The New York Observer reported some time back that Universal has decided not to go ahead with Robert Rodriguez's remake of Barbarella. The article reports that the decision was made due to Rodriguez's insistence that his girlfriend Rose McGowan play the lead role in the remake of Roger Vadim's 1968 cult favourite about a woman who travels through space wearing scant and impractical get ups.
With the film set to cost close to $100 million, Universal were reportedly not happy to bank that much money on a relatively small name.
"Universal had initially signed on for $60 million,” Rodriguez told the site “but then when we were done with the script it wound up at closer to $82 million, and they had just financed a Will Ferrell movie (Land of the Lost) that was a $130 million and they even cut that down to $100million.”
Rodriguez is apparently now shopping the project around other studios, to see if anyone might bite at the higher price. Given studios' desperation to get as many projects underway before the strike, he may have a chance.
There is of course the question of does this really need to be remade? The original film, for all its iconic kitsch, and (according to reviews) was utter rubbish, aside from the visuals. Is it really hard to blame Universal for being apprehensive about chucking all that dosh at a sexy fantasy romp in outer space.
Rodriguez is a very inventive and entertaining director, but this would need to make heaps of money to make back its cost. Why not bring the price down, simplify and make another cult film. That is what he is good at.
Sure “Sin City” was a success, but it only pulled in (U.S. Domestic) $74 mil. His biggest successes were the “Spy Kids” franchise, which collectively grossed over $300 mil, but only cost around $37 mil for each pic to get made, plus it was a kids adventure so a sex romp in space.
He needs to bring it back down to earth. I for one do not think McGowan is a bad choice at all. She has a dangerous sexiness and calls to mind the 1960’s starlets (pouty, flirty, slightly scary). She would be a great choice…just as good as my original choice.
Perhaps he needs to take a look at what can be accomplished on a budget. There are many, many, many films that managed to look expensive on very very little. Food for thought Robert.
3 comments:
I was totally against this at first but, ya know what, if this going to happen, I can't think of 2 people I'd rather see doing it.
And what dumb piece of shit greenlit Land of the Lost for 100 million dollars? There is no way that movie will be sucessful, there just isn't.
I think Rodriguez could do this for cheap enough. He's on record as saying it might even still happen for Universal. Who knows?
I don't think this is a movie that needs to be remade.
The original is a classic, even if for all the wrong reasons, and the sexual liberation jokes wouldn't come out sounding just as funny today. I think back in the day when they wanted Drew Barrymore for this, the project sounded more appealing.
What we don't need to another excuse for all these starlets to go around pantyless and flashing their snatches to the paparazzi.
How do you do sexual liberation these days without it being exploitation?
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