It’s a term that, despite starting with some pure intentions, has become a bit of a dirty word in the world of entertainment: reboot. Some see it as a dark and horrific prospect when it comes to a property like Charlie’s Angels. But as far as director Elizabeth Banks is concerned, if you have the right approach, a reboot can be a wonderful thing. More specifically, Banks’ thoughts on that very subject are the following:
No, not if you make it fresh, fun and interesting. I don't think anyone's mad that Black Panther happened despite the fact that Black Panther was a comic book that already existed. And I don't think when people see this movie, which is a real continuation of a story that, like I said, just has really great DNA built into it already, my hope is that people, especially new audiences — the last film was 17 years ago — so young women get their own versions of stories all the time anyway. It's the next generation's turn to have Angels.
In her remarks above to THR, Elizabeth Banks hits upon, quite possibly, one of the best reasons a proper reboot should exist. With her new chapter in Charlie’s Angels history, Banks is carrying the torch from the ‘00s version with Cameron Diaz, Lucy Liu and Drew Barrymore to her new lineup of Ella Balinska, Kristen Stewart and Naomi Scott to run with.
With a property as iconic and as socially relevant as the Angels, it’s naturally going to be up for grabs when it comes to reboot activity. And it’s not the first time that Charlie’s Angels has been rebooted during the Aughts, with ABC trying its hand back in 2011 and only running a shortened season.
Of course, there’s the fact that what Elizabeth Banks has done with Charlie’s Angels isn’t exactly a reboot of the entire property. Rather, as Banks herself has mentioned above, as well as in a previous interview, her new film has actually expanded on the history that’s come before it. Meaning that all the crews of Angels you’ve seen in action, from the ‘70s to today, built the in-world foundation for newcomers to kick ass upon.
So rather than call Charlie’s Angels a reboot, there’s another trendy industry term that sums up what’s going on a bit more accurately: “legacyquel.” Still, be it a legacyquel, a reboot, a prequel or a midquel, so long as the right idea is there, and someone like Elizabeth Banks is in charge with the proper mindset, any project that continues a legacy should be seen as an opportunity to get it right, rather than automatically getting it wrong.
Charlie’s Angels flies into theaters, and answers the call to battle, on November 15. If you’re psyched about it, then check out our 2019 Release Schedule for other films in a similar vein, just waiting for you to discover them on opening weekend.
