It’s well known that the horror genre has a thing for tall women in recent years - Lady Dimitrescu, anyone - but the very first larger than life woman to frighten audiences on the Silver Screen is getting a face lift which might very well redefine the movie’s legacy. Not only is director Tim Burton adding his own unique imprint on the film. Suicide Squad and Barbie Star Margot Robbie is reportedly in talks to produce, and possibly star in, the upcoming Remake of the 50s cult classic Attack of the Fifty Foot Woman, which could be key to redefining the film's murky legacy.
Announced in February, Burton’s remake is neither the first, nor even the first proposed, remake of Attack. Released in 1958 by Warner Brothers, Attack of the Fifty Foot Woman grossed enough in the box offices that, although a sequel was never produced, remakes were proposed several times in the following decades, finally culminating in a made-for-television remake in 1993 which had a much stronger feminist focus.
Since then, the movie has somewhat faded from the limelight. Its Reynold Brown-illustrated movie poster remains the oft-parodied tip of the 50 Foot iceberg today, which works in the remake’s favor. The planned remake will have a relatively blank canvas to paint on in terms of creating an impact on audiences not only stylistically under Burton’s direction, but, with Robbie producing and possibly starring, culturally as well.
And frankly, Attack could use it. The film has been largely left behind in the modern era is its dated stances and cloudy take on themes. Released at the height of Second-Wave feminism, the film took the conservative stance defending that status quo. Our “heroine” in the original, Nancy, played by Allison Hayes, is an alcoholic, mentally unstable heiress stuck in a toxic marriage with her husband, Harry, who is scheming with his mistress to steal Nancy’s wealth by having her committed to an asylum, and even attempts to murder Nancy during the course of the film.
Neither are portrayed in wholly positive lights, and both die at the end of the film in an example of arguably inevitable mutual destruction. As such, critics are divided about the film’s themes. As award-winning journalist Janne Wass states in her analysis, “Some regard it as a deeply misogynist film, others find in it a kernel of feminist thought.”
While the 1993 remake moved away from this, the message is still conveyed somewhat muddily. Instead of perishing at the end of the film, both Nancy and Harry are taken away by the aliens responsible for Nancy’s transformation, and Harry is forced into therapy under Nancy’s watchful eye, an ending which still feels somewhat muddy.
So with this murky thematic situation causing Attack to have faded, the Burton remake has a rather unique situation: a chance to take a fresh look at the theme while also improving the stylistic elements of the film. Attack will not be the first time Burton has added his own unique spin on a cult classic.
Burton’s 2012 remake of Dark Shadows mirrors the Attack remake, as the Johnny Depp-led vampire flick was a remake of the gothic Soap opera which ran from 1966-1971 with a brief remake in the 90s prior to Burton’s version. While containing that irrepressible Burton style, the 2012 version also shows that Burton knows how to put the focus of a film where it needs to be, such as putting Depp’s character Barnabas Collins, a late arrival in the original run, center stage in the film.
Much of the 2012 remake’s charm comes from seeing Barnabas adapt to a modern – well, as modern as the 1970s were – world. Seeing this Victorian vampire coming to grips with hippies, Alice Cooper, and the “Golden Arches” lets the film play into the changing times of the 70s to help delve into its theme of family. Dark Shadows not only proves it will be a treat to see how Burton adds his own macabre spin on Attack, but shows Burton knows how to play into themes, something which can easily be done with Attack.
If the 2023 Barbie film is any indication, Margot Robbie is going to change the Attack drastically as a producer, and even more so if she stars. Barbie had the sort of balanced look which would help clear the thematic waters with both Nancy and Harry. And if Robbie actually stars, she can bring a deeper depth to the character of Nancy, as proven by her work in both Barbie and The Wolf of Wallstreet.
Plus, we’ll probably see more of Robbie’s Nancy post-transformation than we do in the original version. Instead of the 1958 original’s massive rubber hand standing in for Nancy until she finally attacks in the final 10 minutes of the film – a sequence marred by Hayes appearing transparent in many of her scenes due to technological limitations - we will likely see a lot more of Robbie looming large on the screen, and with Burton’s sinisterly whimsical style, audiences will probably enjoy it all the more.
As exciting as the thought of a Burton and Robbie team up is, nothing has been signed, and the remake has already had a few growing pains. When originally announced, Gone Girl writer Gillian Flynn had written a first draft of Attack but has since dropped out of the project due to scheduling conflicts. The film is still looking for a new writer, and Robbie’s starring is contingent upon the final script. But given LuckyChap producing Warner Brothers’ biggest film in the studio’s history, it’s a pretty safe bet that LuckyChap will be producing Attack.
It's rare these days to see a cult classic getting a remake, but even more rare is a remake with as much potential as the Burton remake of Attack. With Burton directing and Robbie likely to lead, Attack might be more than just a pretty movie poster and good fodder for parodies. This remake might just bring the conceptual potential, which could be seen even in the original film, to burst free of the restraints of messy execution and muddy thematic elements to bring something new to the film’s legacy.