmaking that a Hitchcock biopic deserves.

Ryan Murphy's one movie, Running with Sisscors, was terrible. He is also too much of a product of the MTV style of filmaking (not that there is anything wrong with modern film) to direct a HItchcock biogrophy.

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bangoskank writes:
on Oct 23 2007 09:17 AM

Anyone want to take bets on how many birds will have laser-contraptions strapped to their backs in a Bay remake?

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thereign writes:
on Oct 23 2007 09:40 AM

I bid 50,000 quatloos that there will be 87 birds, each equipped with laser contraptions strapped to their backs!!!

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xenogears writes:
on Oct 23 2007 11:28 AM

I'll take that and raise you another 75,000 quatloos that its 23 real birds and 107 CGI birds, all with laser contraptions strapped to there little, crazed backs!

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blank blank writes:
on Oct 23 2007 01:04 PM

is bay going to put flames on the birds?

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Snarebeast writes:
on Oct 23 2007 01:20 PM

I doubt it, but they'll probably explode a lot and fly in slow motion.

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zgberg writes:
on Oct 23 2007 01:28 PM

In reply to this comment (#1216460)
I hear you concerns. However, it would be nice to see a biopic that does not look or feel like the standard hollywood biopic. It seems this will really be about a slice of hitchcock - however, I think that could be more revealing then the standard humble beginnings to legend to downfall to redemption to deathbed storyline.

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Ne0x1ty writes:
on Oct 23 2007 02:25 PM

I think this is a really inventive idea... the stupid Michael Bay produced Birds is horrible though...

Think the AFI top 100 probably should be off limites for remakes.

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KubrickIsG-d writes:
on Oct 23 2007 02:36 PM

Damn you Jeff Giles for even mentioning the "Birds" remake in the article. You managed to turn a story about Hitchcock's biopic into a frenzy of peopole commenting on a remake thats already been talked about to death here.

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Drunken Mastermind writes:
on Oct 23 2007 04:42 PM

I agree with the Kubrick fellow,Richard Attenborough,not Ryan Murphy should be directing this. I think Hopkins as Hitchcock will be absolutely Oscar-Worthy though.

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Jimbo93 writes:
on Oct 23 2007 07:53 PM

Don't know about the director, but Anthony Hopkins is amazing, and I trust him to do a good job with playing Hitchcock.

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HitchcockGeek writes:
on Oct 25 2007 01:35 PM

In reply to this comment (#1216291)
While it's all a matter taste, of course, I have to disagree with Mazula's comment that Hitchcock's early movies were crap. In the 20's and 30's he was one of Britain's most celebrated directors. The silent films might be hard to watch -- because they are silent and it can be hard to find good video versions of them -- but that doesn't make the films crap. Instead of getting these movies out of the dollar bin at Wal-Mart, which are almost always of poor quality, why not go online or go to a better (usually independent) video rental store and check them out. Start with "Blackmail," (Britain's first talkie), then move on to "Sabotage" (talkie), The Lodger (Silent) and "The Ring" (Silent). But get good quality versions if you can. otherwise, it'll be a chore to watch them. Cheers.

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