What The Flock?

News of another remake is on the agenda today...

Stax of IGN Film Force writes:

Universal Pictures and Michael Bay's Platinum Dunes production company have been developing a remake of the Alfred Hitchcock suspense classic The Birds for over a year now.

The powers-that-be are reportedly eager to take the next step in the development process and attach a star. According to TMZ.com, Universal is poised to make an offer to scream queen Naomi Watts (The Ring, King Kong) to star in the film.

The role would be the one played by Tippi Hendren in the original film. TMZ also claims that screenwriter Leslie Dixson (The Thomas Crown Affair) has come onboard the pic.

IGN was advised this past June by Platinum Dunes producer Brad Fuller that Stiles White and Juliet Snowden (Boogeyman) were scripting the project, which Fuller stressed would be more faithful to Daphne Du Maurier's original story than Hitchcock's film was.

The original TMZ post can be found right here...

The 1963 version of The Birds and the work of its director Alfred Hitchcock, in particular, are among my favorite films. And as I've said before:

When it comes to hearing news about remakes of movies that I like (or love), my initial reaction is usually one of skepticism or yes, seething rage, while I ask something like 'Why risk ruining a good thing with a dopey remake?' ...

Take this--On Tuesday, June 6th, 2006, discussing The Omen remake, I wrote:

...in my opinion, if all you are doing is ripping off the original (particularly with a classic) then why bother? Think the 1998 version of Psycho, made by director Gus Van Sant, and you might understand what I mean...

While it sounds like the plan is to follow the short story source material more closely, than Hitchcock did--thus, making it different. I still believe a remake of The Birds is ultimately unnecessary...Of course I know this is a subjective argument...Just because you can remake a film doesn't mean you should It's a classic that need not be touched....If it does move ahead though, I hope Michael Bay uses the model he employed for the 2003 version of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre

Tippi Hedren in a classic scene from the Hitchcock film...

Do we really need a remake?

I'll be watching out for news on this one...