There have been rumblings that Universal was interested in putting together a remake of their 1996 teenager stalker movie FEAR for a long time – in fact, several years ago there was a rumor that the remake would star Justin Bieber. Now that would truly be something to fear.
Directed by James Foley from a screenplay by Christopher Crowe, FEAR starred Mark Wahlberg, Reese Witherspoon, William Petersen, Amy Brenneman, and Alyssa Milano. The story:
Nicole Walker always dreamed of being swept away by someone special – someone strong, sexy and sensitive who would care for her more than anything else in the world. David is all that and more: a modern-day knight who charms and seduces her, body and soul. But her perfect boyfriend is not all he seems to be. His sweet facade masks a savage dark side that will soon transform Nicole's dream into a nightmare.
A remake of the film is now officially moving forward, with FEAR producer Brian Grazer back to produce the new version.
Details are being kept under wraps, but word is the remake "will be told from a female perspective"… and this makes me think I need to rewatch FEAR again soon, because I remember – and the synopsis seems to confirm – that Witherspoon's character was the lead, and thus the original already was told from a female perspective.
And if the remake's major selling point is that this time it's a female perspective, it seems odd that they've hired a male screenwriter, albeit one who has received acclaim and an Oscar nomination: STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON writer Jonathan Herman.
Perhaps "told from a female perspective" means the female will be the stalker this time. If so, then what will set it apart from the many other female stalker movies we get on a regular basis?
I just can't work up too much hype for this project.