Red Sonja is a property Hollywood has been trying to get right for quite some time. Created by Roy Thomas and artist Barry Windsor-Smith—based on a character by Conan the Barbarian creator Robert E. Howard—Red Sonja has long been a staple of the sword-and-sorcery genre and remains one of the most iconic pulp heroines of her era.
Riding the wave of Conan the Barbarian’s success, producer Dino De Laurentiis attempted to launch a Red Sonja franchise in 1985, with Brigitte Nielsen in the title role and Arnold Schwarzenegger playing a thinly veiled version of Conan named Lord Kalidor. The film was a major flop, but as fantasy has made a strong comeback in recent years, many believe Red Sonja is overdue for a proper cinematic revival.
Over the years, various filmmakers have tried to bring her back to the screen—including Robert Rodriguez (with Rose McGowan), Simon West, Amber Heard, and even Bryan Singer, who came close to making a version just a few years ago. Now, director M.J. Bassett and Revenge star Matilda Lutz finally have a Red Sonja movie ready for release. It’s set to hit theaters for one night only on August 13th (and digital on August 29th), and Lutz made an appearance at Comic-Con to help build excitement.
As seen in the interview embedded above, Lutz—who plays the title role—had high praise for Bassett, who previously directed the Robert E. Howard adaptation Solomon Kane and has since become a go-to director for streaming series like FUBAR and The Terminal List. Lutz also shared her excitement about the recent success of her Revenge director Coralie Fargeat, whose film The Substance has launched her career to new heights. We also caught up with Wallis Day, who plays one of the film’s villains, Dark Annisia.
Are you excited for Red Sonja? Let us know in the comments!
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