Transparent Creator Replaces Bryan Singer As Director On Red Sonja Movie

Millennium Films’ Red Sonja project hasn’t managed to truly get off the ground for a number of reasons, but their latest move might just be the jolt it needs to make it a reality, as Transparent creator Jill Soloway has joined the project to write and direct. Soloway’s Amazon project Transparent has won rave reviews for its rich characters and inclusivity, and now she’ll take that same deft touch to the longtime favorite warrior. Soloway will replace the project’s previous director Bryan Singer, who was announced as the film’s director last year but was dropped after allegations of misconduct and sexual assault were brought forth.

Soloway’s Topple Productions partner Andrea Sperling will serve as the film’s producer, and Soloway couldn’t be more excited to take on the storied character.

“I can’t wait to bring Red Sonja‘s epic world to life,” Soloway told Deadline. “Exploring this powerful mythology and evolving what it means to be a heroine is an artistic dream come true.”

Red Sonja has been around since the 1970s, and continues to sell books to this day as part of Dynamite Entertainment. She hasn’t hit the big screen though since the 1985 film that starred Brigitte Nielsen as the character alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger.

That’s not for lack of trying though, as over the years several people have been attached to the property. At one point Robert Rodriguez was set to direct the movie with Rose McGowan in the role of Red Sonja, though that ended up never happening. It would then come back around and eventually, Singer was announced as the film’s director, but then he was dropped. With the addition of Soloway, hopefully, the film has seen its last creative shakeup and can actually start the process of becoming a movie, and there’s plenty of stories to draw from.

The most recent series kicked off earlier this year with Red Sonja #1, which is written by Mark Russell and drawn by Mirko Colak. You can check out the official description below.

“No man knows the place of her birth, nor where she learned to wield a sword to shame many a male. They know only that she is called The She-Devil of The Hyrkanian Steppes. That, and RED SONJA. MARK RUSSELL (The Flintstones) and MIRKO COLAK (Conan) bring a savage tale of metal and blood. A world conqueror possesses a massive army and a fatal prophecy. A bastard sorceress craves revenge. And a fearsome red-haired warrior is made wartime ruler of a homeland set for decimation.”

Red Sonja #1 is in stores now, while the Red Sonja film has no current release date.