To prove that Hollywood is out of ideas, Sony Pictures is bringing back Charlie’s Angels for yet another round. The studio confirmed that writer Peter Chiarelli, known for The Proposal, Now You See Me 2, and Crazy Rich Asians, will handle the script. Chiarelli also wrote Sony’s new animated film GOAT, which opened last weekend.
Few details have been made public, and production appears to be in early development. The story is expected to follow the familiar setup: three women serve as private detectives working for a wealthy and unseen boss named Charles Townsend. Contact with him comes only through a speakerphone, as the trio travel the world taking on secret missions.
The franchise first began as an ABC television series in 1976, running for five seasons and turning Farrah Fawcett and Cheryl Ladd into household names. Sony brought the concept to theaters in 2000 and 2003 with Drew Barrymore, Cameron Diaz, and Lucy Liu leading the cast. Both films performed well, particularly the first. In 2011, ABC tried again with a short-lived Charlie’s Angels reboot starring Annie Ilonzeh, Minka Kelly, and Rachael Taylor, but it was canceled after four episodes.
Director Elizabeth Banks took another shot at the brand in 2019, casting Kristen Stewart, Naomi Scott, and Ella Balinska. That version struggled with critics and fell short at the box office. Banks later said she took “full responsibility” for the film’s performance.
The new movie has not announced its leads, and casting remains open. Each reboot introduces new Angels rather than recasting previous versions. “I don’t hear much of anything until it actually happens,” Liu said in 2024 when asked about another sequel. “I’m never going to say no to that. But I would be surprised to hear anything that gets done or undone. You just never know until it happens.”
Interest in pushing old franchises like Charlie’s Angels reflects Hollywood’s trend of reviving familiar brands for new audiences because they’re bereft of ideas. Whether this latest version captures viewers again remains to be seen.
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English (US) · 