Scarlett Johansson lands Psycho tale role

Scarlett Johansson is set to play Alfred Hitchcock's muse Janet Leigh in a movie about the making of classic horror Psycho.

The Lost In Translation star will portray the screen icon in Alfred Hitchcock and the Making of Psycho, a behind-the-scenes drama about the creepy film and the director's struggle to bring it to the big screen.

Anthony Hopkins is signed to play Hitchcock, while Dame Helen Mirren will play his wife, Alma Reville, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Alfred Hitchcock struggled to secure studio backing for Psycho, as movie bosses didn't believe a horror film could be a commercial hit, and he even deferred his director's fee in a bid to agree a deal for the project.

Psycho went on to become one of the most culturally significant movies in history, providing film fans with mother-obsessed murderer Norman Bates and the iconic shower scene.