Deadline is reporting that Paramount Pictures are in the very early stages of remaking an Alfred Hitchcock classic, the 1958 psychological thriller Vertigo, and are believed to be eyeing 2x Academy Award-nominee Robert Downey Jr. (Iron Man; Avengers: Endgame) for the lead role.
While it's unclear whether the character's name will be changed or not, the former Iron Man star would play the role of John "Scottie" Ferguson, a former police detective that is forced to retire after a line-of-duty trauma leaves him with vertigo. The original role was played by Academy Award-winner James Stewart.
Peaky Blinders and See creator Steven Knight has been tapped to write the script, pulling double duty after he was also recently announced as the scribe behind the next Star Wars film from Lucasfilm.
In addition to starring, Downey would also serve as a co-producer with his wife Susan through their Team Downey banner, and Davis Entertainment's John Davis and John Fox.
The original film's synopsis reads, "Hitchcock's romantic story of obsession, manipulation, and fear. A detective is forced to retire after his fear of heights causes the death of a fellow officer and the girl he was hired to follow. He sees a double of the girl, causing him to transform her image onto the dead girl's body. This leads into a cycle of madness and lies."
Following his legendary run as Tony Stark in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Downey hasn't starred in anything since 2020's Dolittle, but can be seen later this year in Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer. He's currently in the midst of filming The Sympathizer for HBO, which has BAFTA Award-winner Park Chan-wook directing multiple episodes.