Warner Bros. has set director Sam Wrench to lead a new version of The Bodyguard, the 1992 romantic thriller that starred Whitney Houston and Kevin Costner. Wrench, known for directing Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour, will helm the studio’s long-developing remake, which has cycled through various iterations since it was first proposed over a decade ago.
Jonathan Abrams has been brought on to write the screenplay. Abrams made his feature writing debut with Juror #2, the Clint Eastwood courtroom drama completed in 2023. A previous version of The Bodyguard remake script was written by Matthew Lopez, though the current iteration will reflect Abrams’ take on the material. Casting for the project has not yet been announced.
Michael De Luca and Pam Abdy, co-heads of Warner Bros. Pictures Group, confirmed the studio’s plans in an interview with Deadline. The film is being positioned as a key project within the studio’s slate, drawing from the legacy of one of Warner Bros.’ most commercially successful titles of the early 1990s.
The original film, directed by Mick Jackson from a screenplay by Lawrence Kasdan, centered on a former Secret Service agent who is hired to protect a global pop star after she receives threats from a stalker. The film marked Houston’s debut in a leading role and became the second-highest-grossing release of 1992, taking in over $400 million worldwide. Its soundtrack became a commercial juggernaut, led by Houston’s performance of “I Will Always Love You,” a cover of Dolly Parton’s 1974 hit. The song earned multiple awards and remains one of Houston’s most widely recognized recordings.
The Bodyguard also featured original songs “I Have Nothing” and “Run to You,” both of which were nominated for Academy Awards. Houston’s musical performances were central to the film’s reception, even as reviews at the time noted shifts in tone across its plot. A stage adaptation premiered in London’s West End in 2012, further extending the material’s reach.
Wrench’s background in live music filmmaking sets him apart from traditional narrative directors. Alongside The Eras Tour, which broke concert film box office records, his credits include A Nonsense Christmas with Sabrina Carpenter and Laufey’s A Night at the Symphony: Hollywood Bowl. He has also directed performance-based films for artists such as BTS, Billie Eilish, and Lizzo. His approach prioritizes the live energy of the performance. Speaking to Variety about his work on Laufey’s A Night at the Symphony, Wrench explained, “When the music is the king, the music is the thing you follow… We pointed some cameras, and here we are.”
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Warner Bros.’ decision to tap Wrench signals a focus on the musical dimensions of the story, which were a defining element of the original film’s appeal. While the studio has not disclosed how closely the new version will follow the original’s structure or characters, the decision to bring in a director with a concert film background suggests an interest in emphasizing that aspect of the material.
Development on the remake has been ongoing since at least 2011, with various actors, writers, and directors linked to the project over the years. With Wrench and Abrams now attached, the film appears to be moving forward with renewed clarity.
