It was confirmed earlier this month that Whitney Houston and Kevin Costner movie, The Bodyguard is getting a brand new remake, with Matthew Lopez writing the new take on the story of the pop star who falls in love with her bodyguard while he attempts to keep her safe. During an interview with Variety, Lopez discussed a number of subjects including his historic Best Play Tony Award win and what he hopes to achieve with his new version of the 90s hit.

"Instead of focusing on an established star like the one Whitney Houston played, this is about a young Latina performer who has just become famous," Matthew Lopez explained. "It's about how her life has changed because she is an overnight sensation. In the 21st century, that means she's in immediate need of protection. It was important to me to use this opportunity to get Latin faces up on that screen and to get their stories told in a big way."

Lopez has made no secret of his advocacy for Latine actors in the entertainment industry, and the lack of proportionate representation of Latin stars in the mainstream movies and TV shows that are being released. His Tony Award win was the first for a Latine person, and Lopez was quick to call out the New York Times when they failed to make this clear in their reporting, something that they have since corrected. In Lopez's words, "the Latin community is 19% of the population and it should not be ignored."

Lopez is best known for writing The Inheritance, one of the most praised and honored plays to have graced the stage, but taking on an iconic project like The Bodyguard is one way to add another project to that list if it is done correctly. The original movie was not well received by critics on its release, but contained one of the biggest movie soundtracks of all time and anyone asked to name a Kevin Costner movie it will be in that list. From its paltry $25 million budget, the film grossed over $400 million at the box office but also became one of those movies that managed to pick up award nominations at both the Academy Awards and the Raspberry Awards.

The remake of the original 1992 The Bodyguard will be produced by Lawrence Kasdan, who served as writer and producer on the original, alongside Dan Lin and Jonathan Eirich. The remake has been in the air for a decade now, with Lin's name being connected to the project from the start, and an in that time a lot of names have come and gone in relation to potential stars for the lead roles. While there have been no casting announcements made yet, names that have come up recently have included Cardi B, Tessa Thompson, Chris Hemsworth and Channing Tatum. It is obviously too early to consider when the remake may arrive in cinemas, but if all goes to a general schedule timeline, then we will likely see the movie landing sometime in late 2023 or soon after. This news originated at Variety.