Question Of The Day – Barbarella?
I consider this piece in the NY Observer pretty much boring gossip.
Personally, I think Rose McGowan would make a wonderful Barbarella in the $14 million version. The notion that Universal or any other studio is actually considering that project with a price tag over $30 million with ANY WOMAN ON THE PLANET smells of psychosis. If you try to make it real sci-fi, it is inevitably The Chronicle(s) of Riddick. It can’t be anything good. And if you do it camp, you can’t expect a gross over $25 million, unless it is a Will Ferrell/Ben Stiller parody.
Still… who would make sense in a $30 million version?
Well, she should be young, since part of the charm is naivite. She should be earnestly sexy, but not threatening to women. And she should have some following that this film could make blow up… someone on the cusp.
Evan Rachel Wood leaps to mind. Kristen Stewart would be a great choice. Jessica Alba is right on the edge of this being a good idea.
See, the thing is that someone like Jessica Biel would have to wink at the camera. She couldn’t really make us feel her innocence. And that – as well as age – is a major problem with this character and Rose McGowan. And if the character is so different that it doesn’t matter, than why do it as a remake? (Someone like Judy Greer – who played opposite McGowan in Jawbreaker and was recently seen hooking on Califonication – is just off enough to be interesting, though is still a kinky choice, not an inspired straight choice.)
But mostly, this is an opportunity to ask you all… who would you like to see in a remake of the camp classic?
scarlet johanssen, probably.
30 million is far too much. rose is far from an innocent. of course, this is just an excuse for rodriguez to continue in his courtship. just surprised a studio is footing the bill.
Aeon Flux – Worldwide: $52,304,001
But that had Charlize Theron.
Let’s see…
Ultraviolet – Worldwide: $31,070,211
Milla Jovavich…
I guess the question is whether Rose McGowan is more Charlize or Milla. I’d go with #2.
Well, the question is whether $52 million at the box office gets an $80 million greenlit.
And I think Scarlett is an interesting choice… can she get that innocent thing going… maybe…
Evan Rachel Wood and Kristen Stewart are still too teenagery. Maybe in five years but K-Stew still has the body of a teenage boy.
Wasn’t this a Drew Barrymore project a long time ago?
Maybe I’m alone in this, but I have no interest in Robert Rodriguez taking an already campy movie and winking the entire time at how campy it is. When he made Sin City, it had just the right amount of camp mixed with a visceral story that pulled you in. Barbarella, the original, is like The Rocky Horror Picture Show. To remake it is a fool’s errand because it will never be as effortlessly campy at the original.
Emily Blunt.
But you would need a director who genuinely likes women. Not one who just likes to fuck them.
What’s Jean-Pierre Jeunet up to these days?
K-STEW, MUTHAFUCKA!!!!
Ahem. Yeah, liking the Stewart or ERW options. Howzabout Rachel Bilson?
You know who would’ve OWNED the hell out of this two or three years ago? LOHAN. Just imagine her catsuited up with the mountainous scaffolding of red hair and her half-Mouse House, half softcore personality; Seems she had a few photo shoots back then that were positively Barbarella-esque.
Johansson? I don’t know, what with her odd transition from va-va-voom ingenue to slapstick Yenta in the last couple years. Also, as noted, she’s the working definition of box-office poison, as something– God knows what– seems to have aliented her from female fans who seemed to dig her in her earlier, more ethereal roles.
McGowan: Keep in mind, in addition to what’s been said, we’re getting 2007 McGowan, who doesn’t even PHYSICALLY RESEMBLE old-school McG anymore? I realize many of you work in the biz and have to be delicate in acknowledging these things, but during her press run for GRINDHOUSE, her face looked pinched, contorted and ‘toxed out to levels usually reserved for 50-something O.C. hausfraus. Plus she seems to be affecting some sort of Truman Capote voice now.
Scarlett is too short and curvy to be a Barbarella, Wonder Woman, or whatever. I like the Bilson suggestion, but she might be too goody-two-shoes and unable to pull off the eventual transition to ass kicker. Evan Rachel Wood, I can see it, but after watching her fuck Marilyn Manson in a music video it’s going to be hard for anyone to see her as innocent or naive ever agian.
