As this weekend’s “Baywatch” proves, studios are more eager to turn whatever intellectual property they have on hand into a movie, rather than try bring something original to the big screen. The working theory is that it’s easier and cheaper to sell audiences on something they already kinda know, rather than getting them interested in something new. The practice is hardly groundbreaking, and way back in 2000, Sony/Columbia Pictures had some success turning the kitschy ’70s TV series “Charlie’s Angels,” into a kitschy movie. People seemed to like the first installment, and it became a smash hit, earning over $260 million worldwide. Though reviewed less kindly, the followup “Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle” did equally strong numbers, just coming in under $260 million globally. That’s where the franchise ended, but the property is being resurrected again.
Elizabeth Banks has been tapped to direct a fresh reboot, which has been pencilled in for a July 7, 2019 release date. “Narcos” creators Carlo Bernard and Doug Miro will be taking their pens to the script by Evan Spiliotopoulos (“Beauty and the Beast”) and giving it a rewrite. There are no further details, but the actress turned director has already showed she can create hit material out of female driven narratives by helming “Pitch Perfect 2.” Whether or not she’ll also take a role in “Charlie’s Angels” we’ll have to wait and see, but the chemistry of the three leads will pretty vital. To than end, “Moonlight” star and musician Janelle Monae is apparently on the wishlist to star.
A long enough time has passed since ‘Full Throttle’ that I suppose a new kick at the can was inevitable, and there’s a whole new audience to cater to, but at the moment, it’s hard to get too excited about it. [THR/The Tracking Board]
