The social media rumor mill is spinning again, and this time, Kate Hudson, Anne Hathaway, and Lady Gaga are caught smack in the middle. The 1992 fantasy comedy Death Becomes Her celebrated its 30th anniversary this summer, alongside rumors of its remake.
The original movie starred Oscar award-winning actress Meryl Streep and Goldie Hawn, Hudson’s mother. As Halloween season winds up, it’s no surprise that fans want to see Hudson star in a remake with Oscar-award-winning actress Hathaway and Lady Gaga.
First Rumor Including Robert Downey Jr.
The rumor started in 2020 when a Facebook post announced a remake in the works, including Robert Downey Jr. as the love interest. The poster added that Hudson would reprise her mother’s iconic role as Helen Sharp. At the same time, Hathaway would mirror Streep’s role as Madeline Ashton, a narcissistic actress desperate to stay young forever. They ascribed additional roles to Lady Gaga as Lisle Von Rhuman, a wealthy socialite, and Robert Downey Jr. as Ernest Menville.
Reddit Tip This Year Reignites Hope Of Remake
The rumor mill spun again early this year when a Redditor shared a screenshot of a tip saying Netflix bought the rights to remake the movie. Instead of the Hathaway, Hudson, Lady Gaga, and Downey Jr. quartet, the new tip cited Lindsay Lohan, Megan Fox, and Justin Long as the leading trio. There was no breakdown of who would get what role, but we can guess Lohan as Madeline Ashton, Fox as Helen Sharp, and Long as Ernest Menville.
Fans Reject The Pitch
Unlike the 2020 rumor, fans weren’t excited about the Fox/Lohan/Long pitch, saying it’ll ruin the storyline and no one can recreate the Streep/Hawn/Willis magic. However, if there’s ever a remake, the public favors the Hathaway/Hudson/Downey Jr. trio. After all, Hudson and Hathaway have experience playing best friends to rivals in the rom-com Bride Wars.
One commenter made a profound observation citing recency as a valid reason to avoid a remake. They said the stars of the 1992 movies are still relevant, so the movie is still enjoyable. They then added that companies should wait a couple more years until all stars in the movie are retired before touching it.
Rumors Debunked
One advisor said Netflix should add the movie to its platform instead of wasting money on its remake. Despite receiving average to poor reviews during its time, Death Becomes Her has achieved classic cult status.
You can see it during Halloween when best friends dress as Helen and Madeline. Unfortunately, more is needed to guarantee a successful remake. In 2017, singer-actress Kristin Chenoweth was supposed to make a Broadway adaptation of the movie, but it fell through, and it’s been crickets on sequels or remakes since then.
