Universal is developing a modern retelling of the classic novella The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, with Keanu Reeves attached to star and Justin Haythe, writer of Revolutionary Road, penning the script.
Nicolas Winding Refn is in negotiations to direct the project, titled Jekyll. It is being produced by Erwin Stoff and Red Wagon Entertainment’s Douglas Wick and Lucy Fisher.
Robert Louis Stevenson’s tale about a doctor who scientifically develops an evil self has become so pervasive in popular culture that the phrase “Jekyll and Hyde” conjures the idea of a split personality. The story has been translated to the screen and stage dozens of times, with several deviations including comedy, kids (Jekyll and Heidi) and gender (1995’s Dr. Jekyll and Ms. Hyde). The story has seen modern iterations as recently as 2007, when the BBC aired a miniseries with the story set in the present as Hyde ran amok in London.
Plot details for this Jekyll are being kept locked in the laboratory.
Catch the full report here: Jekyll
