Director MJ Barrett and Star Matilda Lutz on Reimagining a Warrior Icon for a New Era — GeekTyrant

The sword-swinging legend Red Sonja is slicing her way back onto the screen with a bold new take. Directed by MJ Barrett and starring Matilda Lutz, the latest film adaptation of the classic comic book heroine revives the character with grit, heart, and a fresh perspective.

Set to debut on Digital on August 29th, this version of Red Sonja strips away the kitsch of past interpretations and digs deep into what makes the warrior woman endure.

Fans of the character will remember her from Marvel’s 1970s run or even her earlier origins in Robert E. Howard’s fiction, but Barrett’s vision is anything but nostalgic. It’s a fiercely personal reimagining, shaped by the director’s own journey.

“I was super-duper familiar,” Barrett explained, recalling a lifelong passion for fantasy and Howard’s work. “I knew about Red Sonja from the short story ‘Shadow of the Vulture’… and I grew up with Roy Thomas in the Marvel run of Sonja, where she was this buxom, very male gaze-y character in this chainmail bikini.”

But Barrett never wanted to recreate the 1985 Red Sonja movie. “It wasn’t my version of Sonja,” she said. “From that time, it was always part of my ambition… I knew I wanted to make fantasy, and there were certain characters I really wanted to try to work with.”

Over nearly two decades of stalled productions and shifting directors — from Robert Rodriguez and Rose McGowan to Bryan Singer and Joey Soloway — Barrett kept circling back. “I went, ‘Just give it to me. I am the most qualified person who can do this. I understand her… I’ve been through these transformations.’”

One of her first and most crucial decisions was finding the right person to embody Sonja. That person was Matilda Lutz.

“She’s really cheap. I mean, that’s the main reason,” Barrett joked, before getting serious. “This woman has lots of capabilities. I can see that there can be power, there can be pain, there can be humor and humility — all the things you’re looking for… But the truth is, all those things can be learned. What can’t be learned is the compassion and the humanity that has to exist at the heart of the character.”

Lutz, best known for her work in Revenge, connected with the script immediately. “She’s a warrior, but she’s also a survivor,” Lutz said. “It’s about identity… she’s also so caring about the animals and the forest she lives in. I think those are all messages that I really want to see in movies more and more.”

While the physical demands of the role were daunting with sword fighting, horseback riding, shooting arrows while galloping, Lutz embraced it. “I grew up with sports with three brothers, battling my way through life,” she said. “It was a lot of fun.”

There’s also a moment in the film that winks directly at fans familiar with Sonja’s iconic chainmail bikini — an outfit long criticized for its impracticality.

Barrett leaned into that absurdity. “It needed to be something imposed upon her that then she embraced… Literally, Sonja says, ‘What does it protect?’ And [the armorer] says, ‘Nothing, but the crowd will love it.’”

It’s a moment of sly humor, but also one that speaks to the film’s core. “Everything that happens to her and every decision she makes, she ultimately owns,” said Barrett. “Imagine what I can do when I’m fully empowered.”

For Lutz, that empowerment left a lasting impact. “She’s unapologetic… speaks her mind, doesn’t care about what other people think about her ideas… That’s something that really stayed with me.”

Red Sonja may still have her sword and her signature look, but this isn’t just a nostalgic throwback. It’s a fire-forged rebirth, anchored in emotion, resilience, and raw human strength. This version is ready to carve out a new legacy.

Via: Comicbook