Mary Elizabeth Winstead Joins Reboot of Iconic ’90s Thriller

Mary Elizabeth Winstead, best known for her roles in movies like Scott Pilgrim vs. the World and 10 Cloverfield Lane, will join Longlegs star Maika Monroe in the upcoming retelling of The Hand the Rocks the Cradle. Curtis Hanson’s original 1992 thriller starred Rebecca De Mornay. The film, one of the domestic thrillers that rose to prominence in the late ’80s and early ’90s, centered on a deluded widow who was stalking and harassing a couple.

In The Hand That Rocks the Cradle, De Mornay played a woman whose husband, an obstetrician, killed himself after being reported for sexually abusing one of his patients. The stress of his charges, and then his death, contributed to De Mornay’s character having a miscarriage. Following the miscarriage, she had a mental break and ultimately decided to take her grief and anger out on his victim and her husband.

Deadline reports Winstead is in talks to play Claire, the doctor’s victim, a role originally played by Annabella Sciorra. Monroe will reportedly play the antagonist, originally played by DeMornay. There’s no word on who will play either of the husbands.

The original film was released through Disney’s now-defunct Buena Vista Pictures and Hollywood Pictures imprints, and will now be produced by 20th Century Studios, formerly 20th Century Fox. Michelle Garza Cervera is set to direct the remake, which is being produced by Radar Pictures’ Ted Field and Michael Schaefer and Mike Larocca through their Department M banner.

The original film also starred Matt McCoy, Ernie Hudson, and Julianne Moore. It earned $140 million at the box office, against a reported budget of around $12 million.

Winstead recently earned praise for her role in Ahsoka, the Star Wars tie-in series for Disney+ that saw Rosario Dawson play the fan-favorite character. She will next appear alongside another Star Wars veteran, Ewan McGregor, in the Showtime limited series A Gentleman in Moscow.

Monroe has quickly become a modern day horror favorite with roles in movies like It Follows, The Guest, and Watcher. She will next star in 100 Nights of Hero alongside Deadpool & Wolverine star Emma Corrin. Longlegs is reported to be one of the most profitable indie horror movies in years, given its tiny budget and $100 million-plus global box office haul.

In The Hand That Rocks the Cradle (per its Google Play synopsis), “When she was assaulted by her doctor, Claire Bartel (Annabella Sciorra) reported him to the police, and rather than go to prison for his crime, he killed himself. The shock of the accusations and suicide caused the doctor’s pregnant wife, Peyton (Rebecca De Mornay), to have a miscarriage. Driven mad with rage, Peyton poses as a nanny for the Bartel family. Her plan: to tear Claire’s life apart, seduce her husband (Matt McCoy) and eventually murder the woman she blames for ruining her life.”