And Lex, why not Lohan still? Wouldn’t her tabloid escapades make the camp material even more camp? She was in the middle of that shit during Prairie Home Companion, and still managed to pull of the innocent part well. She’s got the acting chops to do it, if anyone ever gives her a chance again. And I don’t know if we’re talking about the same pictures, but I’m still looking for my jaw after that Premiere cover from a couple years ago.
i don’t know why barbarella has to be tall. i’m thinking scarlett from “the island” days. and let’s face it, this movie is gonna bomb. the original was fun for it’s schlockiness. it’s like noah said, trying to remake “rocky horror picture show.” like catching lightning in a bottle.
of course, the original had a director convincing his wife to star in his movie. maybe that’s what rodriguez is going for.
p.s. bilson is short too.
i’d hate to see the movie remade…..but shannyn sossamon came to mind first…jus’ sayin’…
What studio cheif in his right mind would even consider greenlighting this film? Noah hit the nail on the head: this would simply be a very campy version of a very campy film. The difference is that the original version was released in a very different era, when such camp was new and even original in a way. And who’s the target audience anyway? This movie has bomb written all over it, no matter who directs it, or acts in it, especially if we’re talking 80 million dollar budget.
I just don’t understand this town.
If you’re going to do it, the choice seems obvious: Anne Hathaway.
That is actually a really good idea.
Anne Hathaway is the best idea so far.
Though Anna Faris would be fun.
[Poland ca. 2005] Rachel McAdams! Rachel McAdams!! [/Poland ca. 2005]
Based on many internet postings, Rachel has passed on many of these/those blockbuster type roles. She doesn’t think they’re right for her, so more power to her.
A couple of months ago there was a rumor going around that Kate Beckinsale’s name was been thrown about for the role, but she apparently wasn’t aware of such talk. Oddly enough, Kate married Len Wiseman, the director of the Underworld movies and Michael Sheen (now of “The Queen” fame) is the father of one of her children and was one of the bad guys in the first movie. That’s an interesting dynamic.
Rose McGowan’s look, I think she’s trying way too hard to look and emulate Dita Von Teese’s style, has been talked about before. I watched those Grindhouse trailers like everyone else did and I didn’t recognize her at all. To be honest with you I thought that person was a completely different actress, perhaps even an up and commer. Whatever caused her to go plastic surgery, post Charmed is unknown to me.
Robert is clearly blinded by his infatuation for Rose if he thinks he of all people can convince a studio to give him $100+ mil to make a remake with an actress that doesn’t even come close to resembling her former self and was never a big start to begin with. The only think I know Rose for wearing that see-through dress where you could see her ass at the MTV Awards many moons ago and replacing Doherty on Charmed and she flamed out.
I love Rose McGowan…she’s hot n sassy….but definitely needs to lay off the botox. I agree with DP’s initial assessment in that $30 million is way, way too much for a movie with little outside of geek value and a B level (at best) star.
I thought Rodriguez’s big thing was cranking out movies on the cheap….he can make this for less.
I also was thinking LOHAN would be soooo perfect for this and then someone beat me to it. Why not Rosario Dawson?
Surprised nobody’s mentioned Kirsten Dunst.
It’d be a re-imagining. not a remake. Barbarella is based on a French comic hook, I believe. If you go back to the source and ignore the first adaptation, it isn’t a movie remake.
Drew Barrymore was supposed to be doing this for a while. Dunno if she’d still work…I wouldn’t mind seeing Malin Akerman in the role, though her name is certainly not box office yet.
I don’t think McAdams does wide-eyed well enough… and she is a little too old to do it without being a real sex bomb.
That’s the problem… THERE’S NO ONE TO PLAY THIS ROLL CURRENTLY WORTH A DAMN IN TERMS OF BOX OFFICE. The women are either too short, too curvy, or lacking in the sexuality the movie needs. The bigger point remains that Rodriguez does have a very infantile way of dealing with him. He’s really not the right man for this gig. Hell… the only one right for this gig would be Whedon but he would not push the SEXY to the limit.
So we have a film lacking the right female star and direct. Yeah. This seems like a good idea for a film. Nevertheless; there is a way to pull-off Barbarella, but not at the current time.
