The debut trailer for Red Sonja has hit the web, bringing Marvel Comics and Dynamite Entertainment’s renowned heroine dressed in her signature chainmail bikini to life. Played by Matilda Lutz (Revenge, Rings), the movie looks to be a sentimental callback to the cinematic action style that populated the period of the early to mid-aughts.
The two-minute footage introduces the iconic sword-wielding heroine as she responds to a mysterious, disembodied voice warning that “the Earth is bleeding”. Seeking the power to confront those responsible, presumably for revenge, Sonja embarks on a journey that quickly escalates into high-stakes conflict.
The trailer goes on to showcase a series of glimpses into a world of decadence and oppression, cutting between the imposing elites and our titular heroine’s acts of defiance, liberating prisoners and executing swift combat manoeuvres. Her mission takes a turn when she’s captured and cast into a brutal gladiatorial arena. From there, the tone shifts into a full-scale rebellion as Sonja leads a resistance against the ruling class across both arena and battlefield.
Though the trailer already seems to depict all of the narrative beats in a blow-by-blow fashion, fans can certainly still look forward to what promises to be a good nostalgic time watching the fantasy film helmed by action director M.J. Bassett (Solomon Kane). The original movie starring Brigette Nielsen (Rocky IV) was released in 1985, with Arnold Schwarzenegger (Terminator), Sandahl Bergman (Conan the Barbarian), Paul Smith (Midnight Express), and Ronald Lacey (Raiders of the Lost Ark) in supporting roles.
Bassett confessed her enthusiasm for the character and the forthcoming film, stating in a press release: “I’ve wanted to make a Red Sonja movie since I was a teenager—she has been a powerful presence for me and a character that I have always wanted to bring to the screen with my own voice and vision.”
Alongside Lutz, who replaced Hannah John-Kamen as the titular warrior, the Red Sonja reboot also features Martyn Ford (Fast & Furious 9), Robert Sheehan (The Umbrella Academy), Wallis Day (Batwoman), Michael Bisping (Den of Thieves), Philip Winchester (Strike Back), Trevor Eve (Waking the Dead), Luca Pasqualino (The Musketeers), and Rhona Mitra (Underworld: Rise of the Lycans).
Red Sonja is scheduled for a theatrical release on 15 August 2025, with a digital release on 29 August 2025.
Conversation with Ting Wei is like chatting with a weird AI bot programmed only with One Piece lore and theories, sitcom quotes and other miscellaneous pop culture references. When he’s not sleeping, he’s highly likely reading manga. In fact, the only thing he reads more than manga is the Bible, and it’s honestly pretty close.
A'bidah Zaid
