Vertigo Remake: Steven Knight Calls Himself an ‘Idiot’ for Taking on Hitchcock’s Classic
A remake of Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo is on the way, and writer Steven Knight believes he is “an idiot” for attempting to adapt the classic film.
The beloved 1958 psychological thriller is widely regarded as one of Hitchcock’s best and one of the greatest movies of all time. Its status as a cinematic masterpiece has made it one of Hollywood’s “untouchable” films, with many believing no remake could ever live up to the original. Despite this, Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight has taken on the challenge.
Steven Knight Acknowledges the Difficulty of the Vertigo Remake
Writer Steven Knight admitted to The Direct’s Russ Milheim that he is fully aware of the immense challenge of adapting Vertigo.
In an exclusive interview while promoting his new Disney+ series A Thousand Blows, Knight was asked about the project, to which he responded that it was “swirling around in [his] head” at the time of the interview.
When addressing the difficulty of adapting Vertigo, he called it “the best film ever made” and joked that “you’d have to be an idiot to adapt it”—a label he applied to himself:
“I’m having flashbacks to about an hour ago when I was writing. It’s an interesting—I mean, of course, people consider it the best film ever made. So you’d have to be an idiot to adapt it, and so that’s what I am.”
Knight has been attached to the project since at least March 2023, and even two years later, work on the script remains ongoing.
He compared writing the Vertigo remake to “diffusing a Second World War time bomb,” describing the process as highly complex but also thrilling:
“But, you know, I like stuff like that. I like it. It’s just so weird to try and do it and just give it a go. Taking that plot apart is like diffusing a Second World War time bomb. It’s all over. It’s very complex, but it’s what’s occupying my waking hours.”
The Vertigo remake is being developed by Paramount and will star Robert Downey Jr. in the lead role of John “Scottie” Ferguson, originally played by James Stewart. Downey is also set to produce the film alongside his wife, Susan Downey, and Davis Entertainment’s John Davis and John Fox, known for their work on the Predator franchise.
Will the Vertigo Remake Live Up to the Original?
Since its initial announcement, news about the Vertigo remake has been scarce. However, Knight’s recent comments confirm that active work is still being done on the project. Despite this, his increasingly busy schedule could pose a challenge. He recently completed work on the upcoming Peaky Blinders movie, set to debut on Netflix, and has several other projects in development. His latest series, A Thousand Blows, has already filmed its second season, ensuring its release, but other commitments—such as a potential third season of his BBC war drama SAS: Rogue Heroes—could delay work on Vertigo.
Knight has been one of Hollywood’s busiest screenwriters in recent years, though he recently stepped away from writing an upcoming Star Wars movie in the New Jedi Order era.
With his current schedule appearing to be more open, now might be the best time for him to complete his Vertigo script. However, whether the remake will be able to match the brilliance of the original remains an open question.
