A new drama movie is coming to Netflix this October, and many classic movie buffs already know the story.
Later in October, Rebecca will hit the streaming giant, re-telling the classic Alfred Hitchcock story of a woman marrying a man only to find herself constantly haunted by the memories of his dead wife.
Here is everything we know about Rebecca.
This article provides everything that is known about Rebecca on Netflix and all related news. As such, this article will be updated over time with news, rumors, and analysis. Meanwhile, let’s dig down into what is known so far.
Release date latest: When does Rebecca come out on Netflix?
Netflix announced in July that Rebecca was coming to Netflix on October 21.
Lily James said that this movie would be different from the classic Alfred Hitchock movie that won the Oscar for Best Picture in 1940.
“We’re doing an adaptation for today, with the idea that women aren’t necessarily the weaker sex,” James explained.
Not only is Rebecca hitting Netflix on that day, but it is also releasing in select theaters to make the movie an awards contender.
Rebecca on Netflix cast updates
The cast is headlined by Armie Hammer (The Lone Ranger) and Lily James (Cinderella). Hammer will play Maxim de Winter, a widower, while Lily James stars as his new bride, Mrs. de Winter.
The other major cast member is Kristin Scott Thomas as Mrs. Danvers. Thomas is an award-winning actress who is a five-time BAFTA Award Winner who was also nominated for an Academy Award for The English Patient (1996)
The rest of the supporting cast includes Emmy winner Ann Dowd (The Handmaid’s Tale), Keeley Hawes (Bodyguard), Ben Crompton (Game of Thrones), and Sam Riley, who starred in Wheatley’s Free Fire.
Rebecca on Netflix: What is it about?
Rebecca is based on the 1938 novel of the same name by Daphne du Maurier, who also wrote the short story The Birds, another Alfred Hitchcock movie adaptation.
The most popular version of Rebecca arrived in 1940 as the first American movie directed by Hitchcock, and it made him an instant success in this country.
The original movie received 11 Oscar nominations, more than any film that year, and won two awards, including Best Picture. This was the only Hitchcock film ever to win the top honor at the Oscars. It also won the Best Cinematography Oscar. In 2018, it was added to the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress.
The original also holds a 100-percent fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, called a “masterpiece of haunting atmosphere.”
With that said, this Netflix remake of Rebecca has a lot to live up to.
Rebecca tells the story of a young woman (Lily James) who meets a wealthy widower named Max (Armie Hammer), and soon the two get married.
However, when she arrives at his mansion, the new Mrs. de Winter meets the housekeeper, Mrs. Danvers (Kristin Scott Thomas), and she soon realizes that Mrs. Danvers will never let her forget Max’s deceased wife, Rebecca. With thinly veiled threats and snide insults, Mrs. Danvers won’t let her live in peace with her new husband.
However, things get out of control when suspicions arise that Max might have killed Rebecca. When her lover shows up and throws the accusation, it causes both Max and his new bride into turmoil as they try to keep their marriage intact and survive Max’s dark past secrets.
With that in mind, director Ben Wheatley (Kill List) said this is not a remake of the Alfred Hitchcock film and mentioned there was more than one adaptation of Rebecca, and this is not a remake of any of those previous films.
“It’s not, in any sense, a remake of the Hitchcock film, firmly not,” Wheatley said. “Remaking a film is not that interesting to me, but the original source material is. I watched all the adaptations. It’s important to see what’s gone before, but that’s certainly not the focus.”
Wheatley said he wanted to make a movie that had more love than past movie adaptations.
“It’s part of trying to investigate other parts of being human. Rebecca has dark elements, and it has a psychological, haunting story within it, but it’s also about these two people in love. That was the main thing.”
Rebecca on Netflix trailer
The trailer shows the film’s prestige, from the old-school Hollywood text to the looks of the locals in the movie.
It starts with the future Mrs. de Winter arriving at a restaurant and being turned away until Max offers her a spot at his table. The trailer shows moments where they fell in love and he proposed to her.
However, things change instantly when Mrs. de Winter meets Ms. Danvers, who clearly doesn’t like the young woman. The trailer then shows her trying to get Max to open up.
The trailer then hints at the accident that killed Rebecca and the gothic horror that haunts her while Mrs. Danvers taunts her.
It ends with Mrs. Danvers saying she can’t go on living in that house with her ghost, but Mrs. de Winter exclaims she doesn’t believe in ghosts.
Rebecca premieres on Netflix on Oct. 21, 2020.