Will There Be a 'Charlie's Angels 3'?
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Good morning, Angels! It’s been 20 years since Drew Barrymore, Cameron Diaz and Lucy Liu answered Charlie’s call in Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle, but it’s starting to seem like there’s a slim chance the crime-fighting trio could reunite for a third movie.
“It would take a long discussion with those three wonderful performers who I adore,” McG—who directed 2000’s Charlie’s Angels and its 2003 sequel, Full Throttle—told Entertainment Weekly in August 2023. “Who knows? Maybe we’ve got one left in us that tells a very compelling story if the opportunity presents itself.”
Charlie’s Angels began as a TV series in 1976 starring Farrah Fawcett, Kate Jackson and Jaclyn Smith as the titular trio of lady spies. The 2000 film with Diaz, Liu and Barrymore was the first big-screen iteration of the franchise—and it was a major hit, raking in more than $264 million at the box office.
According to McG, however, the movie was nearly too wild for Sony’s execs, who were confused by the film’s tone. “The movie was insane at the time,” he told EW. “[Former Sony executive] Amy Pascal would come down and go, ‘What? Am I supposed to laugh? Am I supposed to take it seriously? Why is there so much color? Why are they always dancing? Why is there so much music?’ I said, ‘Amy, you got to trust me. It’s all going to come together in the end.’ And to her credit, she trusted me, yes, but by the skin of my teeth.”
Elizabeth Banks rebooted the franchise in 2019 with Kristen Stewart, Naomi Scott and Ella Balinska as a new generation of Angels, but the film didn’t make as much of an impression as its predecessors—and fans are still holding out hope for a third movie with Liu, Diaz and Barrymore. Keep reading for everything to know about a potential third Charlie’s Angels:
Will there be a Charlie’s Angels 3?
Charlie’s Angels 3 isn’t officially confirmed, but several of the key parties have said they’re open to the idea of embarking on another mission. McG, who directed 2000’s Charlie’s Angels and 2003’s Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle, sparked renewed speculation in August 2023 when he told Entertainment Weekly that he could envision a third movie happening with original cast members Drew Barrymore, Cameron Diaz, and Lucy Liu.
“I love the three of them so much. They put me on the map,” said McG, whose real name is Joseph McGinty Nichol. “They looked out for me when I was a first-time filmmaker. I was very nearly fired off that film on many, many occasions, and Drew stood up for me and I’m forever indebted to her. And obviously, those are three performers where God broke the mold. They don't make ’em like that. I mean, those are three special ones.”
What has Drew Barrymore said about doing Charlie’s Angels 3?
Drew Barrymore rarely acts since starting her eponymous talk show in 2020, but she’s also on board with the idea of making a third Charlie’s Angels. “[Lucy Liu] was at Comic-Con for the new Shazam movie and they asked her, ‘Would you do a Charlie’s [Angels] 3?’ And I was on the edge of my seat,” Barrymore said during an October 2022 episode of her show. “I would be surprised if any one of us ever decreed that we wouldn’t [do a third movie]. I would. I would in a heartbeat. The answer is an emphatic yes. I will always say yes.”
Related: All About Season 4 of Drew Barrymore's Talk Show
What has Lucy Liu said about doing Charlie’s Angels 3?
Lucy Liu has played slightly more coy about the possibility of a third Charlie’s Angels. “I think we teamed up as moms,” she told Access Hollywood at Comic-Con in 2022 when asked about reviving the series. “It’s really nice that we're all moms now since that time, and it’s just a different phase in our lives.”
Liu seemed a bit more open to the idea in March 2023 when Jimmy Fallon told her that Barrymore was on board for a third movie if her fellow Angels were too. “Let’s just say, guys, it's been 23 years. It’s been a long time,” Liu said. “It’s going to be a different iteration of the Charlie’s Angels, I guess. But you know, I love [Cameron and Drew] so much. It would be really fun to do anything with them, but, like, I just, it’s so—it seems like it was yesterday, and it seems like it was so far away at the same time.”
Related: 10 Legendary Costar Feuds
What has Cameron Diaz said about doing Charlie’s Angels 3?
Cameron Diaz hasn’t specifically commented on whether she’d do a third Charlie’s Angels, but she’s remained super tight with Barrymore and Liu for the last two decades. When Barrymore launched her talk show in 2020, she invited Diaz and Liu to be her first guests.
Diaz, however, is mostly retired from acting, so she could potentially be the hardest of the three stars to convince. She is currently at work on the upcoming film Back in Action, which will mark her first movie appearance since 2014. “I was like, ‘So, hey, guys, what’s the title of this?’ And they were like, ‘Back in Action,’” Diaz joked during a September 2022 interview on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. “I was like, ‘Oh! I can really feel very connected to this character already.’ … It’s a little bit of muscle memory, you know what I mean? I did that for so long, it’s kind of like the process—I just fell back into it. But it feels a little bit different.”
Would McG direct Charlie’s Angels 3?
McG has said he’d be interested in directing Charlie’s Angels 3—but he’d also be willing to give another director the chance to helm the project. “I’m very happy to discuss it with Drew and Cameron and Lucy, but at the same time, I’m very happy to pass the torch,” he told Entertainment Weekly in August 2023. “I mean, I love the Tim Burton Batman movies, I love the new Batman movies. It’s just sort of like there can be a keeper of the flame and you can pass the torch.”
What would Charlie’s Angels 3 be about?
It’s been 20 years since Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle hit theaters, so the possibilities are truly endless for where a third entry in the series could begin. When Full Throttle ended, the Angels were settling in for some downtime after thwarting the evil plans of rogue agent Madison (Demi Moore). Alex (Liu) was ready to restart her romance with Jason (Matt LeBlanc), while Natalie (Diaz) and boyfriend Pete (Luke Wilson) were taking the big step of adopting a puppy. Dylan (Barrymore) seemed ready to start a romance with the Thin Man (Crispin Glover), but he fell to his death in the final battle. (In the unrated cut, however, he survived.)
Will Charlie’s Angels 3 connect to the Elizabeth Banks Charlie’s Angels?
The 2019 reboot of Charlie’s Angels starred Kristen Stewart, Naomi Scott and Ella Balinska as three new operatives working for Charlie, but one scene revealed that Natalie, Alex, and Dylan—and the Angels from the 1970s TV series—all exist in the same universe. Theoretically, this means that a third film could find Diaz, Liu and Barrymore interacting with their younger counterparts. The 2019 film also included a post-credits scene that featured new recruits played by Hailee Steinfeld, Lili Reinhart, Aly Raisman, Huda Kattan and Chloe Kim, so perhaps the original trio could shepherd the incoming class as elder stateswomen of the spy world.
What is the Charlie’s Angels 3 release date?
Charlie’s Angels 3 is still very much a theoretical proposition, so there’s not yet a release date, but watch this space for any updates.
Is there a Charlie’s Angels 3 trailer?
Charlie’s Angels 3 is not officially underway, but if production ever begins, check back here for any trailer news.
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