Hollywood has been chock full of remakes over the past several years, and a number of them have been new takes on incredibly beloved films. 2021 alone has already given us a She’s All That remake and will soon mark the release of a new take on West Side Story, which admittedly looks amazing. Many probably don’t remember but, years ago, it was reported that Whitney Houston and Kevin Costner’s The Bodyguard is also going to be remade. Updates on the project have been few and far between, but it seems the movie has now taken a step forward.
The Bodyguard remake has reportedly found its screenwriter. Variety reports that Warner Bros. has recruited Matthew López to pen the script. According to the trade, the new movie is being billed as a reimagining of the original film. Lawrence Kasdan, who penned the script and co-produced the 1992 movie, will produce under his Kasdan Pictures banner alongside Rideback’s Dan Lin and Jonathan Eirich. In addition, Nick Reynolds, also of Rideback, is on board as executive producer.
Matthew López is probably best known for writing The Inheritance, a play inspired by E. M. Forster’s novel, Howards End. The scribe has earned a few accolades for his work on the play, and the Broadway production is currently nominated for multiple Tony Awards. He also served as a staff writer for HBO’s broadcast journalism drama The Newsroom. Given his prior credits, López should be able to bring something fresh to The Bodyguard.
Reports of a potential remake first began to surface in 2011. Jeremiah Friedman and Nick Palmer, known for their unproduced blacklist script, Family Getaway, were originally set to write the screenplay for Warner Bros. And while a pair of stars haven’t been officially attached to the project, many have been speculating on the possibilities for a while now.
Directed by L.A. Story’s Mick Jackson, The Bodyguard centered on a Secret Service agent-turned-bodyguard (Kevin Costner) who’s hired to protect a Hollywood starlet (Whitney Houston) from a stalker. During their time together, the two, despite their differing backgrounds, become incredibly close, and a romance gradually blossoms. While it received relatively lukewarm reviews, the film did strike a chord with audiences. The movie would become a hit at the box office, finishing its theatrical run with a $411 million against its $25 million budget.
Of course, you can’t talk about the movie without mentioning its perfect soundtrack, which features numerous songs from the late Whitney Houston, along with additional music by the likes of Kenny G and The S.O.U.L. S.Y.S.T.E.M. Ultimately, it would go on to become the best-selling soundtrack album of all time.
It’s probably safe to assume it’ll be a while before the new version of The Bodyguard gets an official release date, seeing as it’s still in the early days of development. Redoing the classic drama won’t be easy but, hopefully, the film can somehow recapture at least some of the magic that first enchanted audiences back in the ‘90s.
