From The Lion King to Child’s Play, this year has been packed with reimaginings of familiar titles. It’s an undeniable trend Hollywood has been exploring for some time, so much so that some franchises have reached third and fourth generations of remakes. Just take the upcoming Charlie’s Angels: the Elizabeth Banks directed action-comedy has roots in the ‘70s television show and ‘00s McG films.
Now former Angel Lucy Liu is weighing in on her famed team of badass female detectives coming back to the big screen. She spoke about the new Charlie's Angels movie to ET after addressing the new Beverly Hills, 90210 revival series:
They recycle things so much. I mean, Charlie’s Angels was recycled, and so it's rare to find something that is fresh and new. But I think there's an audience for that, so I think it's wonderful. And [there's] a new Charlie's Angels coming out as well. I just feel like things that are original always sort of pop a little bit, but I think there's a comfort level in trying to relive something and also to redo something in the modern time, and I'm always curious on how that works out.
Studios often have an easier time investing in familiar names over brand new ideas and they perform with mixed results. Titles such as 2017’s The Mummy, 2015’s Fantastic Four and this year’s Hellboy were absolute failures while the new Spider-Man films, It and A Star is Born were wildly successful.
As Lucy Liu said, it will be interesting to see how Charlie’s Angels fares among audiences this fall. The movie stars Twilight’s Kristen Stewart, Aladdin’s Naomi Scott, and newcomer Ella Balinska as the new angels, with Elizabeth Banks, Patrick Stewart, Noah Centineo, Sam Claflin, and Djimon Hounsou in the supporting cast.
The movie will build upon the world established in the TV series and films. Charlie’s Angels will show how the spy operation has grown since it began, with the angels traveling to locations around the world such as Berlin, Hamburg, and Istanbul. They’ll be working together as a trio and with a network of angels. Elizabeth Banks notes one of her reasons to bring the franchise back was this theme of collaborative women over one hero.
It’s been 16 years since Lucy Liu starred in Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle and the approach to how women are presented on screen has changed a ton. Having a female eye behind the camera and as a co-writer on the script is also huge for the franchise. Liu has previously shown her support for this new version, calling it “very exciting.”
But will Alex Munday make an appearance in Charlie’s Angels? It doesn’t look to be the case, but she’d certainly be a welcome addition to the film. Lucy Liu currently has her hands full on a new CBS show, Why Women Kill, premiering on August 15. After recently wrapping her seven-season run on Elementary, she will play an ‘80s woman named Simone who is dealing with infidelity, among two other stories in the ‘60s and the present day.
Are you excited for the new Charlie’s Angels? Let us know in the comments below.
