Joe Eszterhas Returns to 'Basic Instinct' — This Time With Demons (and a $4M Deal)
Sharon Stone’s return is uncertain — but evil isn’t.
Joe Eszterhas, the 80-year-old screenwriter behind Basic Instinct, has signed a $4 million deal with Amazon/MGM to reboot his most notorious work. This time, with a darker, more sinister edge. The film will be set in 2025, which suggests we're not just getting a sequel, but a full reimagining for a new (and perhaps more cynical) age.
Catherine Tramell will return, though not as the lead. Eszterhas is writing the part with Sharon Stone in mind, but her involvement remains unconfirmed. He’s vague on plot details — the script is still being written — but clear on tone: unsettling, unapologetic, and steeped in shadow.
"It’s about the serial killers. It’s about copycats. There’s a demonic element to it that I think will be spooky," he told The Wrap.
Perhaps most controversial, Eszterhas has said he’s not interested in political correctness. He prefers what he describes as "truth spoken" over filtered storytelling.
Still, many viewers remain sceptical. On Reddit, user SwapandPop dismissed the project as "a marketing ploy... a standard cookie cutter film with some T&A." Another, EarlJWJones, simply wrote, "Anti Woke, huh? I can’t wait to never see it." Others questioned whether the film could succeed at all without the right director — "Without a good director it'll probably crash and burn," warned bravetailor.
What the final result will look like is anyone’s guess. But after nearly two decades away from screenwriting, Eszterhas is back — and that alone makes this project worth waiting.
