From the beginning, it was important to director Elizabeth Banks to keep the new Charlie’s Angels grounded in reality. Sure they could beat up the bad guys, but really, given the right tools — brains or Krav Maga training or a rocket launcher — couldn’t any woman?
In Banks’ bold vision, Kristen Stewart, Naomi Scott, and Ella Balinska are working for the mysterious Charles Townsend, whose security and investigative agency has expanded internationally. With the world’s smartest, bravest, and most highly trained women all over the globe, there are now teams of Angels guided by multiple Bosleys taking on the toughest jobs everywhere.
“Elizabeth’s version of Charlie’s Angels definitely has all of these women executing incredible feats and overcoming difficult odds in normal, but very fashionable street clothes that all girls want to wear and can relate to,” says Costume Designer Kym Barrett. “I think it’s important that the costumes have a kind of levity; they’re not too serious but not too jokey. We definitely walked a balance to try and keep the spirit of other Charlie’s Angels girls alive.”
“We love fashion,” agrees Banks. “We felt like the Angels would have the most beautiful, cutting-edge clothes, and they do.”
Creating the angel look of 2019 was much less of inventing the next great catsuit and the glitziest make-up but diving into the characters first. Rather than developing fancy looks, the team thought about the characters’ individual traits and their arcs. Then they focused on how the Angels looked when they came together as a team.
Our new Angels are from different backgrounds, so they bring different looks, attitudes, and experiences to that table. For the creative team, this lent itself to a lot of fun in designing their characters.
Sabina, a chameleon who’s always game for everything, much like Kristen Stewart herself, is more rebellious and shows off a lot of leg, a lot of clavicle, says Banks. “Sabina—and Kristen— have fun playing with how they can be a really different version of themselves,” says Barrett. “She definitely gets a chance to show that she can transform into all kinds of versions of herself.”
Ella Balinska’s Jane, on the other hand, is more buttoned up—literally. She wears a lot of suits and structured clothing.
For Naomi Scott, the team created an arc that develops from softer looks into stronger looks, reflecting the development of her character Elena. Banks says: “Elena has the biggest transformation because, of course, she starts out not as an Angel, just a science nerd basically. And we take her under our wing, give her the whole closet to choose from, and upgrade her look as we go along.”
Now playing in Philippine cinemas, Charlie’s Angels is distributed by Columbia Pictures, local office of Sony Pictures Releasing International. Use the hashtag #CharliesAngels
