Anthony Hopkins wants to be Alfred Hitcock -- in a movie, anyway.

The actor, 73, has been working on a Hitch biopic for about four years. His love affair with the director started 50 years ago, when he saw Psycho for the first time -- “the most frightening film" he had "ever seen.”

Totally. Hopkins calls Hitchcock “a very interesting man, very strange guy, very dark man,” and that all checks out. Actors who worked with Hitchcock talk about his controlling methods and sheer stubbornness … but clearly, the director got something right. His is still the most famous name in horror and thriller movies, and many consider him to be the most influential director in cinema history.

Here’s hoping the project makes it to theaters eventually!