Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca is one of the most beloved Gothic romances of all time. The story takes place in a chilling manor called Manderley and follows a young woman haunted by the specter of her husband’s dead first wife. Alfred Hitchcock famously directed a feature film adaptation of the novel in 1940. Both the book and old movie are classics, so it’s with trepidation that we discuss the new adaptation. But it’s with excitement as well, as this thing looks fantastic.
Here’s the first trailer for Netflix’s Rebecca.
This version is directed by Ben Wheatley (Kill List, Free Fire) and adapted for the screen by Jane Goldman (Kick-Ass, The Woman in Black) and the writer team of Joe Shrapnel and Anna Waterhouse (Frankie & Alice, Seberg). That’s an impressive roster of talent, but can they live up to Hitchcock? Time will tell.
Netflix
Rebecca stars Lily James, Armie Hammer, Kristin Scott Thomas, Keeley Hawes, and Ann Dowd. Here’s the full synopsis from Netflix.
After a whirlwind romance in Monte Carlo with handsome widower Maxim de Winter (Armie Hammer), a newly married young woman (Lily James) arrives at Manderley, her new husband’s imposing family estate on a windswept English coast. Naive and inexperienced, she begins to settle into the trappings of her new life, but finds herself battling the shadow of Maxim’s first wife, the elegant and urbane Rebecca, whose haunting legacy is kept alive by Manderley’s sinister housekeeper Mrs. Danvers (Kristin Scott Thomas). Directed by Ben Wheatley and produced by Working Title Films (Emma, Darkest Hour), Rebecca is a mesmerizing and gorgeously rendered psychological thriller based on Daphne du Maurier’s beloved 1938 gothic novel.
We’re so ready for the Gothic romance to come back into style and it looks like Ben Wheatley is, too. We can’t wait to see Rebecca when it lands on Netflix just in time for Halloween, on October 21.
Featured Image: Netflix