The 1968 campy cult classic “Barbarella” cemented Jane Fonda’s status as a sex symbol. So casting a modern day equivalent, like Sydney Sweeney, in the titular role for an upcoming Sony remake seems like a pretty solid move.
But Fonda, who is not involved in the remake, told The Hollywood Reporter in a profile published Friday, that she has some concerns about the movie being remade, so much so, that she even tries “not to” think about it.
“I worry about what it’s going to be,” Fonda told the magazine. “I had an idea of how to do it that [original producer] Dino De Laurentiis, when he was still alive, wouldn’t listen to. But it could have been a truly feminist movie.”
Silver Screen Collection via Getty Images
The “Grace and Frankie” actor has expressed having pretty “complicated feelings” towards “Barbarella.” She told Glamour in May 2022 that she felt conflicted about the plot, in which a woman is assigned by the president of the United States to land her spacecraft on an evil planet and save it.
“So, that’s kind of feminist, right?” she said. “But then once I get there, it’s all about making love and having strange sexual adventures.”
Fonda said the sexy twist was a “bit objectifying of me and women.”
Fonda has also alluded to Glamour how the making of the film wasn’t a great experience, either. Her husband at the time, Roger Vadim, directed it and Fonda left him soon after the movie was made.
She also told GMA (via TV Insider) in September that she wasn’t comfortable filming one erotic scene.
“I was so nervous about doing this striptease where I end up naked that I drank a lot of vodka,” she told the show. “I was drunk out of my mind and kind of moving to the song.”
Unfortunately, there was a hiccup while shooting the scene, so Fonda had to shoot it again the next day, and used a little liquid courage to get through it again.
“The take that was actually used, I was not only drunk, I was hungover too,” Fonda recalled in the 2018 documentary about her, “Jane Fonda in Five Acts.”
FilmMagic via Getty Images
In October, Sweeney confirmed she will star in an upcoming Sony reboot of “Barbarella.” The film is still in development, with no writer or director attached to the project, though Deadline notes that sources say Sweeney is expected to executive produce.
Despite there being very little information about the film, Sweeney did indicate to Entertainment Tonight in October that she’s attracted to Barbarella’s va-va-voom factor.
“I’m really excited to serve all the fits,” the “Euphoria” star said excitedly, referring to Barbarella’s skimpy costumes. “But also, just it’s such an iconic, fun character. And I want to keep that fun alive through Barbarella. So, I’m excited for everyone to see it.”
When ET asked if Sweeney had reached out to Fonda about the project, Sweeney nervously laughed and said: “I can’t say!”
Regardless of whether or not Sweeney reached out, here’s hoping the actors do talk and Sweeney takes some of Fonda’s ideas into consideration on how the movie could be a bit more progressive.
To read Fonda’s profile in full, head over to The Hollywood Reporter.