The anxiety-inducing thriller from the 2000s is finally getting a remake – with a twist

One of the best thrillers of the 2000s is finally getting a long-awaited remake – but the new version of Panic Room will be very different from the original.

Starring Jodie Foster and a very young Kristen Stewart, 2002’s Panic Room followed a mother and daughter’s fight for survival after intruders break into their home. They first think they’re safe in their brownstone’s state-of-the-art panic room, only to realize that what the intruders want is inside their safe space.

The thriller has received rave reviews and is widely considered one of director David Fincher’s best works, currently at 76% on Rotten Tomatoes.

It has now been confirmed that a Brazilian adaptation is currently in pre-production as the first TV movie under Sony Pictures Television-owned Brazilian production company Floresta, according to Variety.

The remake will put a new spin on the iconic thriller with Brazilian actress Isis Valverde in the lead role and director Gabriela Amaral helming the project.

Confirming his casting, Valverde said in a statement: “2024 has been a difficult but generous year for me, full of possibilities, plans and projects that are finally coming off the drawing board.

“To end this year with such good news is incredible. Being chosen to play this role is an honor, as is sharing the set with Gabriela Amaral, a truly unique director and wonderful team. I hope to deliver a performance full of color that spills off the screen.

The adaptation is expected to introduce new ethical dilemmas in keeping with modern society while remaining faithful to the intensity of the original.

So far, the new premise appears to largely follow Fincher’s masterpiece, but the TV movie will feature a recently widowed woman, not a divorcee like in the 2002 film.

Teasing the adaptation, Floresta fiction artistic director Thiago Teitelroit said: “In addition to an extremely topical plot, we have developed an electrifying thriller that also brings an important ethical discussion.

“The story, a Sony intellectual property, is what we were looking for: a product that allows for excellent performances from the actors and direction in a story capable of appealing to a wide audience.”

In an interview with the BBC at the time of release, Foster scoffed at the idea of ​​having a panic room in real life, although it’s surprising that her feelings have changed over the past two decades.

When asked if she had one, the actress replied: “No, I think it’s a really bad idea!” I think the movie says that! A panic room this equipped is not that common – it is quite rare. However, if you have an alarm system, the first thing a technician does when they walk in is point to a panic room – this is usually a closet. You have a phone line that connects to the alarm company or police department, so if your phones go out, it’s live.

Panic Room also introduced wider audiences to Twilight star Stewart, who was around 12 years old at the time in her third film role.

Nicole Kidman was originally set to play the lead role of the mother but had to drop out before being replaced by Foster. In a 2022 interview on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Stewart revealed that she rehearsed for weeks with Kidman until she stepped down from producing.

Panic Room is available for free on Tubi in the UK.

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