The critical and commercial success of movies like Anyone But You and Immaculate made it easy for Sydney Sweeney to shrug off Madame Web. She's also confessed that starring in the Marvel movie was a means to an end when it came to strengthening her relationship with Sony Pictures.
Edgar Wright's long-rumoured Barbarella remake is one of many projects Sweeney is attached to as her star in Hollywood continues to rise. Even amidst recent controversies and some notable flops such as Eden and Christy, the actress remains a bankable star (The Housemaid is likely to be one of the biggest hits of the winter).
It's been over three years since we first learned that a Barbarella movie was in development, with Sweeney attached to play the title character and Wright eyed to direct.
In a recent interview with Josh Horowitz (via ComicBookMovie.com), Wright, who stopped short of revealing whether it's his next project, explained what would draw him to Barbarella and why he's open to working on a comic book movie...but not a superhero one.
"I think if that did happen, it would be more [of an adaptation of the source material]," the Scott Pilgrim vs. the World director teased. "I love the original, and I probably watched that at exactly the right age: too young. The script is by Terry Southern, though you can feel the Terry Southern-ess of it start to...there's a lot of that in there, and when it's really sharp, it's great. It's beautiful to look at, and it's fun and subversive."
"The books themselves are just beautiful and really imaginative and progressive," Wright continued. "I like the movies of that era. They're all Italian movies that have that pop art sensibility."
"After my experience [with Ant-Man], I was not interested in superhero movies generally, but that doesn't mean I'm not interested in a comic book movie. I'd love to do another comic book movie," he added. "One of the reasons Michael Bacall did [The Running Man] is because we'd been working on a different comic book adaptation that fell apart rights-wise. I don't want to say what it is, in case it comes back [Laughs]."
The Running Man has underperformed at the box office, and that's going to hurt Wright's ability to get big-budget projects greenlit moving forward. Sweeney's involvement will help, but for now, Barbarella is in limbo.
Created by French comic book writer Jean-Claude Forest, Barbarella debuted in the French comic Barbarella, serialised 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 and remains beloved for its campy style, erotic themes, and iconic visuals.
You can hear more from Wright on Barbarella in the player below.