We don't know if it's possible to improve upon the over-the-top and loony genius of the original Barbarella, but director Robert Rodriguez is going to try.

Rodriguez, whose last flick, Planet Terror, was awesome but failed to ignite the box office, and screenwriters Neal Purvis and Robert Wade are developing an original adventure for the new movie. Purvis and Wade co-wrote Casino Royale and recently finished the next Bond movie, which has a working title of Bond 22.

Universal would like to have Barbarella in theaters by 2008.

They have the right director, but finding an actress even 1/8th as hot as Jane Fonda was in that movie will be the real challenge.


What I dread is the possibility of turning it into an action adventure piece instead of what it was intended as.

Here's the latest news on this bad idea:

Apparently, the only person who thinks actress Rose McGowan can pull off the lead in Robert Rodriguez’s upcoming remake of Barbarella is Robert Rodriguez.

The NY Observer is reporting that Universal Studios has backed out of the film as a result of McGowan’s casting and Rodriguez is now forced to shop it to independent financial backers to raise the budget.

Of course, Rodriguez denies that casting his girlfriend had anything to do with Universal bailing the film and insists that they were thrilled with her screen-test. He says it’s all about the Benjamins.

“Universal had initially signed on for $60 million,” says Rodriguez. “But then when we were done with the script it wound up at closer to $82 million.”

Regarding the casting, he says Universal were “blown over” with McGowan’s screen test. “They said, ‘What are we looking at?’ She looks fantastic in the role. She was perfect for this part. She just has that daring look, a sort of classic sexiness that is also kind of futuristic.”

But not everyone is so happy…

“It’s sort of embarrassing for everyone involved,” counters an insider close to the film. “No one thinks Rose can carry the movie, but Robert won’t listen.”