Been a good long while since we heard anything regarding RED SONJA, which you'll remember was set to be produced by Robert Rodriguez and star Rose McGowan, his then girlfriend. Rumors had sprung up that Megan Fox was being wooed for the project after McGowan departed the flick (along with original director Douglas Aarniokoski) but obviously nothing has come of that. So where does RED SONJA stand?
In an interview with Empire Online, Nu Image exec Avi Lerner explains that the film is still very much alive, but - much like Robert Rodriguez said last year - the company's reboot of CONAN was the priority:
"We didn't want to start it until we'd finished Conan... We will definitely shoot Red Sonja in between Conan and Conan 2. We already chose the director: an English guy called Simon West."
This is the part when we all go, "Uh, yeah, I think we know who Simon West is! Guy only directed CON AIR and WHEN A STRANGER CALLS!" (He also directed THE MECHANIC for Nu image.)
Aside from the revelation that a CONAN sequel seems to be a done deal in Lerner's mind, the producer goes on to say that they're already eying someone to fill RED SONJA's sexy boots.
"We're talking to a few girls for the role of Sonja, but we just finished a movie called Drive Angry with Amber Heard, and I want to see her. She's my favourite for the role."
"Amber is the new Red Sonja... but she doesn't know it yet! When you write it she'll get the shock of her life! She'll call me and say 'How dare you talk to Empire before you talk to me?!'"
Wow! My first reaction is that I don't really see it, but hell, these are the movies and anything is possible. I would not pass up the opportunity to watch a red-heaired, cleavage-bearing Amber Heard do battle with a giant sword, I'll say that much...
hmmm