The upcoming Red Sonja reboot hasn't had the easiest of journeys to the big screen, losing multiple filmmakers and even its main star (Ant-Man and The Wasp's Hannah John-Kamen). M.J. Bassett will step behind the camera now, though, with Matilda Lutz tapped to bring the iconic warrior to life in a movie that sounds like it has some real potential.
Talking to The Hollywood Reporter (via SFFGazette.com), Millennium Films President Jeffrey Greenstein discussed plans for project and started by touching on the significance of hiring a transgender director to helm what looks to be a huge action blockbuster.
"I think it also shows how the world has changed. Because for us, it’s really just about creating content and telling compelling stories, and M.J. Bassett has been a friend of mine for a decade and we’ve been talking about working together," he explains. "We were having dinner one night, and just kind of floated the idea."
"M.J. is just such a huge fan of Robert E. Howard and the [Red Sonja] comic book and everything just aligned. It was the perfect fit. It’s a similar thing with Matilda Lutz [who stars as Red Sonja]. She’s been a friend for over a decade and we’ve been trying to find the right thing to do together. And it just kind of coalesced at the right moment."
As for what fans can expect from the reboot, Greenstein added, "Sonja is about a woman who grows in nature and confronts this leader who is trying to destroy the beauty of the world. It’s a hero’s journey about using one’s own power to curate and protect what is beautiful in the world."
"That’s what’s behind the epic, fantastic world that M.J. and the incredible crew have created."
You may remember that X-Men director Bryan Singer was the first filmmaker to be attached to the new Red Sonja, news that received widespread backlash at the time. He was in the midst of fending off some serious allegations about his conduct (sexual and otherwise) on the set of his movies, and was promptly fired.
"You try to make the best decision you can in the moment," the executive said of the change in filmmakers. "As time goes on, you pivot and continue to make the best possible decision for the movie, for the studio, for everyone involved."
"We came to [Transparent creator] Joey Soloway, who is a good friend and was going to direct and remains a creative force and executive producer on the project. And M.J. took the reins after and really helped to bring the story into fruition."
Greenstein also confirmed that they will soon start shopping Red Sonja to U.S. distributors and it sounds like the movie is destined for the big screen. Once a studio picks it up, we're likely to get news on a release date because the executive also pointed out that they're roughly halfway through shooting.
Are you excited for Red Sonja? Let us know in the comments section.