Sydney Sweeney All But Confirms the Perfect Director For the Barbarella Reboot
Is this cult remake already happening?
Back in 1968, the wildest sci-fi movie of all time was Barbarella. And in some ways, 56 years later, in terms of audaciousness and pure, unapologetic camp, Barbarella has never been equaled. Nearly six decades after its release, the sexy and funny film continues to inspire various creators of new films, and, since 2022, Barbarella has been in development as a reboot, produced by and starring Sydney Sweeney.
And now, it seems, the director of this reboot might already be low-key confirmed. Speaking to Josh Horowitz (for his Happy Sad Confused podcast), Sweeney seemed to almost confirm that Edgar Wright just maybe might be a lock as the director of the new Barbarella. But will it really happen?
Barbarella reboot: What we know
Jane Fonda in the orignal 1968 Barbarella. Could Sweeney bring the same camp fun to the role?
On October 11, 2022, Deadline reported that Sydney Sweeney was “attached to star in a new Barbarella” for Sony Pictures. Deadline also reported that Sweeney would serve as a producer for the project. In the new 2024 interview with Josh Horowitz, she confirmed the movie is still being developed and that she’s hoping for it to happen soon.
“I’ve always wanted to do sci-fi,” Sweeney said. “Barbarella is just such a fun character to explore. She really just embraces her femininity and her sexuality, and I love that. She uses sex as a weapon and I think it’s such an interesting way into a sci-fi world.”
Will Edgar Wright direct Barbarella?
Edgar Wright and Sydney Sweeney at a party for Immaculate on March 15, 2024.
Some rumors suggest that Edgar Wright has already started work developing the Barbarella reboot with Sweeney. When Horowitz, directly asked her if this was true, Sweeney took an evasive sip of her drink. “So no director yet,” Horowitz said. “But Edgar [Wright] has become an acquaintance?”
Sweeney’s only response was: “Mmhm!”
Because Wright and Sweeney have been seen together as recently as March 15 — at a party for Immaculate — it makes sense that people are speculating that they’re working together. And for fans of Wright’s work, from Scott Pilgrim to Shaun of the Dead, to Last Night in Soho, the idea of him taking on a Barbarella reboot makes perfect sense. Sweeney clearly gets the sarcasm and humor inherent to Barbarella, and Wright, of course, is a massive geek for kitschy sci-fi. Together they might be an unstoppable team.
The dream of a Barbarella remake wouldn’t be to merely recapture the off-kilter nature of the original, but perhaps do the classic film one better and make this reboot into a genuinely good movie.
