Back in 2014, writer/directors Severin Fiala and Veronika Franz brought creepiness to screens with the thriller Goodnight Mommy. That has naturally attracted remake attention, and the new movie will now go ahead with Naomi Watts starring.
Matt Sobel is directing the new version from a script by Kyle Warren. Quite what sort of twist it might put on the original remains to be seen, but for the protection of those who haven't seen it, skip the next paragraph, in which the story is discussed.
The Austrian thriller, which starred the luminous Susanne Wuest, follows twin brothers who, when sent to stay with their mother, are surprised to find her swathed in bandages from a recent procedure. As her behaviour grows increasingly erratic and unusual, the twins become convinced she is an imposter. Their suspicion sets off a roller-coaster of emotional mind games and misunderstandings between mother and her children, that eventually explodes with irreparable and heartbreaking consequences...
"My favorite films are those that invite the audience to step inside their protagonist’s journey. In our re-imagining of Goodnight Mommy, fear of abandonment — and the dreadful realization that those close to us may not be who they seem — create an immersive nightmare, with visceral sensations front and center. I can’t wait to create this heart-stopping story with Amazon and the peerless Naomi Watts," says Sobel in a statement picked up by Variety