Vivica A. Fox thinks Zendaya should take on Uma Thurman in Kill Bill 3. Released in 2003, Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill Vol. 1 introduced the world to the classic character The Bride, a woman out for revenge against a group of vicious assassins. The 2004 sequel Kill Bill Vol. 2 then wrapped up the saga of Thurman’s Bride in grandly blood-soaked fashion, and ever since fans have wondered when or if Tarantino will one day revisit Kill Bill for a third film.
Of course, Tarantino himself has happily stoked the fires of Kill Bill 3 speculation over the years by throwing out his own ideas for a potential third film. Among Tarantino’s stated plans for Kill Bill 3, should it ever happen, is a storyline that would see the child of Fox’s character Vernita Green returning many years after her mother’s death at the Bride's hands to gain her own vengeance. Green’s daughter Nikki (Ambrosia Kelley) is of course memorably featured in Kill Bill Vol. 1, and is even invited by The Bride to come for her own revenge after she grows up.
Though the actress who played Nikki in Kill Bill Vol. 1 is by now plenty old enough to take on Thurman’s Bride in Kill Bill 3, Fox has a different casting idea that she believes could generate interest from a studio in getting a third movie off the ground after all these years. Speaking to NME, Fox suggested that Spider-Man: Homecoming star Zendaya would be a great choice to play a grown up Nikki:
“But then I was doing an interview and they asked ‘What young actress would you get to play your daughter?’ and I was like ‘No, Ambrosia [Kelley]!’ but they meant an established actress. So I went, Zendaya! How hot would that be? And that would probably green light this project. Because her and Uma are both very tall, and it would just be kick-butt, and I love her. Hopefully now we can put that out, like ‘Tarantino, cast Zendaya!’ And spark his interest to put it on the fast track. Wouldn’t it be amazing?”
Indeed, Zendaya is a hot name in movies right now coming off her role as MJ in the MCU Spider-Man films as well as her work as Rue Bennett in the TV show Euphoria. Later this year, the actress will expand her resume into the realm of classic sci-fi as he plays the Fremen Chani opposite Timothee Chalamet’s Paul Atreides in Denis Villeneuve’s new adaptation of Frank Herbert’s Dune.
Of course, there are possibly some Kill Bill purists out there who would argue against recasting Nikki, even in favor of someone as popular and accomplished as Zendaya. The argument against keeping Kelley in the role would clearly be that she has not remained active as an actress, with her last credit coming in the 2012 TV show How to Rock. Indeed, it’s not certain that Kelley would even wish to return in Kill Bill 3 given that she seems to have retired from performing.
Obviously, it’s not even certain that Tarantino wants to do Kill Bill 3, despite his previous speculation about possibilities for the movie’s story. Tarantino has famously said he will quit making movies after his tenth film, which means he only has one more movie left, and a third Kill Bill film may not be his idea of how to go out. And of course there’s the matter of Tarantino’s relationship with Thurman, which may be rocky still after Thurman’s on-set accident while shooting Kill Bill. Overall, it seems like a very long shot that Kill Bill 3 will ever happen, but if it does, Zendaya would obviously be a fascinating addition to the cast as a new adversary for The Bride (and perhaps her own daughter B.B.).
Source: NME