From the outset, the new Charlie’s Angels reboot wanted to approach the notion of sexuality in a specific way.

Director Elizabeth Banks wanted to cast Kristen Stewart, knowing that she would be the first queer actor to take on the role of one of the titular Angels in the film. She also knew, though, that she wanted to make sure that the character’s sexuality was never boxed in by labels.

“When I cast [Stewart], I just wanted her to be… I just felt like she’s almost the way Kristen is,” Banks told Digital Spy. “I don’t feel there is a label that fits her. The only thing that was important to me was to not label it as anything. It’s fine if the media wants to label it, I think that’s OK, but I didn’t do that. I just let her be herself in the film.” 

The movie might not include any explicit references to Stewart’s character Sabina’s sexuality or identity, but speaking from the premiere in Los Angeles last night, Stewart revealed that she feels “very proud” of the queer representation in the film.

“I play a character that is entirely unpredictable,” Stewart said. “As a synonym for queer, that’s pretty much – you can’t hold this one down, you know what I’m saying?”

She added: “I feel entirely represented. And that’s in the movie. And that’s because of my fucking ass, and I’m very proud to say that.” 

Representation was the most important thing for Banks when working on the movie. The three Angels of the film – Stewart, Aladdin’s Naomi Scott and Ella Balinska – represent three different kinds of women, two of whom are people of colour. Balinska, who plays a former MI6 agent in the film, also did the bulk of her own stunts in the movie’s many action sequences.

“I think that Charlie’s Angels generally, right now, in the zeitgeist, feels kitschy and winky and campy,” Banks told Digital Spy. “I really wanted to ground it. I really felt like the whole franchise needed… the action needed to feel real, that there were real stakes for the characters, but also balance it with what people expect from Charlie’s Angels.” 

“I wanted the energy of the movie to feel very inclusive,” Banks continued. “I wanted to sort of say the Angels can come from anywhere.”

Charlie’s Angels is released in cinemas in the US on 15 November and in the UK on 29 November. 

Images: Getty, Sony