What we know about Sydney Sweeney's Barbarella reboot

Sydney Sweeney is heading to space in a reboot of '60s sci-fi cult classic Barbarella. The Euphoria star will put a fresh spin on Jane Fonda's iconic role as the interstellar adventurer tasked with saving the world.

There have been several failed attempts to revive the character, for both film and TV, since she blasted onto cinema screens in 1968. The news of the Sweeney-led remake has received a mixed reception, with Fonda herself sharing her "worry" over the project.

But when can we expect to see the new-look Barbarella? Here is everything we know about the remake so far, including its possible release date, cast and plot.

When will Barbarella be released?

The Barbarella remake does not yet have a release date. However, we do know the film is in development at Sony Pictures, with Sweeney serving as both star and executive producer. She has teased that it will be a "really big, world-building sci-fi" film.

The actor was first linked to the project in late 2022, following her breakout roles in HBO dramas Euphoria and The White Lotus. In an Instagram post, she wrote: "Time to save the universe."

As of October 2024, Barbarella is still without a confirmed director or writer. However, Baby Driver and Hot Fuzz filmmaker Edgar Wright in talks to helm the movie, according to Variety. Kick-Ass screenwriter Jane Goldman is apparently being lined up to write the script, along with her daughter Honey Ross.

Fans may face a long wait until the film hits screen. Wright is currently preparing to shoot his next film, a remake of 1987's The Running Man, while Sweeney has several other projects in the pipeline, including a biopic of Christy Martin and the third season of HBO's Euphoria. We'll update this article once a release date is confirmed.

What is the plot of Barbarella?

Barbarella is based on the French comic book series by Jean-Claude Forest. Fonda brought the character to the big screen in the 1968 film adaptation directed by Roger Vadim. The original film follows the astronaut from the 41st century on a mission to stop evil scientist Durand Durand from destroying the earth with a power-powered weapon.

The movie was not a huge hit at the box office, but has since become a cult classic and inspired the name of the band Duran Duran.

Watch the trailer for the original Barbarella

Sweeney's upcoming film will be the first time Barbarella has been remade. Producer Bob Evans once proposed a sequel – suggestively titled Barbarella Goes Down – but the project never went ahead. From Dusk Till Dawn filmmaker Robert Rodriguez was due to direct a reboot in 2008, with Rose McGowan playing the lead role, but that film was also scrapped.

Drive director Nicolas Winding Refn was then lined up to helm a TV version of Barbarella, but decided "certain things are better left untouched. You don't need to remake everything".

Why is Barbarella controversial?

The movie divides critics as some consider the scantily-clad female hero to be objectified in a galaxy dominated by men. However, others view her exploration of her own sexuality to be empowering and that as a woman tasked with saving the world, Barbarella is in fact a feminist heroine.

Speaking to the Happy Sad Confused podcast in March 2024, Sweeney said Barbarella "embraces her femininity and her sexuality, and I love that. She uses sex as a weapon and I think it's such an interesting way into a sci-fi world."

Fonda, however, has expressed her concern over the remake. "I try not to [think about it]. Because I worry about what it's going to be," she told the Hollywood Reporter in January 2023.

The Barbarella remake is in development