Red Sonja (2025)
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2025-09 to 2026-08
A nomad barbarian must unite a group of unlikely warriors to confront a powerful emperor and his deadly consort.
The story
After her homeland, Hyrkania, is devastated by an invasion, a young Sonja is forced to flee into the wilderness, where she survives alone while worshipping the goddess Asherah. Years later, she encounters a group of hunters and is captured by the forces of Emperor Dragan. Dragan seeks a legendary book of ancient knowledge and believes Sonja's knowledge of the uncharted forest will lead him to the missing half of the text. Sonja is forced into the capital to fight in gladiator games, where she must navigate a dangerous landscape of mercenaries and magical devices to survive and find her way back to her people.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Following the destruction of her home, Sonja lives as a nomad in the woods. When she is captured by Emperor Dragan's men, she is sent to the capital to fight in gladiator games. Dragan seeks a mystical book of ancient knowledge; Sonja possesses the map to the refugees who hold the second half. During a skirmish, Sonja manages to damage Dragan's energy devices and flees to the mountains with other captives. She is pursued by Dragan and his consort, Annisia, a warrior with schizophrenia. While hiding, Sonja finds the missing Hyrkanians. A massive battle ensues where Dragan seizes the second half of the book. During a duel, Sonja is mortally wounded but is healed by a vision of the goddess Asherah. She returns to the fray, where Annisia and Dragan eventually turn on each other. Dragan is defeated and flees, eventually dying in the wilderness. Sonja confronts him in his final moments, where he reveals the second half of the book is for healing, not power. The film ends with Sonja leaving the forest to explore the world, eventually being called to a new adventure years later.
- First release year
- 2025
- Runtime (minutes)
- 110
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- M. J. Bassett
- Writers
- Tasha Huo · writer
- Cast and characters
- Matilda Lutz · Red Sonja; Wallis Day · Annisia; Robert Sheehan · Emperor Dragan the Magnificent; Michael Bisping · Hawk; Martyn Ford · General Karlak, a man/animal hybrid; Eliza Matengu · Amarak; Veronica Ferres · Asherah and the mother of Red Sonja
- Genres
- sword and sorcery; fantasy; action
- Themes
- survival; sacrifice; nature vs. power
- Tone and mood
- action-packed; gritty
- Premise and plot tags
- fantasy; action; reboot; sword and sorcery
- Source material / true-story basis
- Based on the character by Robert E. Howard as adapted by Roy Thomas, drawing from Marvel Comics and Dynamite Comics.
- Franchise connections
- Red Sonja
- Reception
- The film received generally mixed reviews from critics.
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 41 · scale: 100 · review count: 6
- Production trivia
- The film is a reboot of the character, following the 1985 film starring Brigitte Nielsen.; The character's trademark bikini remains as a symbol of power.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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