Bleeding Cool is hearing that Bryan Singer (Usual Suspects, X-Men) is now developing a mature series featured around the fantasy heroine Red Sonja, created by Roy Thomas and Barry Windsor-Smith. The project apparently is being funded by the Weinstein Company. We’re treating this as a rumor, but the site does seem to have a good track record when it comes to TV scoops.
I have it from a pretty reliable source that Fox’s X-Men franchise director Bryan Singer is currently developing an R-rated TV series based on Red Sonja. Now by saying R-rated that narrows down the places the series could run to something like HBO / Showtime or a streaming service like Netflix / Amazon.
Sonja like Conan, is one of the more popular fantasy characters, which helped influence series like Game of Thrones. It’s possible that they see more of value for going to television rather than making a movie.
You might remember that Robert Rodriguez had been developing a new feature version with Rose McGowan in the lead role, taking a bunch of concept art to Comic-Con to promote the idea that never came together. Rose would instead take a villainous role in the Conan The Barbarian reboot.
It’s interesting to see yet another lost Rodriguez film project is getting the television treatment. His Barbarella reboot (also starring then girlfriend Rose McGowan) was axed, and then resurrected by director Nicolas Winding Refn as a series as well.
The Weinstein Company recently made a deal with Netflix for Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: The Sword of Destiny, which gives me the impression it’s likely to land on that service. Considering the decent reception of the project, they could continue the relationship by developing a series like Red Sonja together.
I’ll be curious to see how much involvement Singer would have considering he’s committed to directing 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea for Fox. There’s also some assumption he’ll attempt to direct another X-Men installment as well. I could see him directing the first couple of episodes then handing them off to others.
Would you watch a gritty Red Sonja series?
SOURCE: BLEEDING COOL