Summary
The newRed Sonjamovie trailer is finally here, and it looks like it may continue an unfortunate trend for theConan the Barbarianfilms. The film franchise is based on thefantasycharacters first created by Robert E. Howard, with Conan and Red Sonja finding their way into comics, movies, and video games. TheConan the Barbarianfilm franchise kicked off in 1982, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger in one of his first major roles.
There was a sequel, and even a reboot in 2011 withJason Momoa playing Conan. Red Sonja also graced the screen in her own movie in 1985, with Brigitte Nielsen bringing the character to life. While Conan has thrived thanks to games likeConan Exiles, the film franchise hasn’t found its footing in years. A newRed Sonjafilm has been bouncing around for decades, with top talent even being attached. But now that the movie is finally on the way, with a trailer to entice fans, there may be more concern than excitement forRed Sonja.
Red Sonjais the type of character that connects with numerous demographics of fans, with various Hollywood talent attached to potential iterations of the project for years.Nearly 20 years ago,Spy KidsandSin Citydirector Robert Rodriguezwas attached to direct a new movie, with Rose McGowan intending to play Red Sonja.Rodriguez’s plans eventually fell through, with the project moving over to Bryan Singer, who had seen success with severalX-Menreleases over the years. However, Singer was removed from development due to the abuse allegations against him in 2019.
Joey Soloway was then attached to write and direct following their work on theTransparentseries, but ultimately left the project, which is when M.J. Bassett was brought in to helm the new film. Bassett has found success directing for TV, with episodes ofAltered CarbonandAsh vs Evil Dead. However, her history with feature films is a bit spotty, having directedthe Megan Fox action filmRogueand the lackluster sequel,Silent Hill: Revelation, which saw that franchise come to an abrupt end for over a decade. While Bassett has proven to thrill TV audiences, her lackluster film track record may be rearing its head once again.
Red SonjaLooks To Disappoint Fans With An Underwhelming Trailer
2025’sRed Sonjastars Matilda Lutz as the titular character. Lutz gained notoriety for 2017’sRevenge, a disturbing tale that sees her surviving a horrific ordeal and hunting down those responsible. She continued to impress with performances inReptileandMagpie, leading to the lead inRed Sonja. The other cast members include Robert Sheehan, Katrina Durden, and Rhona Mitra, and the movie was written by Tasha Huo, the scribe behind Netflix’sanimatedTomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft.While excitement among fans was high given the development hellRed Sonjahas gone through to even see the light of day, the current trailer is underwhelming.
Some of the most glaring problems in theRed Sonjatrailer are in some of the VFX shots.Although work on many of the shots may still be in progress, the film’s release is just over a month away. There is a chance that the trailer VFX are as good as they get. The budget forRed Sonjais currently unknown, but much of it looks to have goneto green-screen fights, which look more like a straight-to-DVD film from the early 2000s than a new release hitting in 2025. Some sweeping landscapes are visually striking, but action beats, like Sonja flipping over a fence to fire an arrow while falling in midair, have a sloppy feel to the editing and poor VFX tying the elements together.
The movie could succeed with some of the more tongue-in-cheek moments, like the joke about how her outfit protects nothing, but the crowd will love it. However, other scenes look to already be hindering the overall quality of the finished product. The lackluster trailer has many worried and some even upset, especially withnames like Robert Rodriguezhaving previously been attached, leaving fans of the character to wonder what could have been.Red Sonjacould still impress upon release, but first impressions are mixed at best.
Conan The BarbarianMovies Have Been Garnering Negative Reviews For Years
The only positively ratedConan the Barbarianfilm is the 1982 original.Schwarzenegger returned for the 1984 sequelConan the Destroyerand 1985’s spinoffRed Sonja, but both were poorly received, leading the movie franchise to go dormant for a while. During this time, plans for more films kicked around, but nothing materialized until the 2011 reboot starring Momoa, which again failed to impress despite inspired casting. While it seemed like there may never be another decent film in theConan the Barbarianfranchise, many had high hopes for the plannedRed Sonjamovie.
However, 2025’sRed Sonjamay have missed the mark, setting fans up for disappointment. The new movie could be poised to continue the trendseen withConan the Barbarian-relatedfilms garnering negative reviews. While Schwarzenegger’s 1982 film isn’t perfect, it captures the character in a unique light, allowing him to thrive for a new audience. Conan also seems like an easy enough character to get right, but time and again, the source material looks to be underserved by an adaptation. While there is still time beforeRed Sonja’srelease, the new movie may be another critical failure forConan the Barbarian.
