Charlize Theron is keen on playing the lead in a female-led reboot of the Die Hard franchise featuring a lesbian couple in the center of the action. Starting off her career in the 1990s as a blonde bombshell often cast as the romantic interest or femme fatale, Theron has since turned herself into an Oscar-winning action icon. She outshone Tom Hardy in Mad Max: Fury Road, making the role so iconic director George Miller has started work on a prequel focused on the character, with Anya Taylor-Joy in the role this time.
Theron also helped re-invent the action star with her role in Atomic Blonde, hailed as one of the best action movies of 2017. Her latest action outing, The Old Guard, was a hit for Netflix, and discussions for multiple sequels are already underway. As a result, Theron has been hailed as a new type of action hero, upending the stereotype of the muscular one liner-spewing male action heroes of the past, popularized by '80s franchises like Die Hard and Terminator. Now, Theron has taken to Twitter to accept a pitch for a reboot of one of those franchises.
Theron has responded to a fan on Twitter, who pitched a Die Hard reboot with her in the lead, going on a rampage to save her wife from terrorists. Theron's reply is simply "Where do I sign." The original tweet referenced Clea Duvall's Hulu movie Happiest Seasons, which is the first mainstream Christmas rom-com to focus on a lesbian couple. Francis O says that's all well and good, but they want to see Theron in the Die Hard reboot. You can see the tweets below:
The prospect of a reboot of the franchise led by Theron is a tantalizing one. The franchise has become stale, with the fifth and most recent installment, 2013's A Good Day to Die Hard, getting panned by critics and only doing middling business at the box office. Star Bruce Willis is now 65 years old, and is currently starring in a succession of terrible straight-to-video action movies. It's unlikely he will return for a sixth movie, and many have said the only way to revitalize the franchise is to kill off his character, John McClane, and forge ahead with a new star.
But a hard reboot, focusing on an entirely new character, is an even better option. And with Theron currently one of the most bankable action stars in the world, the reboot would no doubt attract the kind of talent behind the scenes that could make it a success. Theron's tweet was likely in jest, but there is every chance studios could take notice and make it happen. There's no doubt audiences would also sign up for a Theron-starring Die Hard reboot, so let's hope this fantasy pitch turns into reality.
Source: Charlize Theron