Tyra Banks Wants Taylor Swift to Play Whitney Houston’s Role in ‘The Bodyguard’ Remake: ‘So Hot’

When it comes to who should follow in Whitney Houston’s footsteps in the upcoming remake of The Bodyguard, Tyra Banks has one pop star in mind.

“I think Taylor Swift, because business and commerce, art, and she would freakin’ sell like crazy,” Banks, 51, shared on the Monday, April 14, episode of Today With Jenna & Friends. The supermodel even has another actor in mind to play opposite Swift, 35, as the film’s love interest.

“I’m a Black girl. It was Whitney Houston as a Black girl and Kevin Costner as a white man,” she said to Today’s Jenna Bush Hager. “What if we flipped it and it was Taylor Swift and Idris Elba?”

Bush Hager, 43, approved of Banks’ casting suggestions, stating, “That is good.” Banks, for her part, noted that Swift and Elba, 52, playing opposite each other on the big screen would be “so hot.”

Swift and Elba previously shared the screen in the 2019 film Cats. The Grammy winner portrayed Bombalurina in the movie musical, one of the film’s not-so-nice felines working alongside Elba’s Macavity.

Swift also shares a connection with The Bodyguard remake director Sam Wrench, as he notably directed Swift’s October 2023 Eras Tour movie. Wrench is known for directing several musical projects, including concert films for stars such as Brandi Carlile, BTS, Lizzo and Billie Eilish, as well as Sabrina Carpenter’s A Nonsense Christmas Netflix special and the 2024 Disney Parks Magical Christmas Day Parade.

No casting for the project has been announced. Juror #2 writer Jonathan A. Abrams will pen the movie’s script, per Deadline.

Released in 1992, The Bodyguard follows former Secret Service agent Frank Farmer (Costner) as he is hired as the new bodyguard of superstar Rachel Marron (Houston). As Frank works to protect Rachel from a dangerous stalker, the two form a romantic connection.

The Bodyguard marked one of Houston’s most notable movie roles before her death at age 48 in 2012. The film’s soundtrack also featured many of her iconic songs, such as “I Will Always Love You,” “I Have Nothing,” “I’m Every Woman,” “Run to You” and more.

Plans for a remake of The Bodyguard have reportedly been in the works since 2011. Tony-winning playwright Matthew López was previously attached to write the film’s script in 2021, telling Variety at the time that his version of the film would focus on a “young Latina performer who has just become famous,” as opposed to Houston’s “established” celebrity character from the original.

“It’s about how her life has changed because she is an overnight sensation,” he shared in September 2021. “In the 21st century, that means she’s in immediate need of protection. It was important to me to use this opportunity to get Latin faces up on that screen and to get their stories told in a big way.”

It is unknown if López has completely parted ways with the project. In June 2023, he told Variety that he “turned in my script” for the project, adding, “I don’t know where they are in the process. I know the producers have a passion for the film, and I hope it gets made.”