It looks like we’ll have to wait a little longer before seeing a 21st century version of Roger Vadim‘s “21st century girl”: Universal has parted ways with Robert Rodriguez‘s Barbarella remake.
The picture’s change of address has been confirmed by all involved — but if you want to know why it happened, the details are still pretty murky. According to IGN Movies, it was prompted by Universal’s cold feet over one of two things: A ballooning budget, or Rodgriguez’s decision to cast Rose McGowan in the leading role. From the article:
According to an unnamed source for The New York Observer, “It’s sort of embarrassing for everyone involved. … No one thinks Rose can carry the movie, but Robert won’t listen.” The paper adds that producer Dino De Laurentiis “wants to back Robert and his vision. But Robert’s vision is blurred by Rose.” The studio reportedly wants a bigger name star such as Halle Berry or Jessica Alba.
Rodriguez disputes this claim, saying they were “blown over” by McGowan’s audition and citing the project’s ballooning budget as the reason for Universal’s pullout. “Universal had initially signed on for $60 million,” Rodriguez explained, “but then when we were done with the script it wound up at closer to $82 million, and they had just financed a Will Ferrell movie [Land of the Lost] that was a $130 million and they even cut that down to $100 million.”
Rodriguez tells IGN that Universal is still willing to sign off on a $60 million Barbarella, but he’s still holding out for the full $82 million budget. Any takers?
Source: IGN Movies
