Zendaya Rumored to Lead a New Take on THE FUGITIVE
A surprising rumor has surfaced suggesting that Zendaya could be stepping into the lead role of a new version of The Fugitive. If the report proves true, the actress known for Dune and the upcoming Spider-Man: Brand New Day could soon be front and center in a modern reimagining of the classic thriller.
The rumor comes from Giant Freakin Robot, a site with a mixed record when it comes to scoops. They’ve been right before, but they’ve also missed the mark, so this report definitely falls into the “take it with caution” category. Still, the idea itself is interesting enough to get people talking.
According to the report, Zendaya is being eyed to headline a remake of The Fugitive. The original 1993 film starred Harrison Ford as Dr. Richard Kimble, a man wrongly convicted of murdering his wife who escapes custody and goes on the run while trying to uncover the real killer.
If Zendaya does land the role, she likely wouldn’t be playing a gender-swapped version of Kimble. Instead, the movie would probably introduce a new character built around the same core premise.
That premise has proven pretty durable over the years. The story actually started as a 1960s television series starring David Janssen as Kimble. It followed the same basic setup of an innocent man being wrongly accused of killing his wife escapes prison and spends the series evading capture while hunting for the real murderer. Every step of the way he’s pursued by determined law enforcement.
The concept reached peak popularity with the 1993 film adaptation, which became a huge hit. Directed by Andrew Davis, the movie earned rave reviews and brought in around $370 million worldwide.
Tommy Lee Jones famously played U.S. Marshal Samuel Gerard, the relentless officer tracking Kimble across the country. His performance earned him the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor and helped cement the film as one of the best thrillers of the decade.
Hollywood has tried to revisit the concept a few times since then. A short-lived TV reboot aired on CBS in 2000 starring Tim Daly, and a 2020 Quibi version starring Kiefer Sutherland came and went with little fanfare. None have captured the lightning-in-a-bottle success of the 1993 film.
Zendaya stepping into a fugitive-style thriller could mark an interesting shift for her career. She’s decent actress that can handle the drama and blockbuster spectacle, but this kind of grounded action story could push her further into leading action territory.
The actress has also talked about wanting to explore different kinds of roles in the future. In a previous interview discussing her ambitions, she explained:
"I would love to play a villain of sorts. Tap into that evil, supervillain vibe. Whatever that manifests in, I don’t think necessarily in a superhero sense but in an emotional sense. I feel like I usually play the good guy, so I’d like to play the bad guy."
She also revealed she has creative goals beyond acting: "[I want to] direct one day. To direct a film, hopefully more than just one, but just doing it. The first step to actually doing something yourself is not an easy step to take, so hopefully I can get over the fear."
At the moment, there’s no word on which studio might be developing the project, who would direct it, or how far along the supposed remake is. Zendaya’s involvement also hasn’t been confirmed.
So for now, it’s simply an intriguing piece of speculation. What do you think about the idea of Zendaya starring in a new Fugitive movie?