Director Tim Burton was first announced to helm a remake of Attack of the 50 Foot Woman in 2024, and the first bit of tangible development news has finally emerged.
Screenwriting partners Danya Jimenez and Hannah McMechan, who penned Kpop Demon Hunters for Netflix/Sony have boarded the project to adapt the script for Burton.
In a press statement to THR, the pair wrote, "We’re obsessed with the idea of a fifty-foot woman wreaking havoc because a man did her dirty. We have a feeling a lot of people will relate."
Gillian Flynn (Gone Girl, Sharp Objects) penned a previous version of the script.
THR's article also confirms that LukcyChap has boarded the project as one of the film's producing outfits. This is an important distinction as last July, rumors surfaced that Margot Robbie was circling the project as a potential lead, and Lucky Chap is the production company she started after the success of Barbie. THR's article makes no distinct mention of Robbie but the inclusion of Lucky Chap means she'll be involved in some capacity.
A the 2024 Marrakech Film Festival, Burton downplayed his involvement in the remake, stating, "One thing I learned very early on is that until I’m on the set doing something I don’t know if I’m doing it. I’ve had projects, I was doing a Superman once, I did another project that I worked for a year upon, and it didn’t happen. When those things happen, it’s quite traumatic, it’s quite emotional. So, I’m very protective of myself."
He added, "In Hollywood, when you’re doing something, you may think you’re doing something, until they tell you you’re not doing something. You get quite traumatized by those situations, so I wait until I’m on the set, and then I will tell you, ‘Yes’, because I’m actually doing it. But before then, I don’t know."
The original Attack of the 50 Foot Woman (1958) was a low-budget B-movie made for a reported $88,000. The film starred Allison Hayes as a troubled heiress whose life takes a wild turn after a close encounter with an alien causes her to grow to gigantic proportions.
Her transformation adds a monstrous twist to an already strained marriage, complicated by her unfaithful husband and the social norms of the era, which pressured women to strive for matronly perfection.
In the years that have passed, and despite its shoestring budget, the film achieved cult classic status thanks to its unforgettable imagery and has inspired countless parodies and homages, including a 1993 remake starring Daryl Hannah, Attack of the 60 Foot Centerfold, Attack of the 50 Foot Cheerleader, Monsters vs. Aliens and more.