McGowan the New Red Sonja

Actress Rose McGowan will be turning in a performance as Red Sonja for Robert Rodriguez’ new film adaptation of the comic book warrior, according to USA Today. [Pictured here together]

Rodriguez has been wanting to produce a remake of the film and believes he has found the perfect female lead in his girlfriend McGowan, who also starred in his Grindhouse film “Planet Terror.”

Rodriguez has tapped longtime friend and associate Douglas Aarniokoski (“Animals,” “Highlander: Endgame”) to helm the project. Aarniokoski plans on sticking to the Robert E. Howard, Roy Thomas and Barry Windsor-Smith original comic creation as much as possible.

The new “Red Sonja” will begin filming early next year and is looking at sometime in 2010 for its premiere.

McGowan has just wrapped on the horror action film “Fifty Dead Men Walking” and will soon begin filming “Black Oasis,” a biopic about B-movie star Susan Cabot, who was murdered by her dwarf son in 1986.

Rodriquez has a real full plate with “Sin City” 2 & 3, a family film called “Shorts” and a crime thriller titled “Machete,” starring longtime friend and legendary genre actor Danny Trejo.