Robert Rodriguez has signed on to direct "Barbarella," a new feature adaptation of the classic sci-fi comic book series that Universal Pictures is fast-tracking for a 2008 worldwide release.
The character was immortalized in a 1968 movie starring Jane Fonda. Dino De Laurentiis, who produced the original film, will produce the update with Martha De Laurentiis.
"Barbarella" tells the story of a female mercenary who roams across the universe of a distant future, undertaking missions that require physical fearlessness, ingenuity and sensuality. The character debuted in 1962 in a French graphic magazine written and illustrated by Jean-Claude Forest and was known for her many adventures, often involving sex. There also was a musical produced in 2004.