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Rose McGowan Says Barbarella Still Moving Forward

by Alex Billington
April 12, 2008
Source: MTV

It was only last October when we wrote about the Barbarella Fiasco: Robert Rodriguez vs Universal. Sin City and Planet Terror director Robert Rodriguez had been slated to remake the sexy 1968 classic Barbarella and had cast his own girlfriend Rose McGowan in it. Our report said that this casting decision, plus a skyrocketing budget that was pushing $100 million, had caused Universal to back out of their initial agreements and thus the project had hit a wall. Now five months later, McGowan not only denies that any of that was true to begin with, but says the Barbarella remake is actually still on track to be made this year.

MTV recently caught up with Rose McGowan and got all the latest updates on the project.

"[The news that I was out] was really irritating because I know all the people over there and obviously it wasn't true. It was very malicious and there was no proof," McGowan said of the rumors. "Oftentimes these things have basis in truth but this didn't. I have contracts to prove it."

Quite a commanding statement from the 34-year-old actress who hasn't been doing all too much since playing Cherry Darling in Rodriguez' Planet Terror. But that's not all she had to say. "Half of the sets have been built. The costumes are done." And she even says that "I've got part of a spaceship built for me!" In fact, she mentions she has spaceships, yes, more than one. But why aren't we hearing about this yet if its already almost shooting?

"[Barbarella] wouldn't be able to be finished before June which is when the next strike might happen," McGowan said of delays in the face of a possible SAG strike. "It's a longer shoot."

The original movie, which McGowan says she is a big fan of, starred Jane Fonda as a 41st century astronaut who is sent on a mission to find and stop a peace-threatening young scientist named Durand-Durand. I'm sure we can expect this remake to be a lot less cheesy, with Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace writers Neal Purvis and Robert Wade scripting. And I'm also sure we can expect this remake to be a lot sexier, with Rodriguez flaunting his new lovely lady. Unfortunately beyond what McGowan has said, we have no other updates on the production. Including when and/or if they might ever finish the sets and start filming.

We can't go without mentioning the statement McGowan made when asked about if she feels any pressure in trying to live up to the original movie. How's this for a confident response?

"The original doesn't have a lot to go on plot-wise. It's one thing to do a remake of something that could have been much better storywise even if it was fantastic visually. It's another thing to remake something flawless. That way if yours isn't that good at least yours is better than that one."

I've loved almost everything Robert Rodriguez has done previously, give or take his kids movies, and although I'm not a Barbarella fan in the slightest, I'll still line up to see this. Not only because of McGowan's involvement, but because I'm certain Rodriguez will at least make something very entertaining. We'll let you know if we hear any updates in the meantime.

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Related categories: Casting, Movie News