The long-awaited Red Sonja remake starring Matilda Lutz receives an exciting and promising release update, but there is a catch. Based on the comic and the original 1985 movie of the same name that starred Brigitte Nielsen and Arnold Schwarzenegger, the reboot is expected to follow the тιтular warrior as she must unite a group of misfits to battle the villainous Emperor Draygan. A reboot of Red Sonja has long been planned, but the project has spent the best part of two decades in development hell, before Millennium Media, Cinelou Films, and Dynamite Entertainment brought it to fruition.
Per ᴅᴇᴀᴅline, Red Sonja is finally set to release in the UK and Ireland, following two years in post-production, after Millennium Media sold the rights to Signature Entertainment. The movie will release later in 2025, but there is no definitive release date just yet, and there are no United States release plans at the time of writing. Lutz will lead an ensemble cast including Robert Sheehan, Wallis Day, Rhona Mitra, and Michael Bisping. British director M. J. Bᴀssett (Solomon Kane) helmed the project.
What This Update Means For Red Sonja
The Movie Will Need A North American Release To Make Money
There is a good chance that Red Sonja will do well in the UK and Ireland, and might even be well received critically too. However, it is almost certain that the movie will need to have a North American release if it is to be a financial success. While the original movie was a commercial failure trying to cash in on the success of Conan the Barbarian, it did at least wind up becoming a cult classic in the years that followed. There’s the feeling that a Red Sonja remake, free from the camp ’80s tone, will need to have at least a modest run in theaters.
It is not clear what Red Sonja‘s budget is, but movies typically need to make twice that to be considered profitable.
It has been 40 years since the original movie, and there have been many failed attempts to get a remake off the ground. It might feel like this is a project that is simply doomed not to be a success, but the film has a chance with the right marketing and a careful release date. Red Sonja might have been better served as a television series, but it also has the chance to enjoy a strong run, especially with the 2025 release of How to Train Your Dragon, which could renew interest in the fantasy genre.
Our Take On Red Sonja’s Chances
It Has Things Working For And Against It
The box office has not been kind to sword and sorcery epics in recent times, and this is something that could cause problems for Red Sonja‘s chances of success. However, an empowered female protagonist like Red Sonja is perfectly aligned with the current cultural climate. Right now, the lack of a North American release is troubling, but buzz from the UK release could push a Hollywood studio to pick it up. Red Sonja‘s prospects look a bit better than they did last year, and they can only improve from here.
Source: ᴅᴇᴀᴅline
