New "Charlie’s Angels" Movie in Works

Sony Pictures is in early development on a new feature vision of “Charlie’s Angels,” the female-fronted 1970s TV crime drama turned big-screen iconic franchise.

Screenwriter Pete Chiarelli, known for his work on “Crazy Rich Asians,” “The Proposal” and “Now You See Me 2,” has been tapped to pen the script.

Details remain under wraps, with the official release date, director and cast yet to be announced. It is reported that Drew Barrymore‘s production banner, “Flower Films,” which produced the early 2000s “Charlie’s Angels” movies, may be involved in the project. 

“Charlie’s Angels,” a crime drama about a trio of women working at the Townsend private detective agency, debuted in 1976 and quickly dominated the pop culture conversation.

The series originally cast Kate Jackson, Farrah Fawcett and Jaclyn Smith in the leading roles — and catapulted them into TV history.

Cheryl Ladd joined the show in season 2 and starred through the rest of its 115-episode run. John Forsythe voiced their unseen boss, Charlie Townsend, who directed the operation over the telephone.

At the turn of the century, Barrymore, Cameron Diaz and Lucy Liu assumed the iconic roles of the crime-fighting angels and launched the franchise into blockbuster territory.

The reboot, 2000’s “Charlie’s Angels,” directed by McG, was a major box office success, grossing $264 million worldwide and spawning the 2003 sequel “Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle.” Barrymore produced the movies under her Flower Films banner.

However, more recent attempts to relaunch the franchise have been unfruitful. The 2011 TV reboot — starring Annie Ilonzeh, Minka Kelly, Rachael Taylor as the angels, with Ramon Rodriguez as Bosley and Victor Garber as the voice of Charlie — was canceled after eight of its 13-episode order aired on ABC.

In 2019, Elizabeth Banks directed a new entry of the movie franchise, starring Kristen Stewart, Naomi Scott and Ella Balinska as the fighting trio. 

The film tied in elements of both the original TV series and the 2000s movies — including featuring Banks as one in a network of Bosleys — but ultimately underperformed at the box office, earning just $73 million globally.

But as the 50th anniversary of the landmark series approaches, it’s no surprise that Sony is reevaluating its big screen potential. After all, the IP’s cult status remains ubiquitous, and there’s no shortage of brilliant, beautiful actresses who’d relish the chance to work for Charlie and go full throttle.