Euphoria and The White Lotus star Sydney Sweeney has opened up about Sony's planned remake of the cult-favorite Barbarella, which she will both star in and executive produce.
While speaking with AP Entertainment, Sweeney discussed her new take on Barbarella, as well as some of her hopes heading into the project. "...Jane Fonda -- she created such an incredible, iconic character," Sweeney said. "And I want to, hopefully, just fill those shoes and give more to a whole new generation -- her outfits, sci-fi, the fun of the story. So, I'm looking forward to it."
The aforementioned Fonda, of course, starred in Paramount Pictures' original Barbarella film, which was directed by Roger Vadim and first hit theaters in 1968. The erotic sci-fi feature was based on the French comic book character of the same name, who was created by writer/artist Jean-Claude Forest in 1962. Forest was also one of eight credited screenwriters on the 1968 film adaptation, which had undergone several rewrites during production. An edited version of the film titled Barbarella: Queen of the Galaxy later hit theaters in 1977.
"Barbarella is marked by the same audacity and originality, fantasy, humor, beauty and horror, cruelty and eroticism that make comic books such a favorite," an official synopsis for Paramount's Barbarella reads. "The setting is the planet Lythion in the year 40,000, when Barbarella (Jane Fonda) makes a forced landing while traveling through space. She acts like a female James Bond, vanquishing evil in the forms of robots and monsters. She also rewards, in an uninhibited manner, the handsome men who assist her in the adventure. Whether she is wrestling with Black Guards, the evil Queen, or the Angel Pygar, she just can't seem to avoid losing at least a part of her skin-tight space suit!"
Barbarella Is Back
The 1968 Barbarella film itself inspired a 2004 stage musical of the same name. A television adaptation of the original comic was previously in development. However, no one had been cast in the series as of 2013 and there have been virtually no updates on the project since. A number of proposed film remakes also fell through over the years. However, Forest's estate eventually announced plans for a new film adaptation in 2020.
Earlier this month, news broke of Sweeney's involvement in a Barbarella remake for Sony, with the actor herself confirming the report shortly thereafter. "Time to save the universe," Sweeney wrote on Instagram, sharing an image of poster artwork for the 1968 film featuring Fonda. Notably, Sweeney is also set to appear in Sony's upcoming Marvel/Spider-Man spinoff film Madame Web, which is currently slated for release on Feb. 16, 2024.
Source: Twitter