Filmmakers have been trying to relaunch the 1968 Jane Fonda camp classic for years without any success. At one point, Drew Barrymore and Sherilyn Finn were attached to a remake, and later, Robert Rodriguez came aboard and his then girlfriend, Rose McGowan became attached. Later, Robert Luketic became attached as director, and rumors suggested that his frequent collaborator, Katherine Heigl, might land the role. But for whatever reason, the remakes always fell apart. Now Amazon is trying to get in on the game, ordering a television series based on the character from director Nicolas Winding Refn (Drive). Neal Purvis and Robert Wade (Skyfall) are attached as writers.
The movie is described as sci-fi film about a sexpot tasked with finding and stopping an evil weapons inventor, but that’s hardly doing it justice. It’s a campy, kitsch, bizarre soft-core sci-fi flick featuring a voluptuous woman taking on a dastardly villain, Dr. Durand Durand. It’s kind of an awful movie, but in all the best ways, and Jane Fonda was obviously iconic in the role.
Who could possibly take on a role so iconic for a upstart streaming service that likely has some budget limitations? Here’s 5 possibilities.
Alexandra Daddario — The True Detective star is suddenly everywhere (no, really) and, with her role in True Detective only expected to last through one season, she’ll be free to pursue other projects like this one, for which she’d be perfect. She has the image, and though Texas Chainsaw Massacre 3D was terrible, it at least demonstrated her physicality.
Diora Baird — The former Guess model is, strangely, maybe best known for her deleted scenes in J.J. Abrams Star Trek, and the under-the-radar casting for Barberella might be suitably cheap for the Amazon series. If you’re wondering why she’d be perfect, I think this Barbarella-like photo from FHM should clear up any confusion.
Alice Eve — Well known for Star Trek scenes that were actually in the movie, Alice Eve definitely has the Barbarella image (and sci-fi experience), but is not so well known that she’d be too expensive. She also happens to be a much better actress than most people might give her credit for, evident if you’ve seen Neil LaBute’s Some Velvet Morning. (This image is more Barbarelle-esque)
Katy Perry — If Amazon wants to go high-profile casting, Katy Perry could look the part and would bring in an immediate audience, but can she act? It’s hard to say based on her Saturday Night Live appearance and her roles in the Smurfs movies, but then again, even if she can’t act, Barbarella is famous for being a camp classic, and God knows, Perry can bring the camp. She exudes campiness.
Jessica Alba — Maybe the most obvious choice, Alba is about due for a comeback, and the small screen — where she got her start — is perhaps where she’s best suited. She’s also got the camp factor, and she’s got plenty of name recognition to get the Amazon series off the ground. Her lack of acting ability might actually be beneficial.
