AceShowbiz -

The reins apparently are no longer hold by Peter Webber. Variety has brought in quite surprising news telling Robert Rodriguez, fresh from "Grindhouse", is coming onboard to take helming duties on "Barbarella", which Webber was supposed to direct following reports on him being hired to perform the task back in February.

A remake of the 1968 sci-fi adventure of the same title starring Jane Fonda as the titular character, the project is said to present a different concept from the original in depicting the heroine, putting her as a modern woman surviving in a futuristic world through her intelligence, fighting skills, and sexuality instead.

"I love this iconic character and all that she represents, and I'm truly excited by the challenge of inviting a new audience into her universe," Rodriguez remarked.

Already hired to work on the screenplay are duo Neal Purvis and Robert Wade, who recently finished scripting "Bond 22", with husband-and-wife team Dino and Martha De Laurentiis producing for Universal Pictures for a 2008 release.

"In our vision, the future is female, and I can't wait to introduce 'Barbarella' to a new generation of moviegoers," Dino De Laurentiis said as he hinted at the flavor of the new take.