Will Robert Rodriguez Try to Cast His Girlfriend as 'Barbarella'?

Folks, they've made it official -- Rose McGowan and Robert Rodriguez are entwined like a couple of lust bunnies. TMZ reported yesterday that the couple has finally brought their relationship to the public, sliding around hand-in-hand for the premiere of Quentin Tarantino's Death Proof in Cannes. While normally this would be a big "So what?," you might have noticed that the director was just tapped for the Barbarella remake, throwing Peter Webber out the door. Rodriguez had said about the project: ""I love this iconic character and all that she represents, and I'm truly excited by the challenge of inviting a new audience into her universe."

Would it be a jump to think "iconic character" could be interchanged with "Rose McGowan?" I think not. And actually, I really don't mind. The biggest casting rumor so far has been Kate Beckinsale, who doesn't completely cut it for me. The only way Barbarella will have a chance to survive, or a chance to be reborn, is if someone slides into the wacky outfits and somehow makes it seem natural. If Rose can make a machine-gun leg seem sexy and everyday, I'm sure she can handle some super-saucy spacewear. I'm not sure why I didn't think of her from the get-go. It's probably all of that Charmed residual. As Chris Ullrich recently described, while Barbarella battles Duran Duran, "she manages to lose articles of clothing, engage in various erotic acts and eventually finds herself "tortured" by the aptly-named Orgasmatron."

McGowan might be the new lady in Rodriguez's life, but come on. Could anyone pull off Orgasmatron torture better than her? She has the looks -- just take off that gun leg and imagine a shiny, white space outfit. She has the camp -- heck, that's her biggest strength. She has the sex -- Doom Generation to on-screen raunch with her then-beau Marilyn Manson in Jawbreaker. She has the convenience -- being Robert's lovah, she'd be around for any last-minute work he needs while editing through the night and cooking up his next late-night recipe. I'm sold.