There are certain films which are just magical, where the casting was perfect and everything fell into place and no one could ever imagine the need to remake it. Is The Bodyguard one of those films? I don’t know. It was certainly a hit, and it’s certainly a beloved film, mostly because of Whitney Houston’s performance. I think women have always loved it because we like the story of falling in love with the guy who would take a bullet for you, the one whose sole job is to protect you. Kevin Costner was deeply enamoured with Whitney and he still grieves her to this day. He recently spoke about how there was an idea being kicked around in the 1990s, something about a sequel, and that Princess Diana was interested. Well, now Warner Bros has decided that they’re just going to completely “remake” the original film.
Warner Bros has just set plans to revamp The Bodyguard, the 1992 romantic drama thriller that teamed superstars Kevin Costner and Whitney Houston. The studio, which released the original, has set Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour director Sam Wrench to helm and script by Juror No. 2 writer Jonathan A. Abrams, Deadline has learned.
The news was revealed Friday in an interview with Warner Bros’ co-film bosses Mike De Luca and Pam Abdy. No casting has been set, but after the first film’s star duo and box office success (it made $411 million worldwide box office and landed a pair of Oscar nominations) it certainly will be a casting process to watch. Beyond Swift, there are many singers who could play the singing star that this should be a magnet for an exciting cast.
Wrench was the director behind Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour, the concert movie spawned from Swift’s historic almost two-year-long global tour that obliterated the record with more than $2 billion in ticket sales across 149 shows. The movie grossed $261.7 million worldwide. Jonathan A. Abrams made his feature screenwriting debut with Juror #2, the Clint Eastwood-directed court thriller starring Nicholas Hoult. The pic bowed last fall to critical acclaim and grossed $24.8 million in the U.S.
Sidenote: I saw Juror #2 and it’s an okay film! Nicholas Hoult was good in it and it had a very “adapted from a 1990s John Grisham novel” vibe. That makes me wonder if The Bodyguard remake will also be set in the 1990s, or if it will just have a more dated feel. As for possible casting… lmao, they should NOT hire Taylor Swift. Please, she cannot act her way out of a paper bag. Even Swifties acknowledge that, right? Billie Eilish would obviously be a no, and basically, I cannot imagine any white pop star in this role. For some reason, I keep thinking about Cardi B and how much fun she would have with something like this. Also: Ciara?? Beyonce would also be good (that soundtrack would slap), but I suspect Beyonce would want no part in it. OMG… Megan Thee Stallion?? That’s exactly who they should cast.
Photos courtesy of WENN.com/Wenn/Avalon, kpa Publicity/Avalon/Avalon.
