New mother Sharon Stone apparently has decided to mark her passage into parenthood by inking a reputed $15 million deal to reprise the ice-pick-killing, leg-crossing role that made her really famous. Stone is the first — and only — core member of the “Basic Instinct” team to reup for the sequel, imaginitively dubbed “Basic Instinct 2.”
Original co-star Michael Douglas, director Paul Verhoeven and screenwriter Joe Eszterhas will not join Stone‘s bid to revive her screen siren career, according to Daily Variety. And to hear the film’s producers — C-2 Pictures — tell it, that’s fine by them.
“We are thrilled to have Sharon on board for the film,” C-2’s Mario Kassar and Andy Vajna said in a statement. “The first film could not have been made without Sharon‘s mesmerizing performance, and we believe her return engagement will be even more exciting.”
“Mesmerizing.” Yeah, that’s a good word for it.
Shooting on “Basic Instinct 2” — with Stone‘s Catherine Tramell in place — is to begin this fall, with a late 2001 or early 2002 release planned.
Stone and husband Phil Bronstein revealed this week that they adopted a newborn boy in May.
