5 Testosterone-Heavy Films I’d Like To See Re-Imagined With Female Casts
When news broke that Hollywood would be offering us an Expendables-style romp featuring a female cast of action heavyweights, the internet rejoiced. And why not? A film full of ass-kicking ladies sounds amazing, especially if producer Adi Shankar (The Grey) commits to casting true female action stars (he has already landed Katee Sackhoff, so he’s off to a good start).
Normally, I wouldn’t encourage Hollywood to indulge in remakes or “re-imaginings,” but I’m up for anything that gets more Bechdel Test-passing movies on our screens. The Expendables isn’t the only testosterone-heavy concept that could benefit from an infusion of ladies, there are lots of intriguing genres that could be reinvigorated with a female twist. In that spirit, here are five more films I would love to see adapted with female casts:
The very idea of an all-female caper film is delightful, and one starring 11 talented actresses as a crew of expert thieves is even better. Steven Soderbergh’s remake of the 1960 film was fun, but wouldn’t it be awesome if we subbed in Sandra Bullock for George Clooney as the recently sprung from prison Danny Ocean? (Clooney can stay on as Ocean’s ex-husband, I’m sure he wouldn’t mind.) The rest of the cast could be filled out with stars like Amy Poehler, Maya Rudolph and Kristen Wiig, all of whom would rock a casino heist. I don’t know about you, but that’s something I’d happily dole out cash to see.
I have an ulterior motive with this one: I can’t take anymore Hollywood films that motivate their male heroes by kidnapping and/or killing their female loved ones. To be fair, female versions of this trope have been done before (The Brave One comes to mind) and last season ABC actually did try to make a female Taken work with the Ashley Judd vehicle Missing, but I want a big-screen, schlocky mindless action blockbuster, darn it. What would be even cooler is if it led to a second act for a female star who isn’t known for action films, just as Taken did for Liam Neeson.
My pick would be the stately Emma Thompson, who already has a head start thanks to Men in Black 3. Admit it, she terrified you in Nanny McPhee.
Any wedding movie starring women that’s not about women fighting over wedding dresses or being bitter about the fact that they’re not the ones making the trip down the aisle would be a good one. I like the idea of a pair of female buddies crashing weddings in hopes of taking advantage of the soppy mood to score lovelorn fellows (by which I mean the chronically lovable Paul Rudd). The opportunities to challenge accepted Hollywood gender notions would be endless, and with the right cast (Amy Adams and Lizzy Caplan, maybe?) it could be hilarious too.
Female stoner comedies aren’t really a thing, but there is a lot of potential for zaniness in the concept. It’s uncharted territory, which makes it all the more appealing to explore. That being said, John Cho and Kal Penn are just this side of irreplaceable, but if I was going to sub in two female actresses, I don’t think we could go wrong with Mindy Kaling and Aubrey Plaza. Those two ladies would make for one epic (and epically snarky) duo.
Mismatched cops who have to learn to work together and ultimately become BFFS– there’s no way that wouldn’t be awesome with oh, say Melissa McCarthy and Sandra Bullock. Oh wait, that’s totally happening.
I have to say this whole ladies storming traditionally male-driven genres trend is one that I hope doesn’t end anytime soon.
Those are the five movies that I would love to see re-imagined with female casts. Now it’s your turn: which movies would you like to see get a dose of estrogen? Are there any female-centric films, you’d like to see gender-swapped? Share your thoughts in the comments!
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