Sydney Sweeney has a number of high-profile projects in the works, including a remake of the cult classic Barbarella. Late last year, it was announced that Sweeney is attached to star in and produce a new iteration of the story, which was previously adapted into a Jane Fonda-led film in 1968. Fonda previously made headlines for expressing that she’s apprehensive about the planned reboot — but it sounds like Sweeney would like to join forces with the actress. In a recent interview with Variety, Sweeney said that she would “absolutely love” to speak with Fonda, and argued that her takeaway from the original film is about how “women own their power.”
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“I find power in my femininity,” Sweeney said elsewhere in the interview. “I use my brain, and I use everything that I’m learning every single day in this industry as my power.”
What Is Barbarella About?
Barbarella was created by Jean-Claude Forest to be serialized in V Magazine in 1962, and began to be collected in a standalone book years later. The comic followed the exploits of Barbarella, a space-faring astronaut who goes on adventures throughout the galaxy. It is often regarded to be one of the first erotic comic books, as well as a revolutionary step in terms of representing the sexual revolution of the era. Multiple new comics inspired by the franchise have been published by Dynamite in recent years.
“I’m really excited to serve all the fits,” Sweeney explained in an interview late last year. “But also, just it’s such an iconic, fun character. And I want to keep that fun alive through Barbarella. So, I’m excited for everyone to see it.”
Was There a Barbarella Sequel?
Following the 1968 release of Barbarella, there have been many attempts to continue or reboot the franchise onscreen. Initially, there were plans for a sequel, which would have tentatively been titled Barbarella Goes Down. There were then efforts to reboot the franchise with a new film in the 2000s, which would have been directed by Robert Rodriguez, and later Robert Luketic, and starred Rose McGowan. That incarnation of the project ultimately fell apart due to budget and filming constraints. A musical adaptation was produced in 2004. In 2012, Amazon Studios and Gaumont International Television aimed to create a Barbarella television series, which would have been set in Asia and directed by The Neon Demon’s Nicolas Winding Refn.
“Well, I don’t own Barbarella, the estate does, but I decided to be more interested in the Neon Demon,” Refn told The Playlist in 2016. “Plus there are other television things that caught my attention [because] I actually enjoy designing it from the beginning. It became… Barbarella, it was like Logan’s Run: certain things are better left untouched. You don’t need to remake everything.”
What do you think of the new comments about the Barbarella reboot? Are you excited for the new film? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!
