Joe Eszterhas to Write “Anti-Woke” Basic Instinct Reboot for Amazon

Joe Eszterhas, the writer behind the famous 1992 thriller Basic Instinct, is making a big comeback. According to The Wrap, the 80-year-old screenwriter is working on a new version of the movie for Amazon MGM Studios and United Artists.

He’s set to get $2 million just for writing the script, and another $2 million if the film actually gets made. This deal is one of the biggest for a script this year.

The new movie doesn’t have a title yet, but insiders say it will be “anti-woke.” This hints that Eszterhas plans to bring back the bold and shocking style that made the original film famous. Producers Scott Stuber and Nick Nesbitt from United Artists are involved, along with Craig Baumgarten and executive producer Adam Griffin from Vault Entertainment.

One big surprise is that Sharon Stone might return as Catherine Tramell. Stone’s character in the first film is a smart and dangerous woman, famous for her icy stare and that unforgettable leg-crossing scene. Her role made her a star but also sparked lots of controversy.

Basic Instinct was a hit when it came out in 1992, but it caused a lot of problems too. Even before filming ended, gay rights activists protested because they didn’t like how the movie showed a bisexual woman as a violent killer. Some protests even happened right on the set in San Francisco, with police controlling the crowds. Activists argued that Hollywood kept showing harmful stereotypes.

The protests didn’t stop after the movie’s release. Lesbian and bisexual groups stood outside theaters with signs like “Catherine Did It!” and “Hollywood Promotes Anti-Gay Violence.” Director Paul Verhoeven supported their right to protest but didn’t like how they disrupted things. He said, “Fascism is not in raising your voice; the fascism is in not accepting the no.”

Even Sharon Stone was targeted. When she hosted Saturday Night Live, some protesters tried to rush the stage but were stopped by security.

Film critics talked about the controversy as well. Roger Ebert pointed out that both straight and gay characters in the film were shown in a negative light, so he thought the claims of homophobia were not entirely fair. Camille Paglia praised Sharon Stone’s performance, calling it “one of the great performances by a woman in screen history.”

Women’s rights groups also spoke out. They criticized the film for its violent scenes toward women and said it sent harmful messages about relationships and sexual violence. In France, a mayor banned the movie, claiming it encouraged crime and rape.

Years later, Eszterhas admitted regret about one part of the film: the smoking. After being diagnosed with throat cancer, he apologized for making cigarettes look cool in his movies.

Now, decades later, Eszterhas is back in Hollywood, and it looks like the new Basic Instinct will bring up just as many heated conversations as the original did.

This information comes from The Wrap.

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