AFI Fest regularly gets some pretty fantastic titles to play during their gala events. Last year brought Steve McQueen's Shame, Michael Hazanavicius' The Artist, Roman Polanski's Carnage, Simon Curtis' My Week With Marilyn and more to the famous Grauman's Chinese Theater in Hollywood, and now we've learned of a world premiere that will be happening at this year's festival.
While just last week it was announced that Steven Spielberg's Lincoln will be the closing night film of this year's AFI Fest, today it has been announced via press release that Sacha Gervasi's Hitchcock will have its first ever screening at this year's event as the opening night gala on November 1st. Based on the book Alfred Hitchcock and the Making of Psycho by Stephen Rebello, the film goes behind the scenes of one of the greatest horror films of all time and tells the love story between the master of suspense and his wife and partner Alma Reville. Anthony Hopkins stars as the titular director; Helen Mirren will play his wife; Scarlett Johansson has been cast as leading lady Janey Leigh; Jessica Biel will portray actress Vera Miles; and James D'Arcy will be Norman Bates himself, Anthony Perkins.
Said said Bob Gazzale, President and CEO of the American Film Institute, in a statement about the premiere, "AFI’s history with Alfred Hitchcock is a proud one, from a Master Seminar at the AFI Conservatory in 1970 to his receiving the AFI Life Achievement Award in 1979. We are honored to celebrate his lasting legacy with the World Premiere of Hitchcock – a bloody valentine to his creative genius and the inspired woman at his side." Four of Hitchcock's films - Vertigo, Psycho, Rear Window and North By Northwest - appear on AFI's famous 100 Years...100 Moves list.
For those unable to attend this year's AFI Fest, Hitchcock will be in limited release starting on November 23rd.
