Rose McGowan Is Still 'Barbarella', Damn It

Despite reports to the contrary, Rose McGowan says she's still going to play the lead in boyfriend Robert Rodriguez' upcoming Barbarella remake.

The Grindhouse star tells MTV that the speculation that she wouldn't be cast by Universal (related to her lack of box office experiences) "(W)as really irritating because I know all the people over there and obviously it wasn't true. It was very malicious and there was no proof," McGowan insisted. "Oftentimes these things have basis in truth but this didn't. I have contracts to prove it."

Rose says the production is further along than we've heard, with costumes ready and many of the sets already constructed. "I've got part of a spaceship built for me," exclaims the actress.

Of course, remaking Barbarella isn't a bad idea. I'm not so sure about the casting, but in order to push the envelope - and there's no reason to remake Barbarella if you're not pushing the envelope - Rodriguez has to have an actress willing to go just about anywhere. McGowan fits that bill, but I'm just not sure she's all that good. Haven't really seen it.

Regardless, I am looking forward to what Rodriguez can bring to the project visually, although Rose claims we may have to just wait patiently for quite a while. "(It) wouldn't be able to be finished before June which is when the next strike might happen," says McGowan, citing the possibility of a Screen Actors Guild strike. "It's a longer shoot."