What is The Bodyguard about? Tyra Banks says Taylor Swift and Idris Elba should star in the 1992 film's remake

American TV personality Tyra Banks claimed that Taylor Swift and Idris Elba should star in the remake of the 1992 film, The Bodyguard. The original film featured singer Whitney Houston and Kevin Costner opposite each other in the musical drama.

In the April 14 episode of Today With Jenna & Friends, Tyra Banks suggested that Taylor Swift should play Whitney Houston's role in The Bodyguard's upcoming remake. She also picked Idris Elba to play the male lead opposite her in the film.

"I think Taylor, because business and commerce, art, and she would freakin’ sell like crazy. I'm a Black girl. It was Whitney Houston as a Black girl and Kevin Costner as a white man. What if we flipped it and it was Taylor and Idris Elba? So hot," she said.

Directed by Mike Jackson, the 1992 film The Bodyguard follows the story of a US Secret Service agent-turned bodyguard, Frank (Kevin Costner), who is hired to protect a famous singer and actress, Rachel (Whitney Houston), from an unidentified stalker. The two fall in love and the film traces how they deal with their growing feelings.

The movie is fondly remembered for its soundtrack, which featured one of Houston's biggest hits, I Will Always Love You. The film was inspired by Houston's relationship with her real-life bodyguard, David Roberts.

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Have Taylor Swift and Idris Elba previously worked together?

Universal Pictures Presents The World Premiere Of Cats - Source: Getty

Taylor Swift and Idris Elba have collaborated on multiple occasions before. The British actor has featured in Swift's 2019 album, Lover, and they have also starred together in the film Cats, which was released in the same year.

The musical drama Cats is based on the 1981 West End musical of the same name, written by Andrew Lloyd Webber. The play in itself was inspired by T.S. Eliot's 1939 poetry collection, Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats. Directed by Tom Hooper, the 2019 film adaptation featured Taylor Swift in the role of Bombalurina while Idris Elba starred as Macavity.

In a March 2019 interview with Variety, Idris Elba praised Swift's performance in Cats, saying:

"Taylor was great. Her and I had a lot of work to do together, and she was amazing. She worked hard and was just happy to be there."

Elba and Swift collaborated once again when the British actor's voice was sampled in the singer's 2019 track, London Boy, in the album Lover. The song begins with a one-liner in Elba's voice. It said:

"We can go driving in, on my scooter. Uh, you know, just riding in London."

The quote was taken from Idris Elba's 2017 appearance on The Late Late Show with James Corden, where he described his ideal date. The actor was also spotted at one of Swift's Eras Tour shows at Wembley Stadium in London on August 15.

Speaking to Access' Scott Evans, Elba also called Taylor Swift "a good girl" and a "great artist."

"She’s got a really good heart and she works hard. (...) Not only is she a musician but she’s an actress as well…she’s got chops. She holds her own, no doubt. It comes natural to her," Elba said.

During the same interview, Idris Elba also teased that he would like to work with Swift on a song. It would be "great" for him to do a song with the singer, mentioned the actor.

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In other news. Taylor Swift also shares an interesting connection with the director of the upcoming Bodyguard remake, Sam Wrench. He was also the director of Swift's 2023 concert movie, titled Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour. On April 11, it was announced that the remake is officially in the works, with Wrench set to direct it. Cast details about the film are yet to be confirmed.