Credit: Warner Bros.Robert Downey Jr. already gained plenty of notoriety from his time as Iron Man in the MCU. The same can be said for his portrayal of classic characters, as he also was the lead in the Sherlock Holmes movies. Now, the famed actor is set to take the lead in the remake of an Alfred Hitchcock thriller.
Related: Director Claims “The Ball’s In His Court” For Robert Downey Jr.’s Return to Beloved Franchise
Downey is partnering with his wife and their Team Downey production company to produce a remake of one of the most classic thrillers ever made. Even more exciting is Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight has been asked to pen the script. Knight also landed the coveted job of writing the next Star Wars movie.
They are all partnering to bring Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo into contemporary times, as Robert Downey Jr. will be replacing Jimmy Stewart in the lead role of John “Scottie” Ferguson. He may play that character with a different name, but that is who Stewart portrayed in the original 1958 film.
Vertigo follows Police Detective Scottie, who witnesses his partner plummeting to his death, which leads to the detective retiring for fear of heights and dealing with vertigo. Scottie is then hired by Gavin, who wants Scottie to follow his wife, Madeleine. Gavin believes that she has been “acting erratic.”
Scottie is thrust into a mystery of murder and mayhem while dealing with vertigo sickness.
The thriller is one of the most important movies in cinema history. It was the first to use the dolly zoom, an in-camera device that distorts perspective to create disorientation and pull audiences into the cop’s acrophobia condition.
We are unsure how the contemporary version of the movie will look, but if anyone has the gravitas to pull off the look of mania from vertigo, it’s Robert Downey Jr.
Some might be upset with the decision to remake such a classic film, but we believe that remakes are now starting to be done correctly. RDJ is certainly someone that can do the original film justice, and we are excited to see what is going to happen in this remake.
Related: First Look at Older Robert Downey Jr. In Highly Anticipated Movie
Paramount was the original distributor of Vertigo, and reports are indicating that the movie is going to head back to Paramount once again. It has not yet been revealed if that means the movie will stream exclusively on Paramount+, or head for a theatrical release. We would bet on theatrical considering how popular Robert Downey Jr. is.
Are you excited to see Robert Downey Jr. in the Vertigo remake? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments below!