The 1992 thrillerThe Hand That Rocks the Cradleis getting a fresh reboot from 20th Century Studios withStar WarsactressMary Elizabeth Winsteadin negotiations to star opposite horror queen Maika Monroe. Michelle Garza Cervera is attached to direct the project from a script by Micah Bloomberg, creator of the psychological drama seriesHomecomingon Amazon Prime Video, and the Rom-comSanctuarystarring Margaret Qualley.
Curtis Hanson directed the original film, starring Rebecca De Mornay, Annabella Sciorra, Matt McCoy, Ernie Hudson, and Julianne Moore. It follows the pregnant wife (De Mornay) of a physician who is accused of sexual misconduct and kills himself.As per the movie’s synopsis, the shock leads the wife to miscarry, after which she poses as a nanny for one of her husband’s accusers (Sciorra), and slowly begins to infiltrate the family. The suspenseful story about a sinister, manipulative caregiver seeking revenge on an unsuspecting, happily married wife captivated audiences, earning $88 million worldwide.
Over 30 years later,De Mornay admits she was seemingly surprised by the film’s success. In a new interview with The Independent, she said:
“Even The Hand That Rocks the Cradle, I couldn’t predict the finished product. I thought, who’s going to watch a movie about a psychotic nanny?”
Michelle Garza Cervera Takes On the ‘Maternal Horror’ Subgenre
Winstead will play the role originated by Sciorra in the upcoming remake andMonroe will take on the charactermade famous by De Mornay, perDeadline. The project adds toMonroe’s impressive roster of horror titles and psychological thrillers. She earned praise this year for the suspense filmLonglegsopposite Nicolas Cage, and she’s also set to reprise her role inIt FollowssequelThey Follow. Winstead stars in the Disney+Star WarsTV seriesAhsoka, and appears in the Showtime limited seriesA Gentleman in Moscowwith Ewan McGregor.
The dynamic pairing of Winstead and Monroe inThe Hand That Rocks the Cradleis likely to attract modern audiences. Fans are hoping the rest of the cast command a similar screen presence as the duo. The original 1992 movie got its inspiration from a poem by William Ross Wallace that celebrates the role of women and motherhood: “The Hand That Rocks the Cradle Is the Hand That Rules the World.” Cervera will further explore this theme in the upcoming reboot as part of her continued work in the “maternal horror” subgenre.
Ahsoka Star Hints Fans Might Be Waiting a While For Season 2
Natasha Liu Bordizzo told fans at Dragon Con that filming on Ahsoka does not begin until summer 2025, suggesting it won’t air on Disney+ until 2026.
The filmmaker earned widespread acclaim in 2022 for her award-winning body horror feature Huesera, which centers on a mother who loses herself to the influence of supernatural forces, per THR. Speaking about her interest in marrying horror with maternal figures, Cervera toldPaste Magazine:
“I started doing horror—like short films—a long time ago, but when I picked this theme, I was completely, 100% sure that horror was perfect for it because it just allows you to do a certain kind of focus and introspection into these things that are very hard to speak of. And sometimes we already think it’s very normalized to speak about these other aspects of parenthood but it’s really not—at least in my country!”
Ted Field will produce the newThe Hand That Rocks the Cradlemovie, along with Michael Schaefer and Mike Larocca for Radar Pictures. The title does not have a release date. In the meantime,the original movie is available to rent on Prime Video in the U.S.
