The Big Picture

Paramount Pictures is in final talks to acquire Robert Pattinson and Parker Finn’s
Possession
remake.
Finn to produce, write, and direct; Pattinson may star or produce depending on his schedule.
The
Possession
remake will follow the original film’s story of a disintegrating marriage and blurred reality.

Robert Pattinson and Parker Finn’s remake of legendary shocker Possession has found its studio home. Paramount Pictures, which is in the middle of a massive transaction itself, is set to acquire the film. The Hollywood Reporter has the news that Paramount is closing deals with the duo.

Finn, the helmer of 2022’s surprise horror hit Smile and its upcoming sequel, Smile 2, is set to produce, write, and direct the remake. Pattinson, for now, is signed on to produce; depending on his upcoming slate of films (which includes the much-anticipated and much-delayed sequel to 2022’s The Batman), he may also star in the film, stepping into the shoes of the original film’s star Sam Neill.

The remake, which was first reported last month, is slated to be Finn’s next movie; he is currently in post-production on Smile 2, which is set to be released this October. Both Smile films have been Paramount productions, and THR reports that the studio wanted to keep Finn in-house; Warner Bros and Sony were also reportedly interested in acquiring the Possession remake.

What Is ‘Possession’ About?
Image via Gaumont

Directed by Polish auteur Andrzej Żuławski in 1981 amidst his own painful divorce, Possession centers around Mark (Neill), a secret agent, and his wife, Anna (Isabelle Adjani), whose marriage is disintegrating. As the film goes on, the line between reality and nightmare begins to blur, as Mark encounters a mysterious doppelgänger of Anna, has several violent encounters with her lover, and catches her having a tryst with a bizarre tentacled creature out of H.P. Lovecraft’s nightmares.

Filled with sociopolitical intrigue, a bravura performance from Adjani, and one of the most shocking scenes ever committed to celluloid, the film is now considered to be Żuławski’s masterpiece. However, upon its release in 1981, the film was greeted with disdain from critics and horror from the authorities; it was banned in the UK as one of the so-called “video nasties,” and only released in the United States after it had been cut to ribbons.

In addition to Finn and Pattinson, the Possession remake will also be produced by Vertigo Entertainment’s Roy Lee (Barbarian) and Pattinson’s Icki Eneo Arlo partner Brighton McCloskey. The deal for the film was negotiated by Paramount executives Daria Cercek and Michael Ireland. Finn and Pattinson’s Possession remake has found its studio home at Paramount; no cast or filming dates have yet been announced. Stay tuned to Collider for future updates. You can stream the original Possession on Shudder.

Possession (1981) A woman starts exhibiting increasingly disturbing behavior after asking her husband for a divorce. Suspicions of infidelity soon give way to something much more sinister.Release Date May 25, 1981 Director Andrzej Zulawski Cast Isabelle Adjani , Sam Neill , Margit Carstensen , Heinz Bennent Runtime 124 minutes Writers Andrzej Zulawski , Frederic Tuten Studio Gaumont Expand

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