The success of Anyone But You and Immaculate has made it easy for Sydney Sweeney to move on from Madame Web, and it looks like her Barbarella remake is finally taking shape at Sony Pictures.
Deadline reports that Scott Pilgrim vs. the World and Last Night in Soho director Edgar Wright is officially in talks to direct, with Jane Goldman, and her daughter Honey, in negotiations to pen the screenplay. The former will be best known to you for her work on Kick-Ass, X-Men: First Class, and Kingsman: The Secret Service.
If the deals are made, Jane and Honey will co-write the script with Wright.
Sweeney will play Barbarella but remains one of Hollywood's busiest rising stars; as for Wright, he's prepping The Running Man reboot starring Glen Powell, so this movie is still a long way off from reaching theaters.
"Wright has been eyeing the project for some time," the trade explains, "taking a meeting with Sweeney right after it was first announced but only committed to develop the project as something he would potentially direct."
Talking about the movie back in March, Sweeney said, "I mean, Barbarella is just such a fun character to explore. She really just embraces her femininity and her sexuality, and I love that. She uses sex as a weapon and I think it’s such an interesting way into a sci-fi world. I’ve always wanted to do sci-fi. So we’ll see what happens."
"To me, [Madame Web] was a building block, it’s what allowed me to build a relationship with Sony," the actress added. "Without doing Madame Web I wouldn’t have a relationship with the decision-makers over there. Everything in my career I do not just for that story, but strategic business decisions. Because I did that, I was able to sell Anyone but You. I was able to get Barbarella."
Barbarella is a fictional character created by French comic book writer Jean-Claude Forest. She first appeared in the French comic Barbarella, serialized in V Magazine in 1962 before later being published as a graphic novel.
The character is a futuristic space adventurer and interstellar agent from the 41st century. She navigates various planets and encounters strange beings and situations, often depicted in a highly sexualized and psychedelic manner.
Barbarella gained international fame with the 1968 film adaptation directed by Roger Vadim, starring Jane Fonda in the titular role. The movie, though not a huge success upon release, has since become a cult classic, known for its campy style, erotic themes, and iconic visuals.
Are you excited for Barbarella?