Emerald Fennell Denies She’s Directing ‘Basic Instinct’ Reboot

UPDATE: A rep for Fennell says there is “no truth” to what Eszterhas told The Guardian.

EARLIER: As you might have already heard, “Basic Instinct” screenwriter Joe Eszterhas is rebooting the 1992 film into what he describes as an “anti-woke” reinterpretation.

Eszterhas, 80, signed a $4M deal with Amazon/MGM to pen the screenplay. Concerning plot details of this fresh new take, Eszterhas says it begins in 2025 and centers on serial killers, copycats, and a demonic twist.

Now here comes another twist, and it has to do with the filmmaker attached to this reboot. None other than Emerald Fennell has seemingly been tapped by Amazon/MGM to direct this “Basic Instinct” reboot.

“The producers are negotiating with a really interesting director – a Brit, Emerald Fennell – who did Promising Young Woman and Wuthering Heights,” Eszterhas told The Guardian in an interview. “Her sensibility is exactly right. She’s someone who is not afraid of controversy and sexuality. So I’m thrilled by that. I hope it works out.”

Fennell is coming off “Wuthering Heights”; she also directed “Promising Young Woman” and “Saltburn” — which makes this feel like a natural match. Her M.O. leans into how unhinged and “provocative” her films can be, even if they don’t always push as far as they seem to promise; perhaps “Basic Instinct” is where she finally takes that next step.

According to Eszterhas, that “anti-woke” label wasn’t accidental—it was very much by design. He made clear that the term reflected the mindset he was in as he continued to shape the screenplay.

In terms of the woke culture, I think that there is a segment of the population that’s had it with woke culture. But then there’s also a huge segment that hasn’t. I don’t believe in woke and I don’t believe in being politically correct because I think it’s not the truth, and I like the truth spoken.

Now, nearly four decades since the original, “Basic Instinct” will be coming back to the big screen — can we pretend that 2006 sequel never existed? Eszterhas wanted Sharon Stone to come back in a small role, but she publicly stated, no chance. “I hate to break it to you,” she said last August, but Joe Eszterhas couldn’t write himself out of a Walgreens drug store.”

have no idea how this reboot will turn out. It just sounds like a wildly unhinged plan, but I’m certainly curious, and with Fennell potentially signed on, there will be even more attention paid to it now. I’m sure casting, which is currently underway, will be a hoot — which young actress will take on the sexually explosive lead role? Here’s hoping they go hard on that “R” rating, don’t rewrite any of Crazy Joe’s words from the script — just let them sing.