Verhoeven’s Basic Reluctance

Controversial filmmaker Paul Verhoeven has not ruled out directing the follow-up to his 1992 blockbuster, Basic Instinct, although he says he has "many, many doubts about doing a sequel" and remains wary about cashing in on the phenomenal success of the original movie. Speaking at the Edinburgh Film Festival, the Dutch director explained his reluctance about making a follow-up to the notorious film that made Sharon Stone a star. 'I don't know how you can be innovative again in that field and present something different that is perhaps not better, but at least equivalent [to the original].' Verhoeven said. 'I don't know if that's possible. And if it's not then I should not do it. If it's really derivative and you think that nothing new has been added and it's just trying to cash in, then of course you are in trouble. And I want to be sure before I say yes to a project like this that I'm not doing it because people want to cash in.' He also maintained that it would be difficult to make the film without an actor like Michael Douglas who has the power 'to resist a woman like Sharon' on screen. Verhoeven had earlier joked that Ms Stone was like her over-sexed Basic Instinct character Catherine Tramell - only without the ice pick - because she has a 'certain seductive quality of evil' which enables her to get what she wants. When asked what she could do to persuade him to make the film, the director smiled coyly and said: 'Well, you know,' before adding, 'although that would not be enough.' After the original movie grossed $350 million worldwide it was always likely that a sequel would be made. Sharon Stone has signed on for Basic Instinct 2 and the script - by Henry Bean who wrote Internal Affairs - has been in development since 1998. Verhoeven, who has read it, said it would need work if the film were to have the impact of the first movie. He explained: 'It's not a bad script, it's just that, how can you bring it to a level where people will be amazed again? People will say, "well it's Basic Instinct 2" rather than [shouting excitedly] "wow, it's Basic Instinct 2!'' I haven't told them that [I would definitely not do the film] but I have also told them all the other things that I have told you today.'