Two of the best ’80s thrillers are being remade as TV shows

Stephen Porzio

We hope the TV shows are as great as the movies that inspired them.

Trailers have been released this week for not one, but two TV show remakes of classic movie thrillers from the ’80s.

The first to arrive will be Prime Video’s Dead Ringers, a gender-swapped take on filmmaker David Cronenberg’s acclaimed 1988 psychological thriller. The original starred Jeremy Irons as identical twin gynecologists whose relationship deteriorates after one of them falls in love with a woman.

Instead of Irons, Oscar-winner Rachel Weisz (The Constant Gardner, The Favourite) will play the Mantle twins in the six-episode series created by Alice Birch (Normal People, The Wonder).

The plot synopsis for the show reads:

“A modern take on David Cronenberg’s 1988 thriller starring Jeremy Irons, Dead Ringers will feature Rachel Weisz playing the double-lead roles of Elliot and Beverly Mantle, twins who share everything: drugs, lovers, and an unapologetic desire to do whatever it takes – including pushing the boundaries of medical ethics – in an effort to challenge antiquated practices and bring women’s health care to the forefront.”

Along with Weisz, the show’s cast also features Britne Oldford (The Umbrella Academy), Emily Meade (The Deuce), Jennifer Ehle (Zero Dark Thirty), Michael Chernus (Severance) and Poppy Liu (Hacks). Meanwhile, the directing team on the series includes Karyn Kusama (Destroyer, The Invitation) and Sean Durkin (Martha Marcy May Marlene, The Nest).

Dead Ringers will be released in its entirety to Prime Video on 21 April. You can check out a teaser for the show below.

The next month then will see the release on Paramount+ of Fatal Attraction, an eight-episode remake of director Adrian Lyne’s 1987 classic erotic thriller.

The original centered on a married man (Michael Douglas) who has a weekend affair with a woman (Glenn Close) who then refuses to allow their relationship to end and becomes obsessed with him. Providing the origin of the term ‘bunny boiler’, it went on to become the highest-grossing film in the year it was released.

Lizzy Caplan (Fleishman is in Trouble) will play Close’s part in the reimagining, while Joshua Jackson (The Affair) will step into the Douglas role. Amanda Peet (Something’s Gotta Give) is also part of the main cast, playing Jackson’s character’s wife.

Written by Alexandra Cunningham and Kevin J. Hynes (Dirty John), the new version of Fatal Attraction will premiere in Ireland with two episodes on 1 May. You can watch the trailer for the show below.

Meanwhile, here are some of the other big trailers released in the world of movies and TV this week.

Haunted Mansion

Starting with movies, this supernatural horror comedy based on the Disney theme park attraction of the same name features an all-star cast and is set to arrive in UK and Irish cinemas on 11 August.

Lakelands

In this homegrown drama out in UK and Irish cinemas on 5 May, a young Gaelic footballer (Éanna Hardwicke – Normal People, Vivarium) struggles to come to terms with a career-ending injury after an attack on a night out.

Marlowe

Liam Neeson is legendary private eye Philip Marlowe in this new take on the iconic character from director Neil Jordan (Michael Collins, The Crying Game) that will arrive in cinemas and on Sky Cinema on 17 March.

Money Shot: The Pornhub Story

This new documentary tells the story of the world’s biggest porn website and will premiere on Netflix on 15 March.

Peter Pan & Wendy

J.M. Barrie’s classic story is being brought to the screen again courtesy of director David Lowery (The Green Knight, Pete’s Dragon).

Peter Pan & Wendy will be released on Disney+ on 28 April.

Florida Man

Moving onto TV, Edgar Ramírez (The Undoing) stars in this Netflix series as a struggling ex-cop forced to return to his home state of Florida to find a mobster’s runaway girlfriend.

It will premiere on the streamer on 13 April.