ALFRED HITCHCOCK - PSYCHO HOUSE TO MAKE WAY FOR NEW HOMES

The house made famous by ALFRED HITCHCOCK's classic thriller PSYCHO is to be moved to make way for thousands of new homes as part of Universal Studios' redevelopment programme. The property, where JANET LEIGH's character was murdered by ANTHONY PERKINS' NORMAN BATES in the classic 1960 movie, stands on a hill overlooking a rundown motel, and is a popular tourist attraction at Universal City in Los Angeles, California. Also being moved is with the disaster scene from STEVEN SPIELBERG's recent WAR OF THE WORLDS. Titled the Vision Plan by the studio giant, the $3 billion (GBP1.53 billion) development will build homes for 2,900 occupants, provide jobs for 11,000 people and generate $4 billion (GBP2.03 billion) in annual economic activity. Los Angeles Mayor ANTONIO VILLARAIGOSA says, "This is a blockbuster, a transformative project, a city-making project, and it will ensure Los Angeles remains the entertainment capital of the world. "With a housing crisis, traffic congestion and an ever-growing population, this is the face of smart, responsible, environmentally friendly development for the future."