Movies

Everything to Know About the ‘Bodyguard’ Remake: Cast, Release Date and More

October 5, 2021

Hollywood loves a movie about Hollywood, so it’s no surprise that a remake of the 1992 film The Bodyguard was announced in September 2021.

In the original movie, Kevin Costner stars as Frank Farmer, the titular bodyguard hired to protect Rachel Marron, an actress and musician played by the late Whitney Houston. Over the course of the film, Frank and Rachel fall in love, but they eventually realize that their romance could never work.

Though The Bodyguard was critically panned at the time of its release, it has endured as a classic thanks in part to its soundtrack, which featured Houston’s cover of Dolly Parton‘s “I Will Always Love You,” as well as “I’m Every Woman” and “Queen of the Night.” Two songs from the movie, “I Have Nothing” and “Run to You,” were nominated for Best Original Song at the 1993 Academy Awards. (They both lost to “A Whole New World” from Aladdin.)

Parton recorded “I Will Always Love You” nearly 20 years before The Bodyguard premiered, but she later said that Houston’s version of the track was the one that put the song in the history books.

“When Whitney did ‘I Will Always Love You,’ I mean, look what a grand song she made out of that simple, heartfelt song,” the “Jolene” songstress told Nightline in April 2012. “It was just amazing. Whitney is the one who took it worldwide and really made it a household word — or song, I should say — so I’ll always be thankful to her for that.”

According to Forbes, the country legend raked in more than $10 million in royalties from Houston’s recording of the song. In August 2021, she told Andy Cohen that she reinvested some of that money into a Black neighborhood in Nashville.

“I just thought, ‘This was great. I’m going to be down here with her people, who are my people as well.’ And so I just love the fact that I spent that money on a complex,” Parton said during an appearance on Watch What Happens Live. “And I think, ‘This is the house that Whitney built.'”

In 2012, Costner revealed that there was originally supposed to be a sequel to The Bodyguard released in the 1990s — and Princess Diana was on board to star in it.

“I said, ‘Look, I’m gonna write this part with you in mind. Is this something that you would like to do?’” he recalled. “And she said, ‘Yes, I do.’”

After the royal’s 1997 death, however, plans for the movie were scrapped.

Keep scrolling to find out everything we know about the remake of The Bodyguard:

Credit: Ben Glass/Warner Bros/Regency/Canal +/Kobal/Shutterstock

Everything to Know About the 'Bodyguard' Remake: Cast, Release Date and More

Hollywood loves a movie about Hollywood, so it's no surprise that a remake of the 1992 film The Bodyguard was announced in September 2021. In the original movie, Kevin Costner stars as Frank Farmer, the titular bodyguard hired to protect Rachel Marron, an actress and musician played by the late Whitney Houston. Over the course of the film, Frank and Rachel fall in love, but they eventually realize that their romance could never work. Though The Bodyguard was critically panned at the time of its release, it has endured as a classic thanks in part to its soundtrack, which featured Houston's cover of Dolly Parton's "I Will Always Love You," as well as "I'm Every Woman" and "Queen of the Night." Two songs from the movie, "I Have Nothing" and "Run to You," were nominated for Best Original Song at the 1993 Academy Awards. (They both lost to "A Whole New World" from Aladdin.) Parton recorded "I Will Always Love You" nearly 20 years before The Bodyguard premiered, but she later said that Houston's version of the track was the one that put the song in the history books. [jwplayer cA9WzKzZ-zhNYySv2] “When Whitney did ‘I Will Always Love You,’ I mean, look what a grand song she made out of that simple, heartfelt song," the "Jolene" songstress told Nightline in April 2012. "It was just amazing. Whitney is the one who took it worldwide and really made it a household word — or song, I should say — so I’ll always be thankful to her for that." According to Forbes, the country legend raked in more than $10 million in royalties from Houston's recording of the song. In August 2021, she told Andy Cohen that she reinvested some of that money into a Black neighborhood in Nashville. "I just thought, 'This was great. I'm going to be down here with her people, who are my people as well.' And so I just love the fact that I spent that money on a complex," Parton said during an appearance on Watch What Happens Live. "And I think, 'This is the house that Whitney built.'" In 2012, Costner revealed that there was originally supposed to be a sequel to The Bodyguard released in the 1990s — and Princess Diana was on board to star in it. “I said, ‘Look, I’m gonna write this part with you in mind. Is this something that you would like to do?’” he recalled. “And she said, ‘Yes, I do.’" After the royal's 1997 death, however, plans for the movie were scrapped. Keep scrolling to find out everything we know about the remake of The Bodyguard: [podcast_block]

Credit: Andrew H. Walker/Shutterstock

Who's Involved?

In September 2021, Variety reported that Tony-winning playwright Matthew Lopez was set to write the screenplay for the new movie, described as a "reimagining" of the original. No cast was announced at the time, but Lopez later said that he wanted the Houston role to be played by a Latina actress.

"Instead of focusing on an established star like the one Whitney Houston played, this is about a young Latina performer who has just become famous," he told Variety of his script. "It’s about how her life has changed because she is an overnight sensation. In the 21st century, that means she’s in immediate need of protection. It was important to me to use this opportunity to get Latin faces up on that screen and to get their stories told in a big way."

Credit: Ben Glass/Warner Bros/Regency/Canal +/Kobal/Shutterstock

How Will It Differ From the Original?

Aside from the fact that the main female lead will be Latina, little else is known about the movie's plot. Some fans have speculated that the new version will depict an LGBTQ+ romance, but Lopez hasn't confirmed that.

Credit: Warner Bros/Regency/Canal +/Kobal/Shutterstock

When Does It Premiere?

No release date has been announced, but the earliest possible premiere would be sometime in 2022.

Credit: MediaPunch/Shutterstock

Is the Original Cast Involved?

None of the original cast has confirmed involvement, but Lawrence Kasdan, who wrote and produced the 1992 film, has signed on as a producer.

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