Director Paul Verhoeven makes no qualms about it. Showgirls destroyed Elizabeth Berkley's acting career. And it's something he deeply regrets. But that hasn't stopped him from daydreaming about a sequel, appropriately called 'Bimbos'. But will it ever happen? And will it be bold enough to feature Charlize Theron, who was originally up for the lead but lost due to being an 'unknown' at the time? The New York Daily News recently caught up with Paul Verhoeven to talk about the film's failures and its history as one of the biggest box office bombs of all time.

Released in 1995, Showgirls has attained quite a cult following. It celebrates its 20th anniversary as one of the worst movies ever bestowed upon the general moviegoing public. And it's one of the few major releases to have ever secured a NC-17 rating since the MPAA established the No Children under 17 ruling in 1990, replacing the X rating. Showgirls helped establish a strong stigma towards the NC-17 rating that still hasn't been scrubbed free to this day, 20 years later. About wanting to return to the world of stripping and the universe in which Elizabeth Berkley's Nomi Malone, a young drifter who hitchhikes to Las Vegas hoping to make it as a showgirl, exists, the acclaimed filmmaker had this to say, denying there would ever be a reboot of the franchise.

"I would not do a 'Showgirls' remake...One movie was definitely enough! But we had actually been working on the sequel to 'Showgirls' which was going to be called 'Bimbos' and was going to be 'Nomi does Hollywood', but after 'Showgirls' was released there was no way anyone was going to give me money for that. If we could just make Elizabeth Berkley 20 years younger now I would love to make 'Bimbos' today. Absolutely, absolutely. I think the world is ready for more."

There is actually a parody sequel to Showgirls entitled Showgirls 2: Penny's from Heaven. In it, Rena Riffel reprises her role as showgirl Penny Slot. Though, it is not considered a true sequel by director Paul Verhoeven. Released in 2011, it does feature quiet a few original cast members from the first film, including Dewey Weber, Greg Travis and Glenn Plummer. But it mostly skewers the original cult classic, and recreates some of that movie's most iconic scenes only to make fun of them. What Paul Verhoeven wants is a direct follow-up to Nomi's story.

It's unlikely that a big Hollywood studio would ever finance a direct sequel called Showgirls 2. But stranger things have happened. And with the original gaining a wider audience every year, it seems like it would be a viable VOD or direct-to-DVD possibility. Though, we doubt Charlize Theron would ever be inclined to return. Paul Verhoeven admits that the Oscar-winning actress was next in line behind Elizabeth Berkley for the role of Nomi. But she wasn't as well known at the time as the Saved by the Bell actress. And Paul Verhoeven only sees that as a blessing in disguise. About not casting Charlize Theron, he had this to say.

"Showgirls certainly ruined the career of Elizabeth Berkley in a major way. It made my life more difficult, but not to the degree it did Elizabeth's. Hollywood turned their backs on her. If somebody has to be blamed, it should be me because I thought that it was interesting to portray somebody like that. Charlize also auditioned, and I don't recall her having any problem with the nudity at all. She was good and wanted the part, but basically she was not well known enough at the time and just did not fit the part, so we said no. I have full respect for Charlize, but if she had been offered the part then she would probably have been chewed up in the same way they treated Elizabeth. She was very lucky that she did not get the part. I wish Charlize congratulations for that because it would have have been a miserable 20 years for her!"

If a true Showgirls sequel were to happen, it would certainly need to bring back the trifecta of Elizabeth Berkley, director Paul Verhoeven and writer Joe Eszterhas, who hasn't done anything substantial since the late 90s, despite being one of the defining voices of that era. But it sounds like someone new would have to step into Nomi's shoes, and that might not be so much fun. But then again, do any of us really want to see Nomi 20 years later in life? What kind of horror show would that be. What do you think? Do you want to see a true Showgirls 2? Or did Penny's from Heaven quench that thirst for you?