We’ve already seen that Hollywood studios are starting to (understandably) back peddle a bit from edgy genre films (See Weinstiens passing on Kevin Smith’s horror film “Red State”… the first time they’ve every turned down one of Smith’s projects) after the disastrous performance of Grindhouse (a film i still think deserved better). Now it looks like Universal has axed the Robert Rogriguez remake of Barbarella.
In and of itself that’s not all that surprising. But the REASONS they dropped it are. The good folks over at Sci Fi give us this:
Universal reportedly balked because Rodriguez (Sin City) insisted on casting his new fiancé, Rose McGowan, in the lead role originally played by Jane Fonda. Fonda starred in the 1968 original directed by her then-husband, Roger Vadim. McGowan starred in Rodriguez’s Planet Terror, his half of last year’s Grindhouse.
I can understand Rodriguez wanting to use McGowan. I mean if you cheat on your wife of 16 years/producing partner/mother of your 5 kids with the latest hot little piece of Hollywood tail on your movie, you might as well get as much out of her as possible… the price tag was really high.
I’m sorry, but if Rodriguez lets his movie get dropped just because a studio doesn’t want to put their money on the line so Robert can put his girlfriend in the lead role… then screw him. I really love Rodriguez as a director. I loved Planet Terror. I’ve been really looking forward to seeing what he would do with Barbarella… but grow the hell up man.
