A new trio of crime fighters may once again utter their trademark greeting, “Good morning, Charlie” on the big screen. Sony Pictures is in early development on a new version of Charlie’s Angels, the 1970s TV crime drama turned big-screen action movie series.
Screenwriter Pete Chiarelli has been tapped to write the script for a new project in early development at the studio. Mr. Chiarelli is best known for his work on “Crazy Rich Asians,” “Now You See Me 2,” “The Proposal,” and Sony Pictures Animation’s latest film, “Goat,” which opened in theaters on Friday. He is repped by UTA, Mosaic and Yorn Levine.
“Charlie’s Angels,” a crime drama about a trio of women working at the Townsend Private Investigator Agency, debuted in 1976 and quickly dominated pop culture. The series originally cast Kate Jackson, Farrah Fawcett, and Jaclyn Smith in the lead roles and made television history. Cheryl Ladd joined the show in season 2 and starred in the remaining 115 episodes. John Forsythe was the voice of Charlie Townsend, the invisible boss who directed the operation over the phone.
At the turn of the century, Drew Barrymore, Cameron Diaz, and Lucy Liu took on the iconic roles of crime-fighting angels, propelling the series into blockbuster territory. The 2000 reboot of Charlie’s Angels, directed by McG, was a box office success, grossing $264 million worldwide, and a sequel, Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle, was produced in 2003. Barrymore produced the film under the Flower Films banner.
However, recent attempts to reboot the franchise have been less successful. A 2011 television reboot starring Annie Ilonzeh, Minka Kelly, and Rachel Taylor as Angel, Ramon Rodriguez as Bosley, and Victor Garber as the voice of Charlie was canceled after eight of the thirteen episodes aired on ABC. In 2019, Elizabeth Banks directed the new installment of the film series, starring Kristen Stewart, Naomi Scott, and Ella Balinska as the fighting trio. Although the film combined elements of both the original television series and the 2000s film, including featuring Banks as a member of the Bosley family network, the project ultimately underperformed at the box office, earning only $73 million worldwide.
But as the 50th anniversary of this groundbreaking series approaches, it’s no wonder Sony is reevaluating the possibilities of the big screen. After all, the IP’s cult status remains ubiquitous, and there’s no shortage of talented, beautiful actors who would love the chance to work under Charlie and kick some ass.
The Hollywood Reporter first reported news of the project in development. Sony has not commented.
