BLOGS
At first, the news that ABC would be remaking Charlie's Angels made me roll my eyes in annoyance at yet another remake, as I'm sure it caused most people to do, but after looking closer at the story, I kind of think it could be fun. Josh Friedman, former showrunner of Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, is writing and executive producing this remake as well, and he's actually a very smart guy, and a good writer, despite Terminator's storytelling missteps. At the very least, he writes women well, and as long he doesn't fall into the traps of turning Charlie's Angels into a character melodrama, as Fox's Terminator budget cuts forced him to on that show, this could be the kick-ass, female-driven, addictive series that Dollhouse was supposed to be, if they're careful, and if they cast it right. I can't write the scripts for them, but I can tell you who has Angel potential and who is Olivia Wilde (for example). Here are our Charlie's Angels casting hopes and dreams.
Yes:
Summer Glau
She's the best and most obvious casting choice for this by far -- beloved by geeks, has a professional history with Friedman, is beautiful, can actually act, and kicks butt like The Statham. I say smash your piggy bank and do whatever it takes to cast her if you're serious about making a decent Charlie's Angels, ABC.
Katee Sackhoff
The only woman alive who kicks on-screen butt harder than Summer Glau is Starbuck herself. And if they try and go the McG film route with the characters for familiarity reasons, she'd be a much more convincing biker chick than fricking Drew Barrymore ever was.
Grace Park
Battlestar's over and we didn't watch The Cleaner, so we miss her. I don't know how funny she is, but her action chops and acting ability are definitely worth considering.
Katie Cassidy
After Melrose is canceled, she's going to need a job, and while that show is a garbage can full of cheap soap, she is so awesome she almost makes it watchable (almost). Give her some kung fu lessons, feather her hair and she'll be a perfect Angel.
Dana Davis
We've lamented the loss of Dana Davis on Heroes before on the site, but if you didn't watch Season 2 of that show, first of all, congratulations on the 11 hours of your life you didn't waste that I did, and secondly, I'm sorry you missed Dana's copycat character Monica, because she was the only good thing about the entire season. Attractive, very likable and able to absorb martial arts and acrobatic moves from the television set? Let's get her off 10 Things I Hate About You and Angel her up.
And neither of these would ever happen, but they sure would be great:
Sarah Michelle Gellar
She just had a baby and she doesn't need the money (would you ever work again if you were her? I wouldn't!), but she'd be fantastic in this atmosphere and obviously a very big draw.
Jennifer Garner
It'd be like having Sydney Bristow back! This is a long shot, but it's not like she's been knocking it out of the park with her film choices since Alias ended, and she does have that development deal with ABC. Hmm...
No:
Evangeline Lilly
I know Lost is almost over, and that she is a pretty girl who knows how to throw a punch, but please, God, no more Evangeline Lilly. On anything.
Lindsay Price
I feel like this one's a foregone conclusion, as she just lost an ABC show and may still have a contract to run out with them, but in addition to the fact that she has showkilled all the fluffy romantic programs she's been a series regular on, I seriously doubt she's got any action chops, either. Resist the urge for an easy placement, ABC.
Hayden Panettiere
Heroes may well have wrapped by the time Charlie's Angels goes into production, and while I actually wouldn't mind seeing Hayden pop up on a CW dramedy or something eventually (just not Gossip Girl, please), Tough Sexy Action Girl is just not a role that suits her. Remember Evil Future Claire and how laughable that was? This would be an entire series of that.
Lena Headey
Josh Friedman, we know you're obsessed with her, but she should be making Merchant Ivory films, not kicking people while wearing stilettos.
Kristen Bell
We all wish the best for Veronica Mars, but I just don't think a remake of Charlie's Angels is going to be the turning point in her recent career of endless terrible decisions. And she was always more brains-over-brawn on Veronica and had that electricity power fighting her battles for her on Heroes, so we've never even seen her do any real fisticuffs that I can recall. This isn't the job for her.
Eliza Dushku
She's a beautiful woman and seems like an absolute blast to hang out with, but she simply cannot act. Sorry, it has to be said.
Kristin Kreuk
I don't even want to think too much about this one, but I presume we all know that it would be very, very, very awful.
Michelle Trachtenberg
Remarkably, Mercy has not been cancelled yet, but if it is axed in the near future, I worry that her plucky, quirky persona (and pretty hair) may be irresistible to someone casting Charlie's Angels. But bless her, she can't act either.
Olivia Wilde
I'd love to see her gone from House as much as the next person, but this is not the way. Don't even think about it, ABC.
And just for good measure, I'd also like to switch Bosley's gender and cast Lucy Lawless in the role, hire Victor Garber's voice for Charlie (ABC does love him, and he'd be like the Gossip Girl of Charlie's Angels!), and pepper in Gina Torres, Amy Acker, Tricia Helfer and Sonja Sohn as recurring villains (kind of like a super version of The Misfits on Jem), but that's just fan fiction at this point.
Your casting ideas? Discuss them below!
