‘The Bodyguard’: Warner Bros. Rebooting Whitney Houston, Kevin Costner Classic!!

Warner Bros. is officially saying “I Will Always Love You” to the classic Kevin Costner and Whitney Houston-led romantic thriller The Bodyguard. During a massive interview with Deadline on Friday, the company’s co-chairmen/CEOs Mike De Luca and Pam Abdy revealed that a remake of the 1992 box office smash hit is in the works with Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour director Sam Wrench at the helm. He’ll direct from a screenplay penned by Jonathan A. Abrams, who most recently scripted Clint Eastwood‘s final film Juror #2. No casting has been set at this time.

Directed by Mick Jackson and written by Raiders of the Lost Ark writer Lawrence Kasdan, the original Bodyguard centered on R&B star Rachel Marron (Houston) and her newly-hired bodyguard, Frank Farmer, who is brought in after the singer starts receiving disturbing threats from a stalker. Their initially icy relationship grows fonder as Frank does his best to keep Rachel safe throughout her career. More drama arises as sparks begin to fly between the unlikely pair, all while the former Secret Service agent tries to root out the person targeting Rachel. Beyond the story, it’s best known for its soundtrack by Houston, which contained her legendary cover of “I Will Always Love You” and became the best-selling soundtrack of all time and best-selling album by a female artist of all time, all while earning the film two Oscar nominations.

Revisiting the romantic favorite is part of Luca and Abdy’s massive push to capitalize on and reinvent past successful IP from the company. Despite lukewarm reviews, The Bodyguard was a colossal financial hit, earning $411 million against a budget of only $25 million. Notably, Warner Bros. Discovery has been trying to recreate the magic of the film for a while now. Back in 2021, Kasdan was brought back to produce a reimagining from writer Matthew Lopez. These efforts stem as far back as 2011, with several duos, including Channing Tatum and Cardi B and Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson, considered for the lead roles. Casting will be vital for the success of the remake, given how the original marked Houston‘s first film role at the height of her pop superstardom.

‘The Bodyguard’ Is Only the Tip of the Iceberg for Warner Bros’ Plans

In addition to The Bodyguard, De Luca and Abdy dished on a buffet of upcoming IPs that’s getting underway at Warner Bros. Discovery. Though the duo had a rough start to the year, A Minecraft Movie was a financial diamond mine that has, thus far, surpassed the $350 million mark at the global box office in just its second week. As such, a sequel is being fast-tracked, alongside a Beetlejuice threequel following last year’s smash hit Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. The company is also looking to breathe new life into movie franchises like Practical Magic, Gremlins, Goonies, and The Matrix to carry the studio forward from 2026 and onward.