GeekTyrant reports Hannah John-Kamen (Ant-Man and the Wasp) has been cast in the new Red Sonja film. The film will be directed by Joey Soloway, a producer and screenwriter on shows like Transparent, United States of Tara, Six Feet Under, and Grey’s Anatomy. Soloway will also co-write the script alongside Tasha Huo, showrunner of Netflix’s upcoming animated TV series Tomb Rider.
The character of Red Sonja first appeared in Robert E. Howard’s 1934 short story The Shadow of the Vulture. In 1973, she was re-imagined by Roy Thomas and Barry Windsor-Smith for Marvel Comics. A fearless swordswoman with fiery red hair, she became almost as popular as Marvel’s version of Conan the Barbarian – yet another character by Howard. In 1985, the character appeared in a movie, portrayed by Brigitte Nielsen. Directed by Richard Fleischer (Superman), Red Sonja also featured Arnold Schwarzenegger, albeit not playing Conan.
The new Red Sonja project spent over a decade stuck in development hell. Robert Rodriguez (Sin City) was involved for a while, with Rose McGowan (Planet Terror) cast as Sonja. Then it was director Simon West (The Expendables 2), with Amber Heard (Drive Angry) in a leading role. For a while, it looked as if Bryan Singer might direct the film but when a scandal about his conduct first broke out, the entire project was put on hold. So, maybe fourth time’s a charm?
