Madame Web did not turn out as hoped for the Sony’s Spider-Man-adjacent line of films, but that movie did have an unexpected side effect: bringing Sydney Sweeney into the fold for the studio’s upcoming Barbarella reboot.
This sentence ^^^ might look like Hollywood Mad-Libs, but Sweeney did tell GQ UK, “Because I did that, I was able to sell Anyone But You. I was able to get Barbarella.” Well, Anyone But You overperformed with $220 million globally in box-office receipts and Sweeney reaping much studio goodwill. Will Barbarella happen, though? Sweeney is keen to pull the movie together, so let’s talk about where the project stands along with her vision.
Logistics/Plot
Back in October 2022, Deadline exclusively revealed that Sweeney was attached as star and executive producer of Sony’s planned reworking of the 1968 Paramount Pictures film (based upon Jean-Claude Forest’s comic book series) starring Jane Fonda, who moved through the universe in a sci-fi tale filled with tight outfits and enormous hair. That Sony wants to relaunch this IP was initially surprising, considering the long-dead attempt by director Robert Rodriguez in a movie that would have starred Rose McGowan.
Sweeney, however, would probably be the only currently working actress who could reliably put butts in seats for this remake. She certainly has the sense of humor and adventurousness (as evidenced by her recent “thirst trap”) for it. To that end, the Euphoria star maintained her enthusiasm by announcing her involvement on Instagram and recently telling the Happy Sad Confused podcast, hosted by Josh Horowitz, that the remake “is” going to happen. Further, Sweeney raved about how Barbarella “really just embraces her femininity and her sexuality, and I love that… She uses sex as a weapon, and I think it’s just such an interesting way into a sci-fi world.”
Those statements happen at the 42:00 mark below:
Since Sony hasn’t revealed an updated plot synopsis, the 1968 version will do for the moment:
The setting is the planet Lythion in the year 40,000, when Barbarella (Jane Fonda) makes a forced landing while travelling 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.
Additionally, Dynamite Entertainment (The Boys) might or might not know more than we do about this project’s timing because they announced a new Barbarella comic book series (you can see issue covers here) that will show the character in new adventures in October. The pairing of writer Blake Northcott and artist Anna Morozova adds up to (in Dynamite’s words) “this series [that] will precede an upcoming blockbuster film in development”:
The series finds Barbs fresh off from saving the universe (again), and cherishing a little rest and relaxation with her unique alien pet companion Vix. This is Barbarella after all though, and she’s about to discover that not all pleasure planets are created equal. In fact, some are downright unreal!
Meanwhile, all the way across the galaxy, there is something off about Earth’s oldest and most venerable colony. Altogether, Barbarella’s uniquely well-rounded skills will be in dire need across the cosmos, and she’s sure to run into all manner of unscrupulous figures along the way!
Could this new series be a hint that Barbarella filming is on the horizon? Sony hasn’t tipped their hand on anything other than the film being in development. Deadline, however, has further reported that Edgar Wright is in talks to direct, and Jane Goldman and Honey Ross are negotiating to write the script.
Cast
The promise of Sweeney in the lead role is holding this project together. Will the robots and monsters be CGI or practical, and how out-there will Sony go with the casting? These are relevant questions for the future.
Release Date
That’s a tricky detail. Edgar Wright is gearing up for reboot movie for Stephen King’s The Running Man starring Glen Powell, and Sweeney has numerous projects on her slate, including the third Euphoria season along with a biopic of boxer Christy Martin, Eden, and Echo Valley. Still, Sweeney and Sony appear to be committed to the project, so keep those space fingers crossed.
Trailer
Filming hasn’t begun, so we can’t even begin to hope for a legit trailer yet. However, this 1968 trailer for the Jane Fonda version is out of this world: