Elizabeth Banks Calls Out Media For "Pigeonholing" Charlie's Angels Reboot

The director of the 2019 reboot reflects on how the franchise was marketed.

By Jenna Anderson

Elizabeth Banks is reflecting back on the conversation surrounding her 2019 movie reboot of Charlie's Angels. In a recent interview with Rolling Stone, Banks spoke about the experience of directing the film, which reimagined the squad of super spies for a modern audience. Charlie's Angels became regarded as a critical and financial flop, when it debuted to a worldwide total of $73.3 million. As Banks put it, her biggest frustration with the experience of Charlie's Angels was the discourse around it being a female-led movie, as opposed to just judging it on its merits. 

"For me, regardless of what the actual product was, so much of the story that the media wanted to tell about Charlie's Angels was that it was some feminist manifesto," Banks explained. "I just loved the franchise. There was not this gendered agenda from me. That was very much laid on top of the work, and it was a little bit of a bummer. It felt like it pigeonholed me and the audience for the movie. To lose control of the narrative like that was a real bummer."

"You realize how the media can frame something regardless of how you've framed it," Banks continued. "I happen to be a woman who directed a Charlie's Angels movie that happened to star three incredible women. You can't control the media saying, 'You're a lady director, and that's special!' — which it is, but it's not the only thing. I remember having a conversation with someone who was like, 'You guys are going to have a partnership with Drybar' — which is, like, a hair-blowing thing — and I was like, 'Alright… but could we have an ad during the baseball playoffs? It's not only this one thing.' It was interesting to see how the industry sees things that star women. It was a real lesson for me."

What Was the Charlie's Angels Reboot About?

In Banks' Charlie's Angels, Kristen Stewart, Naomi Scott, and Ella Balinska are working for the mysterious Charles Townsend, whose security and investigative agency has expanded internationally. With the world's smartest, bravest, and most highly trained women all over the globe, there are now teams of Angels guided by multiple Bosleys taking on the toughest jobs everywhere. The film also starred Banks, Djimon Hounsou, Sam Claflin, Noah Centineo, and Patrick Stewart.

"You've had 37 Spider-Man movies and you're not complaining!" Banks said just prior to the film's release. "I think women are allowed to have one or two action franchises every 17 years — I feel totally fine with that."

Will There Be a Cocaine Bear Sequel?

Banks' latest turn as a director was in Universal's surprise hit Cocaine Bear — and in the same interview, she confirmed she'd be interested in returning to helm a sequel.

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"I loved how subversive, crazy, silly and funny it was," Banks said. "I loved surprising people with the cast. I don't think anybody was expecting Margot Martindale, who's 70 years old, to shoot that kid. We had a lot of fun, and if I got the opportunity to surprise the audience and delight myself again, I would take it."

What do you think of Elizabeth Banks' comments about the Charlie's Angels reboot flopping? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!

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