UPDATE: A year later, and the trades are finally reporting on this project. Writer Sarah DeLappe (“Bodies, Bodies, Bodies”) has been tapped to pen the script. Oh, and given the leads involved, a title change was inevitable — it’s apparently now called “Single Female.” They might as well have given it a completely new name, but hey, IP restrictions: can’t stray too far from the original.
EARLIER: Remember Barbet Schroeder’s “Single White Female”? A guilty pleasure thriller starring Bridget Fonda and Jennifer Jason Leigh that could have only been made in the ‘90s. A remake is now in the works.
The two actresses attached to the remake are Taylor Russell and Jenna Ortega — the latter is potentially playing the psycho. The most obvious title for this one might have to be “Single Black Female.”
“Single White Female” follows Allie Jones, a woman who invites a new roommate, Hedra Carlson, into her apartment after a breakup. As Hedra becomes increasingly obsessed with Allie, she starts imitating her appearance and behavior, leading to a dangerous and sinister confrontation.
The film will be produced by 3000 Pictures, which has a deal with Sony to remake the 1992 movie. It’s unclear whether there’s a script at this point, and there’s definitely no director attached yet. Who will want to take this on?
This project reminds me of the recently announced remake of “The Hand That Rocks the Cradle,” another thriller that was a ‘90s guilty pleasure. Both films were not met with strong reviews but have had decent shelf lives on home video.
Much like “The Hand That Rocks the Cradle,” the original “Single White Female” was a modest box office hit, earning $84 million against a $16 million budget. It didn’t make a major dent but was the type of mid-budget thriller that Hollywood churned out nearly monthly in the ‘90s.
The InSneider was first to report on this project, and THR has now corroborated the news with their own piece.