Hollywood has been trying to get an adaptation of Stephen Rebello's book, Alfred Hitchcock and the Making of Psycho, off the ground for a long time. First published in 1990, the ball didn't really get rolling on the film until Sacha Gervasi(Anvil!: The Story of Anvil) came aboard as director last year. With Anthony Hopkins set to play Hitchcock, and Helen Mirren on board as his wife, Alma, the rest of the pieces are starting to fall into place.
Scarlett Johannson is set to play Janet Leigh, the actress most famous for getting hacked up in the infamous shower scene. Also joining her is James D'arcy, just coming down from playing King Edward in Madonna's W.E. He'll tackle the disturbed Norman Bates himself, Anthony Perkins. Featuring a script by John McLaughlin(Black Swan) and Tom Thayer, the book follows the trials and tribulations Hitchcock experienced trying to get Psycho off the ground. At the time, nobody expected it to be a hit, and that it was foolish for him to be making a shock horror at that stage of his career.
Filming will begin next month, and the early word is that Johansson's role will remind many of what Michelle Williams did in My Week With Marilyn. Could we be looking at a possible Oscar contender come next year? Before that, we'll see Johansson donning the leather outfit of the Black Widow in The Avengers. D'arcy will be seen next in The Wachowski's Cloud Atlas. [Variety]
