Writer Matthew López shared that the upcoming remake will center on a Latina lead.
The Bodyguard remake will differ from the original, starting with its leading lady.
Earlier this month it was announced that Matthew López would be in charge of writing the reimagined story of the 1992 romantic drama starring Whitney Houston. In a new interview with Variety, the Tony Award winner revealed that the remake will center on a Latina lead.
"When Warner Bros. approached me about the idea, I quickly said I would but I wanted the protagonist to be Latina. They agreed to that," López told the publication. "There’s been a lot of speculation about what I’d bring to the remake and some people were assuming that there’d be a gay storyline to it."
"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," he continued. "In the 21st century, that means she’s in immediate need of protection. 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."
The original The Bodyguard starred the late Houston and Kevin Costner. It grossed more than $400 million worldwide and its soundtrack, which featured the singer's hit song "I Will Always Love You, became the best-selling soundtrack album of all time.
López, meanwhile, became the first Latino playwright to win the Tony Award for best play for "The Inheritance" at the 2021 Tony Awards. In his acceptance speech, he made a note to point out the importance of Latinx representation on the screen.
"We are a vibrant community, reflecting a vast array of cultures, experiences and, yes, skin tones," he stated. "We have so many stories to tell. They are inside of us, aching to come out. Let us tell you our stories."
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