SDCC Exclusive Interviews: Red Sonja Cast & Crew!

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SDCC Exclusive Interviews: Red Sonja Cast & Crew!

Source:Silas Lesnick

July 26, 2008

Their Red Sonja panel having met with an overwhelmingly positive response from the fans, the people behind next year's big-screen adaptation talked with ComingSoon.net/Superhero Hype! about some of the plans in the works for the She-Devil with a sword.

First up, director Douglas Aarniokoski joined writer David White to talk about the current state of the story and the vision for the final product.

CS/SHH!: When you're looking at the character of Red Sonja, what angle are you approaching her from? There's the original Robert E. Howard stories and then there's the comic book versions.

David White: I looked at everything! I was familiar with Marvel comics from being a kid, sort of semi-familiar with the 1985 film and not-so-familiar with the Dynamite series. So I did my homework which was really a lot of fun because I love the character. But at the end of the day we sort of have to just pick what works and sort of toss the rest and really reinvent the story. We've been saying all along that the comic book fans will be pleasantly surprised at what we draw from. At the same time, people who are totally unfamiliar with it will really dig it and be sucked in right away.

Douglas Aarniokoski: I was very familiar with the comic books. I was certainly familiar with the movie from the '80s. I saw it and, at the time, I really enjoyed it. I've worked with Robert Rodriguez for many years and he's a huge fan. We actually talked about, five or six years ago, wouldn't it be great to see a remake of it? Not even at the time saying, "We should do it," but just "wouldn't it be great to see someone come in and reinvent it?" And now, here we are in 2008 and we're the ones doing it.

CS/SHH!: So this all predated the Dynamite series?

Aarniokoski: Oh, yeah. He was a huge, huge fan since he was kid. It's kind of weirdly synchronistic that it all came together that way.

CS/SHH!: What is the fantasy element involved? Is this very real world or are there giant snakes?

Aarniokoski: A little of both. We're pulling from both. It's a fantastical, gritty world. It's a good old, rated-R sword-swingin' kind of fun movie.

CS/SHH!: Robert had mentioned that he's in talks to produce the "Conan" movie and there's also the just-announced "Thulsa Doom" movie. Is this all going to be tied together as a universe of Cimmeria?

Aarniokoski: Boy, that's a really good question. I don't know. Quite frankly, when Robert said that, that was the first I'd heard of it. I was excited as anyone else in the auditorium. I was thinking, "Yeah! That'll be great!" But I think that's the idea. I know Luke Lieberman who is one of the partners at Dynamite just announced the "Thulsa Doom" with Djimon Hounsou. He does "Red Sonja," so clearly there's an integrating and creating this universe. We'll see how that goes.

CS/SHH!: Does that prevent you at all? Does that mean that Thulsa Doom can't appear in "Red Sonja"?

White: Well, it would now but it's sort of after-the-fact. But you never know. Thulsa Doom might pop up anyway. But generally yeah, we're sort of keeping them separate at the minute.

CS/SHH!: You just need a cameo with Robert Downey Jr. at the end and you can pull them all together.

Aarniokoski: Exactly!

CS/SHH!: So is that something you'd be interested in when it comes time to find a "Conan" director?

Aarniokoski: Oh my God! I'm a huge fan of "Conan." It would be an honor. I would love to direct "Conan." But right now, it's "Red Sonja" that's up to bat. We're just hot and heavy with "Red Sonja."

CS/SHH!: You mentioned you're a comic book fan. What other comic book properties would you be interested in working with?

Aarniokoski: Wow. You know what? I was always a huge fan of the "Batman" series. In a weird way, it's not even that I want to direct them. It's just that I enjoy them so much as an audience member. I'm a huge Nolan fan. I just love what he's done. And I love what Favreau has done with "Iron Man." It's nice to sit back and be an audience member and not say, "Oh, I wish I had done that." It's just a chance to enjoy great filmmaking. And I'd like to think that the fact that I'm the one doing "Red Sonja" means that those guys can feel the same way. That they can just enjoy a good ride. And that's where we're trying to bring the audience.

Next up, Robert Rodriguez joined Red Sonja herself, Rose McGowan to talk about the larger filmic Cimmeria and who Sonja herself really is.

CS/SHH!: What drew you both to the character of Red Sonja?

Rose McGowan: Well, I thought "Red Sonja" was incredibly badass. The studio brought me the script. I got really excited about it. I'd been getting such boring scripts and after doing Cherry in "Planet Terror," I was really in a quite a deep depression -- I'm not going to lie -- at least workwise. I came home and said, "I really want to do this movie. It's kind of great. Look at these comic books, you ever heard of this person? This is insane!" And then...

