Sharon Stone isn’t impressed with the studio’s plan to reboot her 1992 erotic thriller Basic Instinct.
Speaking on the US TV program Today, Stone dismissed speculation that she might reprise her iconic role as murderous novelist Catherine Tramell. She also recalled the failed 2006 sequel, Basic Instinct 2, where she reprised her role. The film drew scathing reviews, disappointed audiences, and grossed only $38 million worldwide.
“It goes the way the one that I was in,” said Stone. “I would just say, ‘Why do you do it?’ Go ahead, but good fu**ing luck,” she laughed.
Stone also explained that she no longer worries about what people think. “I’m at that stage in my life where I already retired once,” she said. “And I already died a couple times. I’m like, ‘What are you going to do? Kill me again? Go ahead.’”
Why the Reboot?
As for Stone’s “Why do it?” question, the answer is obvious: the original film grossed $352 million in 1992 – roughly $800 million in today’s dollars. Amazon MGM also found success rebooting Road House last year. The studio is betting big on Eszterhas, paying him $2 million upfront with the potential to earn $4 million if the film gets made.
The reboot has already sparked debate. Early descriptions label it “anti-woke,” and the original faced fierce criticism from the LGBTQ community for its stereotypical portrayal of a lesbian relationship and a homosexual killer.
Original screenwriter Joe Eszterhas pushed back on doubts about his age and ability. “To those who question what an 80-year-old man is doing writing a sexy, erotic thriller: the rumors of my cinematic impotence are exaggerated and ageist,” he told.
Stone, meanwhile, is focused on promoting her new action film Nobody 2, where she plays an unhinged crime boss. She is also joining the cast of Euphoria Season 3, which will also star Sydney Sweeney, the face who caused a political row with an advertisement for American Eagle.
