'Bodyguard' Remake with Rihanna and Channing Tatum?

by Erik Davis Mar 16th 2009 // 12:45PM

Filed under: Drama, Romance, Casting, Deals, RumorMonger, Fandom, Newsstand

I couldn't make this stuff up if I tried, folks. Not long after singer Rihanna was manhandled and beaten by her boyfriend (and fellow recording artist) Chris Brown comes word the gal may star in a remake of The Bodyguard, which originally starred Whitney Houston and Kevin Costner -- and will always be remembered for a crazy popular soundtrack that included Houston hits like "I Will Always Love You", "I Have Nothing" and "I'm Every Woman". The New York Daily News reports that Rihanna was in New York over the weekend taking meetings for the film (and a Charlie's Angels sequel, apparently), and that Channing Tatum's name is being tossed around with regards to the Costner role.

The original 1992 film told of a pop singer (Houston) who hires a bodyguard (Costner) after receiving threatening notes. Eventually the two forge a friendship, then a romance, and Houston belts out a few memorable tunes all while dodging the pitfalls of fame. After Rihanna's much-publicized domestic dispute with Brown, I've heard folks compare the singer to early Whitney, and so not only would this remake take in a boatload of money from the Step Up crowd, but it'd also be a little strange and true-to-life. I wonder if they'd add a "jealous, hot-tempered boyfriend" to the mix, and really go for that ripped-from-the-headlines vibe. What do you think? Is it time for someone to remake The Bodyguard? Would it be hard to remake a film known more for its soundtrack than anything else? And should they throw Chris Brown a cameo for the hell of it?

Rihanna Photos

Rihanna is seen on the streets of Manhattan on March 14, 2009 in New York City. Celebrity Sightings In New York - March 14, 2009 New York, NY United States March 14, 2009 Photo by Marcel Thomas/FilmMagic.com To license this image (56976689), contact FilmMagic.com

Marcel Thomas/FilmMagic.com

Rihanna leaves Da Silvano restaurant on March 14, 2009 in New York City. Celebrity Sightings In New York - March 14, 2009 Streets of Manhattan New York, NY United States March 14, 2009 Photo by James Devaney/WireImage.com To license this image (56980009), contact WireImage.com

James Devaney/WireImage.com

Rihanna (C) leaves Da Silvano restaurant on March 14, 2009 in New York City. Celebrity Sightings In New York - March 14, 2009 Streets of Manhattan New York, NY United States March 14, 2009 Photo by James Devaney/WireImage.com To license this image (56980008), contact WireImage.com

James Devaney/WireImage.com

Marcel Thomas/FilmMagic.com

9 Comments

Tags: channing tatum, ChanningTatum, chris brown, ChrisBrown, cinematical, featured, kevin costner, KevinCostner, rihanna, the bodyguard, TheBodyguard, whitney houston, WhitneyHouston

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

3-16-2009 @ 1:10PM

michael said...

lame.

3-16-2009 @ 1:23PM

Jennifer said...

Agreed wholeheartedly. The Bodyguard was awful to begin with. Do they really need to remake it? I mean seriously. Is there actually a shortage of decent scripts in Hollywood to want to remake this schlock? Puh-leaze

3-16-2009 @ 1:26PM

John R said...

Please. God. No.

3-16-2009 @ 2:22PM

O.T. said...

it can follow the new Beyonce/Ali Larter film, Fatal Attracttion Part 2?

3-16-2009 @ 2:45PM

greatone said...

Do not do it Tatum? His career is only getting better and this kind of role with someone who never had an acting job and is coming with a boat load of baggage can only hurt his career. This could be next "In the Mix" which would be horrible.

3-16-2009 @ 4:04PM

Batzarro said...

Feh. This reeks of headline chasing and at the very least it won't even get of the ground. Plus, I DO NOT WANT A RIHANNA VERSION OF THE THEME FROM BODYGUARD TO EXIST!

3-16-2009 @ 6:20PM

Mr A said...

(I jest, but...) Perhaps she can "remake" a country song in this movie remake, just like Whitney did, as well. Then we'd definitely have enough parallels.

3-18-2009 @ 4:27PM

Rodri319 said...

I think a remake of "the bodyguard" would be the dumbest thing to do. First of all, the movie is untouchable. It would not look right having Rihanna sing Whitney Houston songs when Whitney already came out in the movie with her own songs. They are obviously running out of movie topics. If they want to film a movie with Rihanna, I think that's great, However... let it be a whole NEW movie, not a re-make that would just be a bootleg of the original. They need to come up with something NEW, MODERN and FRESH!!!

4-04-2009 @ 8:39PM

J-fresh said...

I hope this is true. I think Channing and Rihanna would be a good choice to be in the remake of "The Bodyguard." I've seen that movie and it would be nice to see younger people play as the characters. =D