Robert Rodriguez: I had been into "Conan" since I was twelve. "Savage Sword of Conan" was the first comic I had gotten. There was lots of Red Sonja in that. Robert E. Howard, who I'm a fan of, was from Texas. I used to collect his books and just knew all about it so I was very surprised when she brought the comic script and offer. I said, "If you want to do that, that's a great project to do!" That's like a fantasy project for somebody who grew up with this.

CS/SHH!: You mentioned that you're in talks to do producing on "Conan." With this, that and "Thulsa Doom," are you trying to create a filmic universe?

Rodriguez: Yeah, it's good to have some kind of continuity of Robert E. Howard. I'm kind of protective of that because he didn't live far from my house. I just thought that, if it's going out there, it's a great time to try and tie things together. I thought that if I could do that, I'd love to be involved.

CS/SHH!: Do you have a favorite Conan or Red Sonja story?

Rodriguez: Well, my favorite Conan story is probably "Red Nails" or "Hour of the Dragon." I really like those original stories. As for Red Sonja, "The Song of Red Sonja" is really just such a great legend.

McGowan: That's what wrapped me up into it in the first place.

CS/SHH!: What's going on with "Barbarella"? Is that something that's still happening?

Rodriguez: This one kind of took its place because I'm committed to another project in the fall. That's why I can only sort of produce this one.

McGowan: It's kind of sad. There's 70 million dollars of funding totally there but it would have to wait for a year and half and we'd have to go to Germany for a long time. Not that's there anything wrong with Germany, but it's so far in the future that literally he could get two more movies, I could get another movie or do a TV show. People just don't understand that usually, you've got 20 different things going on at once, hoping that one sticks. If an actor or director had only one thing they were trying to produce or get made, they would be in the poorhouse. They'd be screwed. You're always trying to hustle. I'm gonna hustle at the end of the day. Hopefully, it's something really good. It's like juggling. You don't know what's going to stick and what's going to fall. It's not like something that dramatically fell apart. You ask and director or producer here, they'll tell you the same thing.

CS/SHH!: Is there a particular scene you're looking forward to the most in the movie?

McGowan: There's a scene where I'm underneath a bunch of horses and stabbing upwards. I'm excited about that.

Rodriguez: Well, we can't say what [the scenes] are.

McGowan: Then that's a lie! There are no horses!

CS/SHH!: You mentioned a family film coming up. Is that going to be "The Jetsons"?

Rodriguez: No, it's "Shorts." I just shot that one.

CS/SHH!: So are you no longer on "Jetsons"?

Rodriguez: I wrote a script for them. But I don't know about that. "Shorts" comes out next summer. I'm still working on that.

Red Sonja is targeted for a 2009 release.

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Posted by: Witchblade Fan on July 26, 2008 at 20:03:11

"You're always trying to hustle. I'm gonna hustle at the end of the day."

Rose McGowens a G.?

Posted by: Bonan on July 26, 2008 at 21:02:02

Rose McGowan is one hawt piece of a$$! If I were co-staring in this film as the evil villian I'd alway lose to her on purpose just so she could do whatever she wanted to me.

Posted by: I Love Rose But... on July 26, 2008 at 21:21:30

She's great fun but... all those fan boys who love this (I'd never heard of it before) will tear her apart. If she gets the fan boys off side that cues the critics to follow the same thought process. I have high hopes for all her future work, I think she has great screen presence.

Posted by: Steven The Comic Book Artist ! on July 26, 2008 at 21:28:20

I'm diggin' on Rodriguez' respect and love for the original Robert E. Howard stuff.

Rose McGowen isn't exactly my first choice for the character, but the poster images look cool and she's a beautiful woman.

So far, I'm up for this.

---Later!

Posted by: dietrich on July 26, 2008 at 21:28:57

Rose McGowan? not liking that. she's hot and all, but not right for this part. Couldn't they find a taller, slimmer, busty babe? we'll see.

Posted by: *****McGavin on July 26, 2008 at 21:37:40

The posters make this movie look like a rip-off of Heavenly Sword

Posted by: i hate white people on July 26, 2008 at 22:27:28

the only reason she got the part. she's ****ing the director.

Posted by: i hate dumb people on July 26, 2008 at 23:21:14

^up there. Well call me the director cause I'm doin her right now... in my mind! She's effing fione! Beautiful ivory skin, nice azz, cute tata's, long legs... tasty, tasty, tasty!

Posted by: comichero on July 26, 2008 at 23:32:09

Let's hope this ones better than the first one!

Posted by: cmaninbam on July 26, 2008 at 23:39:19

For God's sake (or Red Sonja's) ROSE, GET A TAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Posted by: KILL ALL FIRSTERS on July 26, 2008 at 23:42:18

meh

Posted by: FireFly's Enigma on July 26, 2008 at 23:59:12

The one with her licking the sword isn't very sanitary.

