Robert Rodriguez to Direct Barbarella Remake

Fresh of the box office disaster of “Grind House”, Robert Rodriguez is jumping into more friendly fare — barely dressed babes in space, also known as “Barbarella”, the remake of the 1968 original starring Jane Fonda. Apparently producer Dino De Laurentiis himself came to Rodriguez to sell him on directing the science fiction remake, says the Hollywood Reporter. Now Rodriguez, whose past credits include “Sin City” and the “Desperado” series, will write the script with Neal Purvis and Robert Wade, with an eye towards a 2008 release.

“Barbarella” tells the story of a female mercenary who roams across the universe of a distant future, undertaking missions that require physical fearlessness, ingenuity and sensuality. The character debuted in 1962 in a French graphic magazine written and illustrated by Jean-Claude Forest and was known for her many adventures, often involving sex. There also was a musical produced in 2004.