'The Bodyguard' remake will feature a 'young Latina' in Whitney Houston role
A remake of "The Bodyguard" is in the works, with Whitney Houston's role being played by a "young Latina" character.
The writer of the upcoming remake, Matthew López, who made history at Sunday's Tony Awards as the first Latino playwright to win best play, for "The Inheritance," spoke to Variety about the casting choice.
"When Warner Bros. approached me about the idea, I quickly said I would but I wanted the protagonist to be Latina. They agreed to that," López shared.
He added: "There’s been a lot of speculation about what I’d bring to the remake and some people were assuming that there’d be a gay storyline to it." López is gay and "The Inheritance" follows a group of gay men.
He said the remake will focus on how this young woman's "life has changed because she is an overnight sensation," also adding, "it’s about how her life has changed because she is an overnight sensation."
"I wanted the protagonist to be Latina," he said. "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 ... 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."
None of the roles have been cast as of yet and a release date has not been set.
While some lauded Lopez's comments and the casting choice, others claimed on social media that the role should go to a Black actress. Others said that the remake is unnecessary and shouldn't even be made.
"The Bodyguard," originally released in 1992, grossed $411 million during its global box office run. Its soundtrack was nominated for multiple music awards, including four Grammys, of which it won three: album of the year as well as record of the year and best pop vocal performance, female for the title track, "I Will Always Love You."
Two other singles, "I Have Nothing" and "Run to You," were nominated for the best original song Academy Award.
