Scarlett Johansson strips off to recreate iconic Psycho shower scene as she is murdered in Hitchcock trailer



Scarlett Johansson certainly breaks the mould of the Hollywood size zero trend, and as a result her curves take centre stage in a new movie focusing on Alfred Hitchcock's process of making Psycho.

The Prestige actress fills the role of Janet Leigh, who was famously 'killed' in the shower scene for her Golden Globe-winning performance as Marion Crane in the 1960 suspense/horror film.

In the first look at the trailer, Scarlett's feminine form is alluded to twice, once over a dinner meeting with Hitchcock [Anthony Hopkins] and again when the filmmaker speaks to his wife [Helen Mirren].

Scroll down for video...

Iconic scene: Scarlett Johansson plays Janet Leigh in a new Hitchcock film documenting how he made Psycho

The original! Janet Leigh in the 1960 film Psycho that made the shower scene famous

Scarlett, 27, swans into frame during the trailer wearing in a low-cut halter neck peach satin dress, before sitting across the table from Hitchcock to discuss the role.

As the New Yorker begins to gesticulate, she asks: ' How exactly are you going to shoot this shower scene? Well, it's only from here up I'm not exactly boyish.'

Towards the end of the footage, we also see Helen's character Alma Reville tell her husband: 'Ooh, you imp! You've got nudity in there.'

Cheeky: Wife Alma, played by Helen Mirren, says: 'Ooh, you imp! You've got nudity in there'

Suspense: Scarlett feigns terror as she is 'attacked' by Hitchcock, played by Anthony Hopkins

No holds barred: Anthony pretends to attack Scarlett by getting ready to rain down the stabbing

To which he responds: 'Well, her breasts were rather large. It's a challenge not to show them.'

As the trailer opens, Anthony provides an eerie voiceover, reveali ng: ' All of us harbour dark recesses of violence and horror, I'm just a man hiding in the corner with a camera, watching.'

British actress Mirren plays the long-suffering wife, seen in bed reading the script: 'It was the knife, that a moment later cut off her scream and her head, charming Doris Day should do it as a musical!'

Proud of her curves: Scarlett has a business meeting with Anthony, and queries the shower scene



Scarlett says: 'How exactly are you going to shoot this shower scene? From here up I'm not exactly boyish'

Fellow leading lady: Jessica Biel plays Vera Miles, who worked closely with Hitchcock, having played the sister of the Janet Leigh character, which she reprised in Psycho II It then cuts to a business meeting, where the filmmaker is told: 'No one respects the name Hitchcock more than Paramount, but even a talented man sometimes backs the wrong horse.' After he's told he can make it if he can finds the money himself, Alfred whips out his cheque book. However, the movie becomes an obsession and a financial nightmare after film bosses try to ban the film from hitting cinemas, leading to domestic troubles at home.

Diving in: Helen Mirren plays long-suffering wife Alma Reville In bed with Helen! Alma sarcastically says: 'It was the knife, that a moment later cut off her scream and her head, charming Doris Day should do it as a musical!'

Breakfast chatter: When Hitchcock says he will kill off his leading lady in the first half, his wife challenges him to do it within the first 30 minutes of the film



Alfred is seen shouting at Alma, saying: 'I'm under extraordinary pressures on this picture and the least you can do is give me your full support.'

But she responds: 'We've mortgaged our house. I am your wife, I celebrate with you when the reviews are good, I cry for you when they are bad.

'And I put up with those people who look through me as if I were invisible as all they can see is the great and glorious genuis that is Alfred Hitchcock!'



Adored: Despite being hailed as a genius by fans, Alfred mortgaged his house to fund Psycho

Mirror image: Scarlett looks exactly like actress Janet Leigh in the iconic car scene

Grand opening: Psycho hit screens back in 1960, based on the 1959 novel of the same name by Robert Bloch

Speaking of the film still that was released as a teaser yesterday of Scarlett behind the wheel of a car in the same pose as Janet, director Sacha Gervasi said: 'When we took that still of Scarlett behind the wheel and put it up against the still of Janet behind the wheel in Psycho, it was eerie.

'The extent to which Scarlett was able to channel Janet [was] a real surprise. She brought it in such a way that no one really anticipated.'

The film, which hits screens on November 23, also stars Jessica Biel as Vera Miles.

Lights, camera, action: Scarlett pretends to shoot a driving scene - although is in the studio

Toasting his own success: Alfred was eccentric, admired by many, but loathed by those that worked with him

Easily bored: Domestic life was not for Alfred, with his wife saying he was 'obsessed with murder'

The director notes that the beautiful Total Recall star faced the same challenges that Vera did to get into character.

'Hitchcock dressed her up in a wig and did everything they could to make the beautiful Vera Miles look frumpy,' Gervasi said.

'What Hitch tried to do to Vera we tried to do to Jessica, and the results were equally ridiculous. It is not possible to make Jessica Biel dowdy.'

Vera was an American actress who worked closely with Hitchcock, notably in Psycho, having played the sister of the Janet's character, which she reprised in Psycho II.



Back to the past: Helen and Anthony play the married Alma and Alfred

