More than a decade after their last movie, the covert angels of the Townsend Agency are back in action in the upcoming Charlie’s Angels – the latest installment in the long-running franchise that started as a beloved TV show in the ‘70s. This time around, a new team of Angels – Sabina (Kristen Stewart), Jane (Ella Balinska), and Elena (Naomi Scott) – and their allies will save the world from a currently unnamed threat.
The trailer for the upcoming sequel has just dropped and while it keeps the essentials vague, it gives a good hint of what to expect from the newest iteration of Charlie’s iconic all-girl team. Here are 10 things we learned from the trailer of the new Charlie’s Angels, which will be coming to cinemas in November of this year.
The Theme Song
At the trailer’s halfway mark, a new song plays as the Angels conduct their various missions. What seems to be an original song made exclusively for the movie is revealed to have been sung by three of the most recognized artists of the 2000’s: Ariana Grande, Miley Cyrus, and Lana Del Rey.
As of this writing, the full song and its title have yet to be released but what little of it is heard aligns perfectly with everything that Charlie’s Angels is known for: female empowerment, confidence, and a whole lot of fun.
The Townsend Agency
Originally starting out as a firm for private eyes, Charlie’s Townsend Agency has once again went up the ranks and expanded its scope. Instead of just solving cases domestically, helping local law enforcement, and occasionally going abroad, the agency now works high-risk missions for big-time global clients.
Bosley (Elizabeth Banks) tells the newest Angel (Elena) that the agency she’s now a part of has recently widened its horizons. While the details are scarce at the moment, the new Angels look like they’re going to be assigned to a wild and crazy globe-trotting mission to save the world.
Charlie’s Still Around
Charlie’s Angels won’t be anything without the main man himself: the disembodied suave voice only known as Charlie Townsend. As per tradition, Charlie is only heard and “seen” through a small desk-mounted intercom that the Angels talk to.
Outside of the original TV series’ finale, Charlie has never been seen in person and the mystery may still be kept in the latest movie. How he looks isn’t really what’s important, since it’s Charlie’s leadership, determination, and overall demeanor that made him a beloved figure in his agency and in pop culture as well.
Bosley Is Four People
One of the more interesting things that this movie does is change the entire persona of Bosley, the Angels’ gentlemanly handler. Instead of being just one man, this new Bosley is made up of four people bearing the name.
In the trailer, only Elizabeth Banks uses the name but the cast list cites that Sam Claflin, Djimon Hounsou, and Sir Patrick Stewart portray the handler as well. It seems that “Bosley” was a codename this whole time, giving the Angels new dynamics to bounce off of their senior field counterparts.
Elena Is A New Recruit
The linchpin for the newest Charlie’s Angels is a scientific breakthrough that can forever change the way the world uses power so as long as it doesn’t fall into the wrong hands, of course.
This discovery is made by the newest Angel, Elena – a lead programmer in the power industry – whose current abilities are far from anything that traditionally defines a spy. However, what she lacks in combat prowess she may make up for in intellect and hacking skills, since her knowledge of the revolutionary technology is what put her in the line of fire in the first place.
Sabina Runs The Ground Game
Kristen Stewart makes her return to the blockbuster scene as Sabina, the Angels’ go-to agent for what Bosley referred to as the ground game. Based on the trailer, she specializes in the covert aspects of the agency’s missions by using disguises and seduction.
While all of them are spies, each Angel has her own specialty and Sabina’s just so happens to be playing the decoy. This doesn’t make her defenseless in any way, as proven by numerous scenes in the trailer that show her kicking all kinds of ass while wearing a variety of outfits.
Jane Is A Former Spy
The new Angels’ muscles is Jane – a former MI6 operative who now works for the Townsend Agency. The bulk of the trailer’s action scenes show her dishing out punishment while also noticeably using the most guns among the Angels.
The original Angels were police officers who were unsatisfied with their previous line of work before Charlie gave them the opportunity to solve more dangerous yet fulfilling and thrilling cases. Jane’s backstory may have traces of this, possibly providing an interesting contrast and dynamic with the other Angels who may not have a similar military background.
The Plot
The specifics are currently vague, but it’s safe to hedge some bets about the movie’s narrative. The new Charlie’s Angels seems to be combining an origin story and an espionage thriller revolving around a currently undefined super-weapon, with Elena as the focal character.
This contrasts the Angels’ movies in the 2000’s, both of which occur in the middle of their spy careers. But conversely, this may serve as a great opportunity to show the intricacies of the setting, the agency, and the spies’ lives as well from an entirely new outsider’s point of view.
It’s A Continuation Of The Series
Unlike most other cinematic reboots of nostalgic TV shows such as C.H.I.P.S. or The Dukes of Hazzard, the Charlie’s Angels movies of the previous decade were a continuation of the original show. The new movie functions in the same way, amping up the source material’s scale instead of starting from scratch.
The trailer teases the new installment’s connections to the previous movies, showing some familiar costumes worn by the Angels back in the early 2000’s. Expect more surprises and maybe even some fun cameos from former Angels in future trailers and the movie itself.
Elizabeth Banks’ Action Debut
There’s a lot to be excited for in the newest iteration of the Angels’ adventures, but none are as noteworthy Elizabeth Banks’ involvement in it. Not only is she playing one of the Boselys, but she also directed, produced, and wrote the movie.
Banks previously directed, produced, and starred in Pitch Perfect 2 – a far cry from the action-packed blockbuster Charlie’s Angels is poised to be. This is the well-renowned actress’ first major blockbuster directorial effort and what may be her biggest project to date. Here’s hoping that it breaks new ground.