Joe Eszterhas, the swaggering screenwriting titan behind 1980s and 1990s blockbusters like Flashdance, Jagged Edge, and Basic Instinct, is plotting a controversial Hollywood comeback at age 81. In a revealing interview, the writer—once dubbed "Hollywood's Shakespeare" by Time magazine—opens up about his wild past of cocaine and alcohol excess, his survival from throat cancer, and his new supernatural reboot of Basic Instinct, which he describes as "anti-woke."
From Record Deals to Reboots
Eszterhas, who pocketed a then-record $3 million for his original Basic Instinct screenplay in 1992, has secured a reported $2 million from Amazon MGM Studios for his reboot script, with another $2 million pending if the film is produced. The 1992 original, starring Sharon Stone as bisexual seductress and potential murderer Catherine Tramell, was a box office smash but sparked protests from groups like Labia and the National Organisation of Women, which labeled it "blatantly misogynistic." Eszterhas disputes that characterization but relishes the controversy, arguing that today's studio films are too deodorized and fearful of offense.
A Supernatural Twist and Director Talks
The new Basic Instinct story, which Eszterhas had no involvement in the 2006 sequel, juggles copycat serial killers with supernatural elements. He reveals that producers are negotiating with British director Emerald Fennell, known for Promising Young Woman and Wuthering Heights, whose sensibility he praises as "exactly right" for handling controversy and sexuality. However, the reboot faces hurdles: Sharon Stone has publicly dismissed it, saying Eszterhas "couldn't write himself out of a Walgreens drug store."
Wild Times and Sober Reflections
Eszterhas candidly admits that his peak Hollywood years were marred by substance abuse. "The coke and the booze," he says, "those weren't helping my creativity, they were holding it back." Now clean and sober for decades, he lives in Cleveland, Ohio, with his second wife, Naomi, reflecting on a career that saw him as a Rolling Stone journalist covering the Kent State massacre and interviewing Charles Manson in prison. He recalls doing acid on a San Francisco beach with Hunter S. Thompson, who later calmed him during a traumatic flashback to his refugee camp past.
Political Swings and Anti-Woke Label
Politically, Eszterhas has swung both left and right, briefly supporting Donald Trump before turning against him over issues like Epstein and ICE. He acknowledges the risk of his reboot being co-opted as a culture-war flashpoint, given Trump's recent stumping for Rush Hour 4 and Amazon MGM's $40 million Melania documentary. "There's a danger," he admits, but adds facetiously that living in Cleveland reduces his personal involvement. His "anti-woke" stance, he explains, stems from a belief that modern Hollywood is too scared of confrontation, leading to a "communication loss" and "human loss."
From Refugee to Hollywood Legend
Eszterhas's life reads like a film script: born in war-torn Hungary, he fled to Allied-occupied Austrian refugee camps before landing in the U.S. Rust Belt at age six. His journalism background—covering labor disputes and serial killers—shaped his screenwriting, with hits like Flashdance earning back its budget nearly 30 times over and Jagged Edge pioneering the neo-noir legal thriller. Even the infamous flop Showgirls has been reevaluated as a cult classic.
Family and Future in Cleveland
Despite his Hollywood success, Eszterhas and his Ohio-born wife Naomi chose to raise their four sons in Cleveland, away from the excesses of Tinseltown parties. Now, with his boys grown, he continues to write, including a 750-page memoir, Hollywood Animal, and a podcast series. In a poignant moment, he recalls his son quoting a Flashdance line—"If you give up on your dreams, you die"—when announcing plans to become a rock star, leaving Eszterhas to reflect, "What a fucking checkmate."
