Kristen Stewart to star in new, female-directed 'Charlie's Angels'

LOS ANGELES: “Charlie’s Angels” are returning to the big screen next year for a third outing, this time with a female director and a multi-racial trio of women led by Kristen Stewart.

“Twilight” star Stewart, along with rising British actresses Naomi Scott and Ella Balinska, will play the lead roles in the latest movie reboot of the 1970s crime caper, to be directed by Elizabeth Banks, Sony Pictures said on Thursday.

“Charlie’s Angels, for me, is one of the original brands to celebrate the empowered woman since its debut in the ‘70s. This film honours the legacy of Charles Townsend and his agency while introducing a new era of modern and global Angels,”Banks said in a statement.

Banks, who also directed “Pitch Perfect 2,” is also a co-producer and co-writer and she will play the role of the avuncular Bosley, which was played by a man on both the original television series and in two movie versions.

The new “Charlie’s Angels” marks a trend in Hollywood to entrust more women with directing big budget fare, and towards ethnic diversity. Scott is of Indian descent, while Balinska is mixed race.

“Charlie’s Angels” first appeared on U.S. television in 1976, starring Farrah Fawcett, Kate Jackson, and Jaclyn Smith as private detectives sent on missions by their unseen boss, Charlie Townsend.

The series spawned a 2000 movie adaptation starring Lucy Liu, Cameron Diaz and Drew Barrymore, who returned for a 2003 sequel “Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle.”

The new movie is expected to be released in September 2019 but the title and plot details were not announced.