A new film based on the Robert E. Howard / Marvel Comics character RED SONJA, who was previously played by Brigitte Nielsen in a 1985 film, has been in the works for a long time. About ten years ago, Robert Rodriguez was going to direct RED SONJA with Rose McGowan as the title character. Then Doug Aarniokoski was going to direct from a script by David N. White. At another point, Simon West was attached to direct, with Amber Heard in the running to star. Megan Fox was also in consideration. Screenwriter Christopher Cosmos was working on a script a few years ago. In the midst of all this, Bryan Singer was also developing the property as a TV series. For some reason (or reasons), RED SONJA has just never been able to get into production.
The rights are in the hands of Millennium Films, who were inspired to put the project on the fast track after the box office success of WONDER WOMAN last year, and now the company has announced that they have found another screenwriter to pen this new big screen adventure for the character.
Writing a fresh draft of RED SONJA is Ashley Edward Miller, who has previously worked on the screenplays for THOR and X-MEN: FIRST CLASS. Miller also served as co-producer on Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles and has co-written a script for a remake of John Carpenter's BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE CHINA (which has Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson attached to be the new Jack Burton). We're still waiting to hear what's going to happen with that one.
Inspired by Conan the Barbarian creator Robert E. Howard's characters Red Sonya of Rogatino and Dark Agnes de Chastillon, Red Sonja was created by writer Roy Thomas and artist Barry Windsor Smith. She made her debut in the 1973 Marvel comic Conan the Barbarian #23. Red Sonja comics are now published by Dynamite Entertainment.
Miller had this to say about being hired to write the new Sonja movie:
It’s an exciting opportunity to faithfully adapt the amazing Hyborean world Robert E. Howard created, and inject it with Sonja’s intelligence, ferocity, and fearless humanity. I want people to love Sonja the way I love her, and walk out of the theater understanding why she’s so popular and enduring. Sonja is an icon."
Joe Gatta is overseeing the project for Millennium. Here's hoping RED SONJA will finally get made this time.