Кадр з фільму «Руда Соня»
The first trailer for «Red Sonja» —, a reboot of the classic 1985 fantasy action film, has been released.
This time, the red-haired warrior is played by actress Matilda Loots, who in the trailer throws and chops a number of different enemies (including humans and animals), making her way to freedom.
«Captured. Chained. Forced to fight for survival. The redheaded Sonya must fight her way through the bloody pits of the tyrant’s empire and gather an army of outcasts to regain her freedom and defeat Dragan and his ruthless bride, Dark Annisia», — from the official synopsis.
The famous chainmail bikini is also in place, though it scares the character at first:
«And this protects?» — she asks when the armorer hands her the outfit. He answers: «Not at all. The crowd will love it».
Red Sonja was created by writer Roy Thomas and artist Barry Windsor-Smith for Marvel Comics in 1973, who in turn were inspired by Robert Irvine Howard’s character, Red Sonja of Rogatino. Throughout her career in comic books and other media, Red Sonja often worked hand-in-hand with Conan the Barbarian — together they became known as the most dangerous force of the Hyborian Age.
Finally, in 1985, the character got her own movie starring Bridget Nielsen and Arnold Schwarzenegger. The film was made against the backdrop of the success of the «Conan the Barbarian» and «Conan the Destroyer» dilogies, but there is no plot connection between the films, and Schwarzenegger plays a different character named Calidor.
The project was not a box-office success, recouping barely half of its budget, but it became a classic in its genre. Its relaunch was in development hell for years until it finally got off the ground with Michael J. Bassett («Ash vs Evil Dead») directing and Tasha Huo («Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft») writing.
The rest of the cast of the new movie includes: Robert Sheehan («The Umbrella Academy»), Wallis Day («Batwoman»), Martin Ford («The Soon to Be Dead»), Michael Bisping («Den of Thieves»), as well as Philip Winchester («Strike Back») and Trevor Eve (TV series «Waking the Dead»).
Back in 2024, Loots herself stated that her Red Sonja would slightly change the expected formula of the franchise:
«What I can say about Red Sonja is that the first parts and comics were created with a very male orientation. This is a completely different story and it is inspired by women, which I liked about the script».
These statements did not come as a surprise, given that the director had previously promised fans that her version of the character would not be a victim of sexual violence.
«Red Sonja» will be released in theaters on August 15 and digitally on August 29.
Source: Entertainment Weekly, CBR