After the birth of his first child with actress and model Suki Waterhouse, R-Patz is back baby. Teaming up with filmmaker Parker Finn, best known for writing and directing the chilling horror film Smile (2022), the duo are set to remake the 1981 psychological horror drama Possession, a cult classic written and directed by Polish filmmaker Andrzej Żuławski.

The project has sparked a fierce bidding war among major players in the entertainment industry, including A24, Netflix, Paramount, Sony, and Warner Bros. The Hollywood Reporter has revealed that the film is currently in its early developmental stages, with crucial meetings scheduled for this week. Both Pattinson and Finn are taking on the role of producers, representing their respective production companies, Bad Feeling and Icki Eneo Arlo. The cast is yet to be finalised, leaving fans eagerly awaiting the announcement.

Set in West Berlin, Possession stars Sam Neill, who plays Mark, and Isabella Adjani, who plays Anna, as husband and wife. Neil, a spy, returns home from a mission to his wife and son. However, his wife shocks him by asking for a divorce. The story then takes a dark turn, following the couple as they spiral into a deadly cycle that starts with infidelity and neglect and ends with murder, an extraterrestrial being with tentacles and doppelgängers. The movie was Żuławski’s meditation on marriage, written as a reaction to his crumbling relationship with Polish actress Małgorzata Braunek.

While Possession premiered 43 years ago, it is a favourite among Gen Z, particularly Gen Z women, who have added Adjani’s performance as Anna to the infamous category of ‘female rage films’. Layered over tracks of Mitski’s “Nobody”, the scene of Adjni having a miscarriage while simultaneously being possessed circulates on TikTok regularly, with commentators (not knowing the context) revelling in Anna’s madness as they comment: “She is me, and I am her.”

Fans of the film are divided, with some excited to see how the movie will be adapted for a modern audience with hopes of Pattinson playing Mark. Others are more sceptical, questioning why an already “perfect film” needs to be remade. “What’s the point of this, and who even is the intended audience for a Possession remake? Fans of the original don’t care for a retelling that will inevitably fail to capture what makes it a complex piece authentic to its auteur,” writes one X user after hearing news of the remake. 

While fans are split, executives are reported to be elated by the film’s strong commercial potential. The film is not expected to be released anytime soon.