Plans for a remake of The Bodyguard have been going on for as long as Whitney Houston holds the note in “I Will Always Love You.” Announced back in 2021, the news from Deadline now confirms that a director and writer have been hired to bring a modern iteration of the romantic thriller that originally starred Kevin Costner and the aforementioned music icon to the screen.
Sam Wrench, who directed Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour, will be helming the project, which is being penned by Juror No. 2 writer Jonathan A. Abrams. The original film, released in 1992, saw Costner as a former secret service agent hired to protect Houston’s world-renowned R&B singer, only for the two to slowly fall in love in the process. The film had extra longevity thanks to the stunning musical input from Houston, whose cover of Dolly Parton’s “I Will Always Love You” stayed at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 for 14 weeks, and the movie’s soundtrack was at number 1 for 20.
There’s no doubt that the project would hope to tap into a similar success, potentially having a musical artist as the star being protected, but what could that mean for who gets picked? Could a megastar as big as Houston was during the release of the original film get a call, if so, we’re pretty sure Wrench might have a number in his phone book. It’s also worth highlighting just how celebrities are more under the microscope than ever before thanks to fans being able to interact with them online, which could operate as an interesting plot point in whatever Abrams has planned, given that the remake focused on Houston’s character being followed by a stalker.
We can only wait and see who gets the gig along with the hero assigned to protect her as this develops. For now, if you fancy your films carrying a few extra notes check out our list of best music movies here.