The reason there’s nobody to play this role is that any actress that might be a box office draw probably doesn’t want to star in a film that will objectify her body and not shine a light on her talent. The Jessica Albas and Jessica Biels and Rose McGowans of the world might do it, but you’re not gonna get Julia Roberts, Cameron Diaz or Reese Witherspoon to star in it and they are the closest thing to female box office stars. And if you’re gonna spend 80 to 100 million bucks on a female-centered pic, you’d want it to be one of those three.
Funny thing is, the old-school, early, fun, sexy Reese Witherspoon would’ve ROCKED this motherfucker. Not the current Oscar-bait/chick-flick incarnation, but the sexy, sassy, awesome Reese of “Twilight,” “Freeway,” and, hell, “Little Nicky.” Tart her up with some giant hair and some amusing kitschy, in-on-the-joke line readings, and she’d have ruled. Obviously now it’s “Rendition” ahoy for June Carter Cash, but once upon a time…
Only because Anne Hathaway’s been mentioned twice, I have to mention: Though I’m sure it has a sizeable cult only due to her frequent nakedness and the lurid presentation, Hathaway’s performance in “Havoc” is fucking WORLD-CLASS. Maybe I’m being hyperbolic, but she’s a revelation in that, like watching Dean or Brando for the first time. Too bad it’s in such a tawdry, unpleasant movie, but that’s one great, magnetic performance.
BEYONCE KNOWLES.
Can’t believe none of us arrived at that sooner. I’m not a huge fan, but she has enormous, built-in male AND FEMALE fanbases, could guarantee a huge soundtrack, has the giant hair and curvaceous qualities required. And maybe most importantly, she appeals, seemingly, to all races and ethnicities, as opposed to most of the other lily-white options (Alba and Dawson excepted) on the table.
…but she can’t act.
Oh, I agree completely. Like I said, I’m not a fan. But acting skills are beside the point here.
If it were “LexG’s Barbarella,” you’d all be enjoying mad hot sexy skillz of Christina Ricci.
McGowen was in a car accident and had to have surgery on her face. I believe the surgery got a bit botched though. Of course the story about the car accident could be a lie, but…
Anne has Get Smart next Summer so will she be wanting to go down this sort of route again so quickly?
I think Rodriguez is the wrong director though. I’d go for either Peyton Reed (Bring It On especially had a great nudgewink attitude alongside being a really great flick) or Robert Luketic (likewise with Legally Blonde). If I’m remember correctly Rachel McAdams was originally cast in Fantastic Four (in Alba’s role, obviously) when Reed was attached.
remembering*
Also, a lot of people think Evan Rachel Wood is a weirdo now that she’s shacked up with Marilyn Manson.
Man, the Fantastic Four movies would have been so much better with Peyton Reed and Rachel McAdams.
Okay, enough nerd parallel-world nostalgia.
Evan Rachel Wood is a weirdo now that she’s shacked up with Marilyn Manson.
Blecch, this is a terrible idea. Maybe they could get Jane Fonda back and do the story of Barbarella in her twilight years. Sarah Polley could direct.
Rose McGowan is wrong, she’s a B movie actress, not even in the Sybil Danning category. And coming off a flop like GRINDHOUSE ain’t gonna help her – Universal was right in turning her down.
Personally, I would go for an pretty English actress with a cheeky disposition like KATE WINSLET, RACHEL WEISZ or KATE BECKINSALE. I mean JESSICA ALBA looks the part and has the sex appeal but her acting is lacking, I’m still recuperating from the glare of her blue contact lenses in FF2.
If FAMKE JANSENN was 10 years younger she would have owned the role.
PS – Does this movie really need to get remade? The original was campy rubbish. Who gets to play the John Philip Law part? Ben Stiller?
They can’t be serious about this film.
Rose McGowan? That’s Robert Rodriguez thinking with his penis. Bitch can’t act. Same reason why I asked that beefy but stupid boy in Psych to be my project partner.
