Millennium Media has made the exciting announcement that production on a new Red Sonja adaptation has commenced! Since the 1985 film starring Brigitte Nielsen and Arnold Schwarzenegger, this will be the first live-action debut of the iconic sword-and-sorcery comic book character. M.J. Bassett directed this updated version, which has Matilda Lutz in the lead role. Based on a character from Robert E. Howard’s original ‘Conan comic book series, Red Sonja was developed by Roy Thomas and Barry Windsor-Smith in 1973 for Marvel’s Conan the Barbarian comic book series.
The next year, in 1975, she was given her own show. Prior to 2005, Marvel had the rights to the character Red Sonja, but since then, Dynamite Comics has published comics starring the character. Comic book readers are familiar with Red Sonja because of her recognisable costume and because she is a formidable fighter who can hold her own against the likes of Conan the Barbarian. Without knowing what will happen in this new film adaptation, viewers can only speculate. Red Sonja is typically seen as embarking on a mission to get revenge for the deaths of her loved ones and cleanse her realm of evil. Lutz will take up for Hannah John Kamen, who had to withdraw due to illness. Lutz is a well-known Italian actress who has been in several blockbuster movies.
Wallis Day and Robert Sheehan also have prominent roles in the movie. Day, well known for her role as Batwoman, will appear in the forthcoming second season of Sex/Life on Netflix. The parts that Sheehan played on fan favourites The Umbrella Academy and Misfits have made him a household name. Michael Bisping, Martyn Ford, Eliza Matengu, Manal El Feitury, and Katrina Durden round out the supporting cast. Joey Soloway, creator of the critically acclaimed series Transparent, and Tasha Huo, writer for the upcoming Tomb Raider animated series on Netflix, have penned the film’s script.
The film’s director, Bassett, has experience in the genre, having helmed Solomon Kane. Besides helming episodes for Power, Ash vs. Evil Dead, and Altered Carbon, she has directed for other popular shows as well. Bassett made the following observations during filming: The character of Red Sonja has always been an inspiration to me, and I’ve wanted to bring her to life on the big screen in my own manner ever since I was a youngster. When I first saw Matilda Lutz, I knew she was the one; I could immediately envision the depth and complexity she would offer to the role of Sonja.