Ask someone in your local comic store to name two popular British comic characters, and chances are it'll be Judge Dredd and Tank Girl. Boh were popularized in the American public by movies in the 90s, but both of those movies tanked. Judge Dredd is right in the middle of a new movie attempting to make things right, but what about Tank Girl?
Set in a post-apocalyptic Australia, Jamie Hewlett & Alan Martin's Tank Girl went from a one-off pin-up to a British comics darling all in the matter of a few months. She's no super-hero; merely a young woman with special forces training and a tank she calls home. When the world's gone down the tubes and people are just living amongst the wreckage, Tank Girl spends her days dating, drinking, causing reckless violence and finances it all as a courier for the remnants of the Australian government. But when she gets on the wrong side of an aged Australian Head of State, she is on the run. By her side is her mutant kangaroo boyfriend Booga, as well as some similarly named colleagues from time to time like Subgirl and Jet Girl.
The Concept:
Where the 1995 film failed was trying to fit the loose, art-inspired world that Hewlett created into a standardized action-movie template played out with fast cuts borrowed from MTV. In comics terms, that'd be like having Tank Girl join the Avengers. One of the keys that made the Tank Girl comic work was how the art and design was just as important, if not more so, than the story itself.
For a new Tank Girl film, it has to capture the same rebellious nature of the characters and the storytelling. And I know just who to do that.
The Director(s):
For this unique comics-to-film translation, I'd offer the keys to the property to its original creator and artist, Jamie Hewlett. After Tank Girl, Hewlett went on to bigger fame as the co-creator of the music act / art project Gorillaz with Blur frontman Damon Albarn. Together they have created music videos and short films that are more than just filler for the music to play over. If you haven't, check out their short film Journey Into The West produced for the 2008 Beijing Olympics, and the under-rated Phoo Action BBC series produced based on Hewlett's work. But I wouldn't send Hewlett off on his own.
For this, I'd pair Hewlett up with an experienced director ala Rodriguez/Miller on Sin City, but someone with inclinations closer to the Tank Girl aesthetic: I'd pick Spike Jonez. After doing Adaptation., Being John Malkovich and the impressive Where The Wild Things Are, Jonez could provide the much-needed experience with feature film without watering down Hewlett's creative energies.
The Cast:
Emma Watson / Tank Girl: She's become a movie-goers darling over the course of the Harry Potter films, but unlike star Daniel Radcliffe she's not yet tried to branch out with a provocative role to establish herself outside of the Rowling franchise. Just as she's grown from a child to a young woman on screen, so has her acting ability and Tank Girl could be just the thing to break her out of that mold. She's already cut her hair from the familiar long tresses seen in Harry Potter; maybe she wants to go all out.
Simon Pegg / Booga: Joining Watson on screen as her kangaroo boyfriend should be someone with comedic timing, ability to work with special effects, and a knowledge of the material. As a former comic store employee and long-time nerd, I nominate Simon Pegg. His most personal projects like Spaced show a real love for it, and he seems to really invest himself in projects when he has an affinity for them.
Find us on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter
Subscribe to our RSS Feed
Some rights reserved.
Brilliant!
Emma Watson is trying to stay away from doing movies, so I don’t see her doing anything like this at all. She’s doesn’t really want to remain a movie star
Man, I love that movie. It’s pretty much perfect.
Hollywood, if you’re listening, please do not remake this movie. The original is exactly what it needs to be.
HA! Just kidding. Hollywood will never remake this movie. I have no fears.
@CaseyJustice Yeah i don’t think that Hollywood would ever think about remaking the old Tank Girl movie because of how crappy it was the first time around. That said these casting choices are really quite interesting, the only one that would be guaranteed perfection would be Simon Pegg, but Emma Watson has been locked on Hermione for so long I have a hard time imagining her doing different things. If by some chance they actually do get the brass to do this remake then if Watson is unavailable I would aim for Kristen Stewart. She could actually pull it off based on her acting as Joan Jett in The Runaways movie.
I love the orginal, but then I came into it with no relationship to the source material. But I’d still be up for o reboot since a sequel seems out of the question.
Oh, thank goodness. I thought I was the only person who really enjoyed the Tank Girl movie. This version sounds pretty awesome, though – I’ll watch anything starring Simon Pegg.
I don’t know what everyone is talking about!!! Tank Girl was awesome and I have been following her crazy stories for 15 years. Emma Watson is a bad choice to play Tank Girl . I would keep Lori Petty. She still looks the part and made tank girl real. I hope this movie does get re-made just for the younger generation that knows nothing of her. It would make her comics more popular and I think she is the perfect role model for any girl/woman. She doesn’t deal with trouble and loves explosions. She’s fashion concious, strong and not afraid to get dirty, break a nail or shave her head. She also has a very sick sense of humor which is totally rad!! She rocks!! I love her and she is and forever will be my hero .
Inspired casting, but yes, unfortunately, Miss Watson has voiced a reluctance to return to the industry. I would love to see her play something so vastly different from herself and Hermione. Simon Pegg would be on board, I would bet.
I would embrace this film as the first true Tank Girl film. NOT as a reboot or a sequel. I liked the first film for what it was, but it was not a Tank Girl film translation at heart. Lori Petty was spot on casting, though, and even she complained about what they did to the movie.
You sucked all the feelings right out of my soul. I love Emma Watson. But really! Smoke another one homie. What should have happened is some fucking sequels. The movie was good, one of my favorites, but it did leave lots out, and poor sub girl only got a small cameo. Sequels, not Emma Watson.