“barbarella” is based on a french comic. never read it, so don’t know how much liberty was taken with the original concept. jane was 30 when she did the movie. was she bankable back then? yes, she did “barefoot in the park” and “cat ballou” by then, but were they hits? seems the only way to even try to do it right is cast an unknown
Do people really care this much about a remake of a terribel movie? I like seeing Jane Fonda in that outfit as much as the next person, but remaking the story? Ugh…
Rodriguez is awful. Don’t give him or ROse a single DIME.
Pass the project to Amenabar to direct and Jenny McCarthy she can act stoopid enough innocent, even though she isn’t an innocent. Now that would be some surreal movie (Abre les Ojos still creeps me out). Put Frank Langella and Robert Downey jr in it too to “classy” up the acting.
I was going to mention that the only reason McGowan got the role is cuz she’s Rodriguez’s fiance. Otherwise I doubt she’d even be in the radar about it.
I think alot of you are forgetting McGowan was a mainstay on CHARMED so the geeks are well aware of her.
Here’s the doctors recommendation for Barbarella Deux. Click on my name. Her comic turn in Walk All Over Me at Toronto this year sealed the deal. She’s sexy and spacey.
Spout’s Karina Longworth is on this story too:
http://blog.spout.com/2007/10/18/barbarella-remake-in-limbo/
Looks like the studio backed out due to McGowan…
Hahah J. Boam you cheeky devil…but she’s so….circa ‘Eyes Wide Shut’ and ‘Deep Impact’ mate. I see she still has the pouty, young Helen Hunt look.
DAVE POLAND – if you reading this make a post about ‘What movie would you remake’? We often see remakes of good films (i.e. the upcoming remake of PELHAM ONE TWO THREE), rarely of films that didnt take off or are flawed in some ways.
Here are a few I’d remake:
THE COUNTERFEIT TRAITOR
FREBBIE AND THE BEAN
MODESTY BLAISE
THE DOMINO PRINCIPLE
I’ll stop there although I have many more.
Forget Evan Rachel Wood. No way is she near sexy enough. Think about who the original Barbarella was and why – that was Vadim’s attempt to revamp Fonda’s career – he wanted people to see her as sexy for once, like Bardot sexy. Anne Hathaway is a great choice for this. Certainly not someone already sexy like Alba. Why on earth would Kristen Stewart need to do this? Very very VERY bad idea. I love her, though. Katherine McPhee could be the perfect person for this, even though she’s icky to me. Vanessa Hudgens if you want to make some money.
Kid Rock would own in this! And Jake Busey could chase an armadillo around while harmonica music plays–
Oh, wait, I was thinking of Barbarosa.
Any other children of the early ’80s remember that Willie Nelson flick being on HBO EVERY. SINGLE. DAY, THREE. TIMES. A. DAY?
My vote for a film to be remade in this tentpole market:
The Last Starfighter.
Seriously.
What ever happened to Tron 2.0?
THX you didn’t hear this from me but STARFIGHTER is being remade. From a sneaked PDF I got sent, it’s going to be renamed as HALO.
I want to see a remake of The Neverending Story with modern effects. Hell, get Wolfgang to do it again.
Mary Elizabeth Winstead.
MEW has been cast in Justice League (right?) so that’s a no.
Remember seeing LAST STARFIGHTER in Times Square, got a good reception from the audience, we all loved the Robert Preston alien role, but the rest of the film was blah, although the effects were quite decent.
How about remaking BUCKAROO BANZAI?
No, no, you can’t remake Buckaroo Banzai without first delivering on Buckaroo Banzai Against the World Crime League.
I simultaneously love/hate/love to hate my idea: Jessica Simpson. Texan intergalactic law-woman who, with the help of an evangelistically-literal angel (who happens to be hot), defeats the effete John-Waters-moustachioed villain for control of the universe. Lindsey could do that as well, but I gotta wait a while before I can laugh along with her.
If the movie must be made, then Beyonce would make the most sense, since acting skills are beside the point. It would also give her the excuse to sing the title song over the opening credits. The romantic in me, though, would like to hear Duran Duran for the end theme.
The person I’d most like to perform the role is David Beckham, because, as was pointed out, talent is beside the point–unlike the showering scene. But that wouldn’t get a Hollywood budget.
the guy who owns the “buckaroo banzai” rights would never let that happen
Diora Baird.
She was born to play that role
Can she act?