Revenge star Matilda Lutz has revealed some information to Collider recently on the upcoming Red Sonja reboot, where she plays the title role, saying that the reboot won’t be the same as the 1985 film, or the comics on which it was based.
“What I think is different from what we know of Red Sonja is that it was very, and the comics as well, was very male gaze-oriented and this is a completely different story,” she said. “It’s a very empowered woman, and that’s what I loved about the story.”
The Red Sonja comics were created by writer Roy Thomas and artist Barry Windsor-Smith for Marvel Comics in 1973, partially inspired by Robert E. Howard’s character Red Sonya of Rogatino. The comics are now published by Dynamite Entertainment.
The classic 1985 movie was directed by Richard Fleischer (Soylent Green) and introduced Brigitte Nielsen as the title character, with Arnold Schwarzenegger in a supporting role.
The plot for the new Red Sonja movie is currently under wraps but it will be directed by M.J. Bassett (Solomon Kane) from a script by Joey Soloway (Transparent) and Tasha Huo (Netflix’s Tomb Raider).
Alongside Lutz, the movie will also star Wallis Day (Krypton), Robert Sheehan (The Umbrella Academy), Michael Bisping (xXx: Return of Xander Cage), Martyn Ford (The Nevers), Eliza Matengu (Scrublands), Manal El-Feitury (Code Red), Katrina Durden (Street Fighter: Resurrection) and Oliver Trevena (Plane).
Lutz also delved into Red Sonja’s impractical look… which is traditionally nothing more than a metal bikini. Not overly practical for epic sword fights… “I mean, it was the thing, you know, like even in costume rehearsals and building the whole costume was like, I felt very exposed,” she said. “But what I love about it is that the bikini is used in a completely different way from the comics. So I’m excited to see what the audience is gonna think.
“It was already in the script that the costume was gonna [be] used not as an exposure kind of like element but in a different way, I don’t want to spoil it but in a different way. So, I felt good enough to wear something that was used for a purpose and also, I just really connected with MJ, the director. So we always talked about how I was feeling and, you know, when we built the costume in the costume prep process, it was always like, ‘How do you feel about this? How do you feel about that?’ So we built it together. I always felt like I was part of the process and not like just, ‘Oh you gotta wear this’ and you know, ‘Bye.’
“It was hard to do because one of the major scenes is in an arena with lots of extras, and I’m fighting monsters in a bikini. So that was hard to do. But I feel like after the first hour I was wearing it, I was just so comfortable in being around people and seeing me fight in a bikini. That [it] was fine.”
The release of Red Sonja is TBC
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