Summer Glau
She's the best and most obvious casting choice for this by far -- beloved by geeks, has a professional history with Friedman, is beautiful, can actually act, and kicks butt like The Statham. I say smash your piggy bank and do whatever it takes to cast her if you're serious about making a decent Charlie's Angels, ABC.
Katee Sackhoff
The only woman alive who kicks on-screen butt harder than Summer Glau is Starbuck herself. And if they try and go the McG film route with the characters for familiarity reasons, she'd be a much more convincing biker chick than fricking Drew Barrymore ever was.
Grace Park
Battlestar's over and we didn't watch The Cleaner, so we miss her. I don't know how funny she is, but her action chops and acting ability are definitely worth considering.
Katie Cassidy
After Melrose is canceled, she's going to need a job, and while that show is a garbage can full of cheap soap, she is so awesome she almost makes it watchable (almost). Give her some kung fu lessons, feather her hair and she'll be a perfect Angel.
Dana Davis
We've lamented the loss of Dana Davis on Heroes before on the site, but if you didn't watch Season 2 of that show, first of all, congratulations on the 11 hours of your life you didn't waste that I did, and secondly, I'm sorry you missed Dana's copycat character Monica, because she was the only good thing about the entire season. Attractive, very likable and able to absorb martial arts and acrobatic moves from the television set? Let's get her off 10 Things I Hate About You and Angel her up.
And neither of these would ever happen, but they sure would be great:
Sarah Michelle Gellar
She just had a baby and she doesn't need the money (would you ever work again if you were her? I wouldn't!), but she'd be fantastic in this atmosphere and obviously a very big draw.
Jennifer Garner
It'd be like having Sydney Bristow back! This is a long shot, but it's not like she's been knocking it out of the park with her film choices since Alias ended, and she does have that development deal with ABC. Hmm...
No:
Evangeline Lilly
I know Lost is almost over, and that she is a pretty girl who knows how to throw a punch, but please, God, no more Evangeline Lilly. On anything.
Lindsay Price
I feel like this one's a foregone conclusion, as she just lost an ABC show and may still have a contract to run out with them, but in addition to the fact that she has showkilled all the fluffy romantic programs she's been a series regular on, I seriously doubt she's got any action chops, either. Resist the urge for an easy placement, ABC.
Hayden Panettiere
Heroes may well have wrapped by the time Charlie's Angels goes into production, and while I actually wouldn't mind seeing Hayden pop up on a CW dramedy or something eventually (just not Gossip Girl, please), Tough Sexy Action Girl is just not a role that suits her. Remember Evil Future Claire and how laughable that was? This would be an entire series of that.
Lena Headey
Josh Friedman, we know you're obsessed with her, but she should be making Merchant Ivory films, not kicking people while wearing stilettos.
Kristen Bell
We all wish the best for Veronica Mars, but I just don't think a remake of Charlie's Angels is going to be the turning point in her recent career of endless terrible decisions. And she was always more brains-over-brawn on Veronica and had that electricity power fighting her battles for her on Heroes, so we've never even seen her do any real fisticuffs that I can recall. This isn't the job for her.
Eliza Dushku
She's a beautiful woman and seems like an absolute blast to hang out with, but she simply cannot act. Sorry, it has to be said.
Kristin Kreuk
I don't even want to think too much about this one, but I presume we all know that it would be very, very, very awful.
Michelle Trachtenberg
Remarkably, Mercy has not been cancelled yet, but if it is axed in the near future, I worry that her plucky, quirky persona (and pretty hair) may be irresistible to someone casting Charlie's Angels. But bless her, she can't act either.
Olivia Wilde
I'd love to see her gone from House as much as the next person, but this is not the way. Don't even think about it, ABC.
And just for good measure, I'd also like to switch Bosley's gender and cast Lucy Lawless in the role, hire Victor Garber's voice for Charlie (ABC does love him, and he'd be like the Gossip Girl of Charlie's Angels!), and pepper in Gina Torres, Amy Acker, Tricia Helfer and Sonja Sohn as recurring villains (kind of like a super version of The Misfits on Jem), but that's just fan fiction at this point.
Your casting ideas? Discuss them below!
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Lena Headey (hopefully) couldn't be on it anyway- she's signed on a one of the major characters in the new HBO show that's being filmed, based on "A Game of Thrones" . (And as an aside- the books supremely kick ass and from the looks of the cast, the show has the potential to do it justice. Here's hoping...)
Victor Garber would indeed be an awesome Charlie!
Katheryn Winnick would be a great Angel - and she is a black belt as well. Also, Betty Gilpin is a fantastic actress and chameleon would do a great job.
Y'know, Jamie Pressley and Missy Peragrim aren't doing anything....
While I'd oridnarily question your sanity on several of the "no"s I cannot at all go hard on you...
I LOVE the Summer Glau idea... She'd rock in that, just as she rocks in anything else she does...
Simply Awesome...
Re Eliza ; I guess I'm the only person in the world who recognizes myself as not qualified to be a critic.
But I agree, wrong vehicle for her, I want to see her playing Roxanne.
