‘The Bodyguard’ Remake in the Works

in Movie

Reading Time: 6 mins read

(L to R) Whitney Houston and Kevin Costner in 1992’s ‘The Bodyguard’. Photo: Warner Bros.

Preview:

A remake of ‘The Bodyguard’ is in development at Warner Bros.
‘Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour’ director Sam Wrench is in charge of the movie.
No roles have been cast yet.

It has one of the most iconic movie posters and boasts one of the best-known romantic songs in “I Will Always Love You.”

So you can understand that, despite the reaction it is sure to provoke from fans of the original, Warner Bros. has decided that the time is right to develop a remake of ‘The Bodyguard.’

“Never let her out of your sight. Never let your guard down. Never fall in love.”

R2 hr 10 minNov 25th, 1992

First broken via a Deadline interview with current Warner Bros. co-chairman/CEOs Mike De Luca and Pam Abdy, the plan is now in place for Sam Wrench to direct and Jonathan A. Abrams to write the script.

There will of course be pressure for the new movie to live up to the impact of the original, but we’ve seen a few remakes manage that trick, including ‘Speak No Evil,’ ‘A Star is Born,’ and the ‘Ocean’s movies, even if the success rate is not high.

What’s the story of ‘The Bodyguard’?

(L to R) Kevin Costner and Whitney Houston in 1992’s ‘The Bodyguard’. Photo: Warner Bros.

The 1992 movie followed Kevin Costner’s former Secret Service agent Frank Farmer, who takes a job as bodyguard to famous R&B star Rachel Marron, played by Whitney Houston at the height of her music fame.

Drama, romance and a thriller plot ensue as Frank tries to sniff out a dangerous stalker, with the final act playing out as Rachel wins the Best Picture Academy Award.

Mick Jackson directed the pic, written by ‘Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back’ and ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark’s Lawrence Kasdan.

In addition to a $411 million worldwide box office, the movie was nominated for two Oscars for its songs, and its soundtrack became the best-selling of all time (and the best-selling album by a female artist of all time). Its hits included “I Will Always Love You,” “I’m Every Woman,” “Queen of the Night” and the Oscar-nominated “Run to You” and “I Have Nothing.”

So you can see why Warner Bros., which has been busy ferreting around its back catalogue for titles it can potentially remake, might see this as an attractive proposition.

Of course, there is an argument for not remaking such a beloved movie, even as it has long been turned into other mediums including a stage musical. But we live in an age when almost any movie is fair game.

What else has Sam Wrench worked on?

Scene from ‘Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour Movie.’ Photo: AMC Theatres.

Wrench has previously been best known for wrangling live musical events and movies based on them, including for the superstar likes of BTS, Billie Eilish, Brandi Carlile and, most recently, Taylor Swift.

In fact, ‘The Eras Tour’ became a big box office hit, earning more than $261 million in an exclusive deal between Swift and AMC theaters.

Which means that while Wrench would technically be making his narrative feature debut with the new ‘Bodyguard,’ he certainly knows a thing or two about staging musical sequences, which will form a fair part of the movie.

And given his connection to Swift, could we see him reaching out to the global megastar to make one of her rare appearances in front of a movie camera to take on the role of the character originally played by Houston?

It’s certainly a possibility, but given her busy schedule and the rigors of having worked on the Eras Tour (which only wrapped up this past December), we’d guess she may limit her interaction to contributing a song to the soundtrack.

As to who could potentially star in the movie, it may still go for a big name from the music world to replicate the success of having Houston in the lead. As for the Costner role, it’s likely to be a much in-demand part, but is Glen Powell’s phone already ringing (probably not yet, but chances are he’ll be in the mix).

Where else have I seen Jonathan Abrams’ work?

Nicholas Hoult as Justin Kemp in Warner Bros. Pictures’ 'Juror #2,' a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Claire Folger. Copyright: © 2024 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.

For his part, Abrams’ one produced scriptwriting credit is Clint Eastwood’s ‘Juror #2’ from last year.

Upcoming, he wrote comedy movie ‘Destination Wedding,’ and has written the script for a new TV series called ‘Bishop,’ about a mysterious hotel concierge in New Orleans who becomes the de facto “fixer” for the country’s largest family-owned hotel.

He also worked as a producer on 2013’s prison pic ‘Escape Plan’.

When will ‘The Bodyguard’ be on screens?

Given that this one is still at a relatively early stage, the studio has yet to announce when any new ‘Bodyguard’ might head to screens. But if it comes together this year, there’s a chance we could see it arrive in 2026.