Martin Campbell (Casino Royale) is in negotiations to direct Universal’s new version of The Birds, starring Naomi Watts.
The studio is planning a reimagining of Daphne Du Maurier’s short story, which inspired the 1963 Alfred Hitchcock classic.
Michael Bay, Andrew Form and Brad Fuller will produce through their Platinum Dunes, while Peter Guber and Cathy Schulman are producing for Mandalay Pictures.
Universal is not looking to rush the film into production prior to a possible strike.
Stiles White and Juliet Snowden wrote a version of the script, which is still being developed. New writers may be brought on board.
Campbell is attached to Fox’s runaway train actioner Unstoppable and crime thriller 36 at Paramount. Watts, who will next be seen in Funny Games, is filming The International, and will follow that up with First Look’s adaptation of Amy Sutherland’s “Kicked, Bitten and Scratched: Life and Lessons at the World’s Premiere School for Exotic Animal Trainers.”
