In what has to be one of the more bizarre rumours in recent memory, Giant Freakin Robot—which has a spotty track record, but also more than a few verified scoops—has shared a major update on plans for a remake of The Fugitive.
According to the site, Spider-Man: Brand New Day star Zendaya is being eyed for the lead role in the movie. She'd step into the shoes of Harrison Ford, who played Dr. Richard Kimble in the 1993 classic.
If this pans out, the Dune actress would presumably play a newly created character (rather than, uh, "Rita" Kimble), with the project potentially setting the stage for Zendaya to become an action lead in her own right.
The Fugitive, which started life as a 1960s TV series starring David Janssen as Kimble, revolved around an innocent man wrongfully convicted of murder—his wife's—who escapes and evades capture while seeking the real killer amid relentless manhunts.
The 1993 movie received rave reviews and grossed $370 million worldwide, a huge amount at the time. Tommy Lee Jones even won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor as U.S. Marshal Samuel Gerard.
Later adaptations included a short-lived CBS TV series in 2000 starring Tim Daly, and a largely forgotten 2020 effort on Quibi featuring 24's Kiefer Sutherland.
In 2023, Zendaya opened up about her aspirations beyond the Dune and Spider-Man franchises. "I would love to play a villain of sorts," she said. "Tap into that evil, supervillain vibe. Whatever that manifests in, I don’t think necessarily in a superhero sense but in an emotional sense. I feel like I usually play the good guy, so I’d like to play the bad guy."
"[I want to] direct one day. To direct a film, hopefully more than just one, but just doing it," Zendaya added. "The first step to actually doing something yourself is not an easy step to take, so hopefully I can get over the fear."
Only time will tell whether this rumour leads anywhere. The report is light on specific details and doesn't address which studio this new take on The Fugitive is being developed at or how far along Zendaya's involvement actually is. For now, it's best to take this with a pinch of salt.
As always, let us know your thoughts on this rumour in the comments section below.