Ella Balinska, Kristen Stewart, Naomi Scott are set to star in Sony’s ‘Charlie’s Angels’ reboot
Kristen Stewart, Naomi Scott, and newcomer Ella Balinska are officially set to take the reins previously held by Drew Barrymore, Cameron Diaz, Lucy Liu and before them, 1970’s original kickass detective trio Kate Jackson, Farrah Fawcett, and Jaclyn Smith.
As reported earlier this month, actress Naomi Scott, star of Disney’s upcoming Aladdin remake, was confirmed for Sony's reboot joining Kristen Stewart as the second Angel, while Lupita Nyong’o was long-rumored for the third role. Today, Sony confirmed that newcomer Ella Balinska (A Modern Tale) secured the third role completing the new crime-fighting trio.
Scott's Power Rangers co-star, Elizabeth Banks has been tapped to write, direct and will also star as the detective agency’s lead handler (previously named John Bosley aka ‘Bos’) who works under the guidance of the Agency’s unseen boss, Charlie Townsend. Sony's reboot is said to focus on the next generation of private detectives who work for the now global security and intelligence group, Townsend Agency.
If you’re quick to judge because this is a reboot of a reboot, just take a moment, breathe, and listen to what Elizabeth Banks had to say in Sony’s official press release:
❝Charlie's Angels, for me, is one of the original brands to celebrate the empowered woman since its debut in the '70s," said Banks in a statement. "This film honors the legacy of Charles Townsend and his agency while introducing a new era of modern and global Angels. I couldn't be more excited to work with Kristen, Naomi and Ella to bring this chapter to fans around the world.❞
In an era that's ushering female-led reboots and spin-offs (Ghostbusters, Oceans 8), I will say ‘Angels’ feels slightly different since it marks the first time a female-led American action film or any female-led film for that matter has been rebooted with all female leads and with a female writer/director. And if it's going to happen, let's for a moment temper our knee-jerk cynicism in exchange for a narrative that transcends the obvious argument. Not all reboots have to be unoriginal, and it's entirely possible a better story could be told when creative talents beyond the same ol' gender (or race) are afforded the opportunity.
So yeah, I will be checking this one out when it hits theaters June 7, 2019.
