Remake & Reboot: The Red Sonja Movie

The fiery warrior woman known as Red Sonja has been a powerful image in comics since her debut in 1972.  Going from beinga Conan comrade-in-arms to  her own comic series shortly after her debut, she stepped up to the big time in the 1985 film Red Sonja. Although it failed to reach the heights of Conan, it carved a mark on the public psyche that stands to this day.

With a new Conan movie just weeks away, talk about a rejuvenated Red Sonja comes with it. After Robert Rodriguez failed to get a Red Sonja film off the ground with then-girlfriend Rose McGowan, it remains one of those properties destined for a second chance. But in today’s modern movieplex, it would take a unique concept and vision to bring Red Sonja to life. Let’s give it a whirl.

The Concept:

Although rooted in the visual aesthetic of Red Sonja, the 1985 failed to take advantage of the story or even the origin of this Robert E. Howard hero. For a new filmatic take, it’s best to go back to the original story told by Roy Thomas, Doug Moench and Howard Chaykin (!!). As its told, Red Sonja was raised in a Russian-esque country steppe to the verge of adulthood when a group of mercenaries killed her family, burned down her house and raped her savagely. Crying out for vengeance, her call is met by a mythological Scottish warrior from mythology called Scathach, bestowing her with with incredible skills on the condition that she never sleep with a man unless she was defeated in fair combat.

In fact, I'd play up the tomboy aspect of Red Sonja of her early years and continue that into her adult life. Not only can she match swords with the best of her male counterparts, she can also out drink and out swear them. We've had enough fair princesses — what about a red-haired warrior woman who's not afraid to go blue?

For a villain, I would go to the magnificent Kulan Gath. He’s crossed path with Red Sonja, Conan as well as Marvel’s heroes from time to time. Gath is a sorcerer who worked with the witch Vammatar and his apprentice Razal Gulath to obtain the power of a mystical demon – originally Marvel’s Shuma-Gorath, although for this they could transpose it with a Clthulian character for added menace and monstrosity.

The Director:

There’s a load of directors with action (and even sword-and-sorcery) cred, but if Red Sonja’s going to work it needs something deeper. I’d enlist the director of the recent film Hanna, Joe Wright. Though that and Wright’s previous films Pride & Prejudice and Atonement, he’s shown great diversity and in the case of Hanna make what could be “just” an action movie more than that.

Make no mistake, a new Red Sonja would need to be more than just a Conan spin-off and more than a medieval action movie. It’s a medieval version of Luc Besson’s Nikita with a need to keep the core story of a woman coming to maturity and adversity. Just with an big special effects budget and, you know, monsters.

The Cast:

Red Sonja / Christina Hendricks: Although there are other actors with more big-screen appearance, Hendricks embodies what Red Sonja’s character is and is not short on acting skill. Her main drawback is her image; she’s been pigeon-holed by her role in Mad Men, but it’s her work in Firefly that led to this decision more than anything. She’s got three big movies in her future, and this time next year she could be in the perfect place to lead this film.

Kulan Gath / Ed Harris: Harris could really sink his teeth with a role as a villainous mage, and bring some heavy acting cred with him. Although he’s best known for Oscar-bound movies, he’s branched out into action movies like National Treasure and The Rock. Red Sonja could be a unique offer for him to try something completely different.