The early '90s classic The Bodyguard, starring Whitney Houston and Kevin Costner, will be getting a remake from one of the most prestigious playwrights in the entertainment industry. Matthew Lopez recently sat down in an interview with Variety to talk about his historic Tony Award win for Best Play, the way Latiné (his preferred alternative to "Latinx") people have been treated in Hollywood, and, of course, The Bodyguard remake.
"I wanted the protagonist to be Latina," Lopez said, when asked about how he approached the project when Warner Bros. approached him about a remake. Surprisingly, they agreed. The story is also taking a different, modern-day tone compared to its source material. In the original movie, Houston's character played a fictional version of her real-life self: a well-established music star in need of a bodyguard. Lopez's twist, however, focuses on today's instant gratification, social media world, and how it can literally make someone a celebrity overnight. In Lopez's words:
"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’s about how her life has changed because she is an overnight sensation. In the 21st century, that means she’s in immediate need of protection."
Lopez went on to add that "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."
Lopez has been a long-time advocate for Latiné people, Latinx issues in the entertainment industry, and proportionate representation of his people in the movies and TV shows that we love. He rightfully took issue with The New York Times failing to state definitively that he was the first Latiné to win the Tony Award for Best Play. To their credit, they have since fixed the erroneous headline. Above everything else, Lopez wants Hollywood and the general population to know that "the Latin Community is 19% of the population, and it should not be ignored." Truer words were never spoken.
No casting or release date information has been confirmed for The Bodyguard remake, so stay tuned to Collider for more info on this project as it develops.