All I can do is sigh at the news that Alfred Hitchcock’s “The Birds” is getting a remake in the form of a limited series.
According to Deadline, the package is being presented to buyers as we speak, with Emmy winner Sarah Snook (“Succession”) set to star and Tom Spezialy (“The Leftovers,” “Watchmen”) writing. The project comes from Universal International Studios.
This version of “The Birds” is being described as a “visceral, present-day reimagining of Hitchcock’s classic,” set in Spezialy’s home state of Alaska, with a murder mystery at its center and a cast of new characters led by a new female protagonist, Myra Massey (Snook).
Inspired by both Hitchcock’s film and Daphne du Maurier’s short story on which it was loosely based, “The Birds” introduces traveling magistrate Myra Massey (Snook), who returns to her isolated Alaskan hometown for what she expects will be a routine presumptive-death hearing. Instead, she discovers the bullet-ridden body of a childhood friend. Forced to step outside her role as a judge to untangle the mystery, Myra finds nature itself turning hostile as waves of bird attacks descend upon the town. Now, she isn’t just trying to close a case—she’s fighting to survive in a place where death lurks in both the shadows and the skies.
Du Maurier’s 1952 short story unfolded in the countryside of Cornwall, while Hitchcock relocated the action to the coastal town of Bodega Bay, California. This latest adaptation not only changes the setting once again, but also updates the protagonist for modern sensibilities. Gone is Melanie Daniels (Tippi Hedren), the flawed and vulnerable socialite who finds herself hopelessly overwhelmed by forces beyond her control. In her place is Myra Massey (Snook), a magistrate who is mire than able to take care of herself.
There have been multiple attempts to remake “The Birds” over the years, none of which progressed beyond the development stage. There was the Naomi Watts-starring, Martin Campbell-directed version announced in 2007, as well as a BBC series announced in 2017, but neither project ever came to fruition.
Yes, I know Hitchcock’s “The Birds” was itself an adaptation of du Maurier’s short story, and the people behind this latest version are attempting to distance themselves from Hitchcock’s film by changing the setting and emphasizing the source material. However, remaking anything connected to Hitchcock has rarely produced memorable results …
Most infamously, there was “Psycho” (remade shot-for-shot by Gus Van Sant in 1998), “Rear Window” (a television remake starring Christopher Reeve),” and “Shadow of a Doubt” (1991). More recently, Rebecca” (2020), directed by Ben Wheatley, while “A Perfect Murder” (1998) reworked “Dial M for Murder.” Even films such as “Disturbia” (2007) have drawn heavily from “Rear Window.”
Then, of course, there’s Robert Downey Jr., who seems very adamant about remaking “Vertigo,” a perfect film if I’ve ever seen one. Back in March 2023, Paramount acquired the rights to the remake, with none other than Bond 26 writer Steven Knight (“Peaky Blinders”) set to pen the screenplay for Downey Jr. No director has been attached to the project so far, but, man, I’d hate to be the one sitting in that chair.