When was Rebecca written and is there another film?

22 October 2020, 12:18

Rebecca has dropped on Netflix
Rebecca has dropped on Netflix. Picture: Netflix

The Netflix adaptation of Rebecca has just dropped - here's your need-to-know on when it was written.

A new film adaptation of classic novel Rebecca has been released, featuring an all-star cast with the likes of Lily James and Armie Hammer.

The Netflix film - which is available to stream now - is based on a thriller novel from the 20th century.

It tells the story of a woman who moves into a wealthy widowers vast estate after a whirlwind romance and wedding, only to find herself overshadowed by the memory of his late wife, Rebecca.

Here's your need-to-know on when it was written.

When was Rebecca written?

Rebecca the novel was written by Daphne du Maurier, and was released in 1938.

Rebecca stars Lily James
Rebecca stars Lily James. Picture: Netflix

Is Rebecca a true story?

Rebecca isn't based on a true story, du Maurier's inspiration did come from her own experiences, as she herself became obsessed with her husband Tommy Browning's former fiancée, Jan Ricardo, after she discovered letters written to him from from before they were married.

Is there another Rebecca film?

A film adaptation of Rebecca was first released in 1940. It was directed by Alfred Hitchcock and starred Laurence Olivier and Joan Fontaine.

The original film featured a different ending than the one from the original book, however, but the Netflix version has stayed true to the 1938 novel.

Warning: spoilers ahead

Rebecca | Official Trailer

In Hitchock's version, the ending was altered to make Rebecca's death accidental - but the 2020 adaptation makes it more ambiguous.

Director Ben Wheatly told Digital Spy: "It's not a remake of the Hitchcock film. So it was very important.

"Because that's the moral centre of the movie. Without that, the film means a lot less. If she just tripped over a rope and died, it's a bit bizarre.

“Do you even believe what de Winter is saying about what happened in the boathouse?

"I don’t. ‘She begged me to shoot her...’, yeah right. You're the only person left alive that knows what happened in that room.

"For all we know, he just jumped out from behind the sofa and shot her as she came in. We just don't know."

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