Charlie’s Angels has always been a somewhat fickle franchise. It started as a groundbreaking television series in the 70s that became a cultural phenomenon, celebrated for decades after the series ended its original run. It joined the ranks of Lynda Carter’s Wonder Woman and Lindsay Wagner’s The Bionic Woman as a television series that didn’t portray women as damsels in distress, but rather as their own heroes. What’s more, Charlie’s Angels was the first primetime series that consistently featured three women as the show’s lead characters. The show helped launch the careers of original cast members Jaclyn Smith, Kate Jackson, and Farrah Fawcett, and would go on to influence the television landscape for years to come.
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The show would remain a cult classic until the year 2000, when Drew Barrymore created her own production company and bought the rights to the series. Along with Cameron Diaz and Lucy Liu, Barrymore was able to translate the notoriety of a 70s television series into huge box office numbers with a Charlie’s Angels film and it’s a subsequent sequel in 2004, Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle. The film franchise was able to create a modern spin on the original Charlie’s Angels concept — having a team of three beautiful and powerful women working as private detectives — but elevated it enough to reach a new generation of fans by also having the women be best friends. There were certainly moments in both films that paid homage to the campiness of the television series, but Barrymore made it her own while honoring the Charlie’s Angels’ legacy.
Both a reboot of the television series in 2011 and of the film franchise in 2019 (this time, starring Kristen Stewart) failed to capture the magic of the previous two Charlie’s Angels movies, but having Barrymore, Diaz, and Liu return to the franchise could ensure a successful revival of the Charlie’s Angels brand. Here’s why.
Drew Barrymore Cherishes the Franchise
Columbia Pictures
With its equal parts of sexy and smart, the original Charlie’s Angels television series became an instant hit with many viewers, including Barrymore herself, who became a fan of the series during its run in syndication. Barrymore loved the show so much that when she created her own production company, Flower Films, in 1995, it was one of the first properties she acquired. Her love of the series showed when the Charlie’s Angels film was released in 2000, becoming a hit at the box office and grossing over $200 million worldwide.
Barrymore’s dedication to the vision of the film began early on, back when she and her producing partner, Nancy Juvonen, were preparing to meet with Sony Pictures. Speaking with Elle in 2016, Barrymore detailed the process of putting together her pitch that ultimately won the studio over: “I put together a reel of films, like smashed up and I had to do it VCR-to-VCR, so I hooked up two VCRs together and again, I’m a girl and I’m a Pisces, this is just a disaster, it was like cords everywhere, “she explained. “[But] I pulled about 200 different films [from my personal library] that I thought had scenes in them that…could show the studio what kind of tone I saw for this film.”
Their Chemistry Remains Unmatched
Syndication
When a television series or film features multiple leads, it is important to make sure that everyone gets along. Chemistry tests are performed in Hollywood to ensure a cohesive work environment for the actors, as well as a believable onscreen connection for the audience. In the case of Charlie’s Angels, a chemistry test was only half the battle of finding the film’s trio of leading ladies. Barrymore and Diaz had been friends since they were teenagers, so there was just an informal phone call between the two to get Diaz on board. “Drew called me up and said, ‘I’m doing Charlie’s Angels and you have to do it with me.’ She said, ‘It will be girls jumping out of helicopters, driving fast boats, doing kung fu and wearing tons of hot clothes.’ I said, ‘Sign me up,’” Diaz told The Morning Call.
Finding the film’s third leading lady wasn’t quite as easy, though Barrymore and Diaz knew Liu was the one. Actresses such as Jennifer Lopez, Angelina Jolie, and Salma Hayek were reportedly considered for the role of Alex, but the chemistry between the three women was missing — until Liu walked into the room. Barrymore has stated that when she met Liu, “I knew I found my sister.” Of course, it helped tremendously that the women became close off-screen, especially when it came to filming Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle, the 2003 sequel to the first hit film. Over 20 years later, the three actresses still remain friends to this day. The women most recently reunited during the very first episode of Drew Barrymore’s talk show in 2020, celebrating their years of friendship.
“Requels” Are All the Rage
From Scream to Top Gun, franchise sequels that feature a mix of old and new characters are super popular in Hollywood right now. These “requels” reap the benefits of nostalgia along with introducing new characters and storylines to existing worlds. When done correctly, this new manner of storytelling can lead to big box office success. Sony tried rebooting the Charlie’s Angels in 2019, with an all-new set of Angels that included Kristen Stewart, Naomi Scott, and Ella Balinska, but the film received mixed reviews and performed poorly at the box office. While the actresses did a fine job in their roles, the film did miss a bit a heart and soul of the original film franchise to it.
This could’ve easily been remedied had previous incarnations of the Angels been incorporated, especially given the film’s climax in which Angels from all over the world showed up to save the day. While the film did feature a cameo from original Charlie’s Angels cast member Jaclyn Smith, it had little more to do with the legacy of the actual franchise. Having a new generation of Angels be trained and mentored by the likes of Barrymore, Diaz, and Liu would be an amazing way to revitalize the franchise, while also paying homage to the films that came before it.
Hollywood Needs a Woman-Led John Wick Franchise
Keanu Reeves, now in his late-50s, is the star of one of the most successful action movie franchises with John Wick. While Hollywood has tried to replicate the success of John Wick by introducing a woman anti-hero with films like Charlize Theron’s Atomic Blonde in 2017 and Jennifer Garner’s Peppermint in 2018, they have yet to capture the franchise’s popularity. Having Barrymore, Diaz, and Liu return to their Charlie’s Angels roles is an almost surefire way to make that happen. Sure, Barrymore is busy with her talk show, but she would make time for a sequel. Liu’s career is very much still alive, just finishing her role as Kalypso in the DC sequel film Shazam! Fury of the Gods, which is slated to be released later this year. Diaz took an extended break from acting to focus on her family, but recently announced her return to Hollywood to co-star with Jamie Foxx in the upcoming Netflix movie Back in Action. If anyone has what it takes to create a hit, women-led action movie franchise, it’s these three.