I love me some Victor Garber, but I want to SEE him not just hear him. Truly reinvent the series by making Bosley cool & smart & casting spydaddy in that role.
Meh. Summer Glau and co are awesome, but kind of obvious. I'd like to see them cast three unknowns and build something new and fresh. Also, Lena Headey is a badass. Screw the Merchant Ivory films, she can hold her own with the butt kicking females of the TV world. Not that I'm saying she should be an Angel, but suggesting she should be relegated to a particular cliched role is silly.
I see TWOP is continuing its tradition of hating Michelle Trachtenberg -- she can definitely and has been since she was 3.
As much as I love Summer Glau, Katee Sackhoff, and SMG I would rather not see them on a show that is bound to suck.
Summer should be another Alien on V who is fighting against the Visitors.
Katee would be a good FBI agent on Flash Forward, as they will eventually need a replacement for the agents who are going to be dying.
And I hope SMG finds something, but like it says, she really never has to work again.
Summer Glau would be perfect but not for this, this show has fail written all over it.
As much as I so do not want to watch this show, if they cast Summer Glau, Katee Sackhoff and Grace Park, I would have to watch. So I hope they don't and I am saved from what I am sure will be an epic fail of a show.
Evangeline Lilly is my pick. Tough critics.
Renee O'Connor she can kick major ass and look hot as hell doing it,not to mention she a very talented actress. yep give me some Renee. snd add alittle lucy.ratings heaven.
Charlie's Angels... is this a joke? This must be a joke. First McG does two terrible Charlie's Angels movies, then Friedman gets to produce a horrible Terminator show, then McG gets to do a horrible Terminator movie... and now Friedman gets his stab at a horrible Charlie's Angels show??! What is this madness?
If it wasn't for the likelihood of him trying to cast Summer Glau, I honestly wouldn't care one bit. I just wouldn't watch it and be done with but if Summer is on that show I'll end up watching every damn, terrible episode. This is my worst nightmare fuel. Not another Friedman show I'll have to endure.
I obviously do not agree with your assessment of the man. He's not clever, he's pretentious. He's a fake. Prepare for brooding Angels that have breast-cancer while quoting the bible and failing to communicate with each other. Oh and watch out for pseudo artsy action scenes that make TDK look like an early John Woo flick. Yeah, we'll have lots of those and a few music montages. God, how I hate that man. And you know that if he casts Summer, he'll just shuffle her into the background again like he did on TSCC, in your heart you know he will.
I'm not celebrity fan person. I don't do fan, never did. But Summer Glau is just something else. She's like Audrey Hepburn on steroids. She's too good for this, way too good. I hope, I pray, I wish that she won't get dragged into this disaster waiting to happen. The really perverse thing is that I do think she'd be perfect for the role, although she'd be able to do more sophisticated stuff, and I would be happy about this if Friedman was not involved. This is terrifying for me, I'll live in fear every day until I know the final cast for this.
In order to be able to answer the question, I'll have to pretend the world were a better place and Friedman had nothing to do with this. So under those circumstances my choices would be:
1. Summer Glau
2. Kristen Bell
3. Allison Scagliotti
Oh and Lena Headey? She belongs on Desperate Housewives, now, that would be perfect for her.
yes,yes Renee O'connor would rock. she talented and beautifulllllllllllll.
Summer Glau should be on the top of the list as she meets all of the criteria required for an actress to fit this role (beauty, acting, grace, action, hard worker, great personality). She is a very talented and versatile actress as she had already proven in Serenity, Firefly, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, The Unit, 4400, and many more. Besides, if the rumor is true that Josh Friedman is leading this effort, then he already has a great working relationship with Summer. Best wishes to Summer in landing this role. :)
My checkbook is open, and here are my picks regardless of cost:
We need four angels....
Summer Glau (obv!)
Katie Cassidy (daayyyuuummm!)
Gabrielle Union (wasted on FF)
Jewel Staite (the brainy one)
Victor Garber as Charlie...
This may not be popular, but I'm thinking Kevin James for Bosley.
Summer Glau, Katee Sackhoff and Grace Park are about the only three actresses on the planet who could make this work through sheer force of will. I'd watch it just to see them kick serious butt.
While I like Buffy alums Dushku and Trachtenberg, they aren't really good actresses. Eliza has managed to kill off the series she's been in since. Michelle was believable in Gossip Girl but I don't buy her as a nurse.
Thank you for stating that Eliza cannot act. I swear, she looks like a great person, but every time she opens her mouth it makes me cringe.
Summer Glau is completely awesome. However, I hope someone (other than every single person who watches TV) notices her potential and offers her something that's actually worth her while. Cheesy TV shows are doing the woman no favors, and I really don't see C.A. Redux going anywhere.
You know, Adrianne Pallicki is free now that her character from Friday Night Lights has gone off to college. She's got the acting chops and I'd absolutely buy her kicking ass alongside Katee Sackoff.
Evangeline is awesome and she should be everywhere
Although I don't know if I want her on this show