Posted by: Steven The Comic Book Artist ! on July 27, 2008 at 00:23:42

This is waaaayyyy off topic:

Did any of you hear that there's a remake of A Nightmare On Elm Street coming next year...

...WITHOUT ROBERT ENGLUND AS FREDDY?!!!?

Michael Bay is producing it. I've been told that Englund wanted to reprise the role of Freddy, but Bay didn't want him.

Englund could still play the role (in my opinion).

---Later!

And on topic of this thread:

I'll reserve judgement until I see a trailer. I do agree that Rose McGowen isn't who I thought for Red Sonja.
She's still hot!!!

Uma Thurman? Jessica Biel?

Thoughts?

Posted by: FireFly's Enigma on July 27, 2008 at 00:35:28

Steven The Comic Book Artist !

Nightmare without Englund is blasphemy. Bay is really attached to that? The only Nightmare movie without Englund that worked was New Nightmare (which was really good).

Someone other than McGowen, Uhmmm...I know this is type casting but Kate Beckinsale.

Posted by: FireFly's Enigma on July 27, 2008 at 00:42:48

Continued...Even New Nightmare had Englund.

- I'll catch you on the flip side!

Posted by: WRAitH on July 27, 2008 at 02:29:24

is Barberella still happening?

Posted by: I MADE GALACTUS EAT MY SHORTS on July 27, 2008 at 02:37:52

does this mean they will be introduced somewhere down the line in to the marvel universe like what they said about robert downey jr, im confused?? someone clarify

Posted by: Massacre_the_teddybears on July 27, 2008 at 07:24:46

Barberella isnt happening- worst luck :( - Rodriguez mentioned it in another interview.

Rose McGowan will ACE this!!!! She's so hot and a pretty damn good actress!! Excellent, uncliqued casting if you ask me!!

Posted by: lightning on July 27, 2008 at 08:36:51

i'd prefer victoria from wwe she's right build for role ! i just remember how skinny rose was in charmed ( still think she's hot just not right image for red sonja )

Posted by: BxB on July 27, 2008 at 10:04:32

People are really going to stop giving Rodriguez work if he keeps putting his woman in all the big roles in his movies. Shes hot, but it's gotta stop somewhere.

Posted by: Foo_Man_Ju on July 27, 2008 at 10:33:46

No offense to Mr. R. if he happens to be reading this, but Rose blows for this part!!

You need a strong, fit women to be Red Sonya...a women with curves. Rose looks like she could barely lift a fork let alone some steel sword and swing it around battling baddies...come on man!

Just cause she's your girlfriend, or I hear, was your girlfriend you don't have to cast her in big movies really.

What a waiste. The movie pics look ok and all but I'm pretty sure that I wont be going to see any Planet Terror with swords that's for sure.

Posted by: Benarchy on July 27, 2008 at 10:35:35

For those demanding a tanned "Red Sonja"...her name is "RED Sonja". Usually people with red hair have fair skin and don't tan. I can't think of the last person I saw with red hair and a tan! It would be stupid to have someone with red hair tanned, not to mention it's a stupid nit-picky gripe to bring up in the first place.

Posted by: gtrman on July 27, 2008 at 12:12:05

Benarchy: "Usually people with red hair have fair skin and don't tan. I can't think of the last person I saw with red hair and a tan! It would be stupid to have someone with red hair tanned"

No offense, but anyone that spends enough time outside on a horse roaming the countryside gets a tan or a bad burn, red hair or not.

As far as Rose McGowen as Red Sonja goes, she is a beautiful girl IMHO, but not Red Sonja. I prefer to see someone taller and a little more muscular play a sword-wielding barbarian type that gets into fistfights and barroom brawls and has the strength to cut limbs off. They should get either a northern unknown or someone famous that has the look to start with, though I wouldn't know who that might be.

Either way, I hope this is better than the Bridget Nielson RS they made years ago.

Posted by: Winston Wolf on July 27, 2008 at 13:16:53

Jessica Biel should play the part, but as long as Rose and R.R. take the movie seriously and don't turn it into Planet Terror (which I loved) it should be ok. I was completely against this movie but the posters look as if they are going to stick to the good material, such as the novels by David C. Smith & Richard L. Tierney. The second poster where she is licking the blood from the blade is the cover of one of the comics. I think a Marvel from the 80's originally.

Posted by: lala-is-my-angel on July 27, 2008 at 13:20:03

Guys- seriously, Robert Rodriguez was attached to RS AFTER Rose Mcgowan! Plus, have you not heard what she said about doing training for the role and working out to be all muscley- i think she said something along the lines of "Ill look like a wrestler by the time I'm 38" at ComicCon!

She's a talented actress, thats whats important! Leave the rest to the visual effects guys!

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