Red Sonja is finally slicing her way onto the big screen, and if you felt a strange urge to shout “This. Is. Sparta!” while watching the new trailer, you’re not alone. After being stuck in development limbo since 2008, Dynamite Entertainment’s fiery-haired warrior is back, and she’s bringing all the slow-mo sword-swinging drama you’d expect from a Zack Snyder flick… except it’s not Snyder. It’s M.J. Bassett behind the camera this time. But you’d be forgiven for thinking otherwise.
There’s blood. There’s vengeance. There’s a whole lot of slow-motion mid-air stabbings. Matilda Lutz steps into the chainmail boots of the titular She-Devil with a Sword (originally played by Brigitte Nielsen in 1985) and she looks like she’s not here to negotiate. Yes, the first trailer for Red Sonja is giving off serious 300 meets Gladiator energy.
The story is straight-up sword-and-sorcery. Sonja is captured, tortured, and thrown into gladiator arenas by Dragan the Magnificent and his equally terrifying bride, Dark Annisia. To survive, she assembles a ragtag army of outcasts. “Captured. Chained. Forced to fight for survival,” reads the official synopsis for Red Sonja. The trailer opens with Sonja submerged in what may or may not be blood (but probably is). Cue haunting voiceovers, dead mystical creatures, and flashbacks of childhood trauma—because every fantasy hero needs a tragic origin.
And just when you think this film couldn’t get more self-aware, there’s a moment that perfectly sums up Red Sonja’s relationship with her infamous comic book costume. When handed a chainmail bikini, she looks at it, bewildered. “And that protects?” she asks. “Nothing,” replies the armorer. “The crowd will love it.” It’s a tongue-in-cheek nod to the character’s history. Created by Roy Thomas and Barry Windsor-Smith in 1973 for Marvel Comics, and inspired by Robert E. Howard’s Red Sonya of Rogatino, the heroine is often depicted in outfits designed more for Comic-Con than combat.
“We’re thrilled to be bringing Red Sonja to audiences across the nation,” said SGF president Peter Goldwyn. Meanwhile, producer Luke Lieberman promised, “Those who know her will see the heart and fire they love, and newcomers will discover the true She-Devil with a Sword.”
Red Sonja finally arrives in movie theaters on August 15, with a digital release just two weeks later, August 29. Those dates probably tell you just how confident the studio is in its performance at the box office. But given audience’s fatigue with superhero films right now, maybe we could all use a break from Marvel and DC Studios. Maybe it’s time for Dynamite Entertainment to shine.
Sonja’s ready to do what damage she can. And judging by that Red Sonja trailer, it’s going to be a lot.
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