In 2019, after the three films worn by Cameron Diaz, the “Charlie’s Angels” franchise is back in theaters. A reboot where everything is brought up to date with Kristen Stewart as the headliner. But did you know that the actress had broken both thumbs during filming?
Charlie’s Angels : the first reboot of the saga
Initially, Charlie’s AngelsWhere Charlie’s Angels in French versionis a spy comedy series released in 1976. Created by Ivan Goff and Ben Roberts, the show, broadcast on ABC, met with great success. The series, worn by Jaclyn Smith, quickly became cult, and was renewed for 5 seasons, from 1976 to 1981. In 2000, Sony studios decided to produce a film adaptation.
Thus, in 2000, the rapper McG stages Charlie and his Charlie’s Angels. Worn by Cameron Diaz, Lucy Liu and Drew Barrymore, the film met with some success, in particular for its totally offbeat tone. On the box office side, for a budget of 93 million dollars, the feature film brings in more than 264 million. A sufficient score for Sony which produces a sequel in 2003. Still directed by McG and carried by the same trio of actresses, Charlie’s Angels: Angels Go Wild scored lower at the box office with $259 million revenue for a larger budget of $120 million. While no third installment saw the light of day, a reboot of the series was released in 2011, canceled after a single season. We then have to wait until 2019 to see the Angels get a makeover.
Return of the Angels
Indeed, in 2019, actress Elizabeth Banks, who has already tried to achieve with My Movie Project and Pitch Perfect 2, takes the reins of the new opus of Charlie and his Charlie’s Angels. Both a sequel and a reboot in disguise, Charlie’s Angels puts in place new recruits, and brings together an entirely new cast including Kristen Stewart, Naomi Scott, Ella Balinska, Djimon Hounsou or even Patrick Stewart who succeeds Bill Murray in the role of John Bosley.
Unfortunately, despite all the good intentions of Elizabeth Banks, this new Charlie’s Angel gets destroyed by the critics. On the public side, it is hardly better. The spectators are not especially at the rendezvous, and the film makes the timid score of $73 million in worldwide box office receipts (for a budget of 48 million). A commercial failure that directly buried any desire to relaunch the license.
Kristen Stewart’s injury
On the occasion of the promotion of the film, the actresses Kristen Stewart, Naomi Scott and Ella Balinska were questioned by AlloCine. One of the questions from the media was about the stunts in the film. Visibly, the actresses performed most of their choreography themselves. Without hesitation, the three actresses consider that Ella Balinska was the most fan, but also the most competent of the three to accomplish these action sequences. Kristen Stewart then revealed that she broke both thumbs in a stunt. She did not, however, explain how these fractures occurred.
To prepare physically, the three actresses trained in different martial arts with Florian Hotz, the film’s stunt coordinator. They also have rehearsed choreographies created by Cirque du Soleil, and learned different dance styles, from ballet to hip hop. But despite all these preparations, filming accidents are never far away…
