Taylor Swift in Whitney Houston role in ‘The Bodyguard?’ Tyra Banks likes the idea
News that the director of Taylor Swift’s “Eras Tour” movie will helm the remake of “The Bodyguard” has connected the name of the Kansas City Chiefs superfan to the project.
Can you envision Swift in the famous role that made Whitney Houston a movie star?
Tyra Banks can.
The supermodel legend and Jenna Bush Hager talked about the upcoming remake of the 1992 romance thriller on a recent episode of NBC’s “Today With Jenna & Friends.” Bush Hager asked the creator of “America’s Top Model” who she would cast in Houston’s role.
“I think Taylor Swift, because business, commerce, art,” she said. “She would freaking sell like crazy.”
The movie revolves around superstar singer Rachel Marron (Houston) who falls in love with her bodyguard/former Secret Service agent Frank Farmer, played by Kevin Costner, as he protects her from a stalker.
(Oh, that scarf scene.)
Costner was also a producer of the movie who championed Houston’s casting.
Mick Jackson directed the movie written by Lawrence Kasdan, who also wrote “The Big Chill,” “Raiders of the Lost Ark” and four “Star Wars” Installments, including “Return of the Jedi.”
Houston was already a chart-topping pop star when made her big-screen debut in the movie.
The movie’s album became one of the best-selling soundtracks of all time with the hits “I Will Always Love You,” “I’m Every Woman,” “Queen of the Night” and two songs nominated for Oscars, “Run to You” and “I Have Nothing,” all sung by Houston.
Warner Bros., the studio that released the original, has tapped “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour” director Sam Wrench to lead the revamp, Deadline reported on April 11.
“No casting has been set, but after the first film’s star duo and box office success ... it certainly will be a casting process to watch. Beyond Swift, there are (so) many singers who could play the singing star that this should be a magnet for an exciting cast,” Deadline wrote.
“I’m so beyond excited,” Banks said of the remake. “That movie is everything.”
But not everyone is as giddy. Banks’ comments prompted Houston fans to boo the idea of a do-over and many didn’t like her Swift casting suggestion.
The two lead roles were first intended for Diana Ross and Steve McQueen.
In 2021, when talk of the remake first surfaced, Billboard took a poll asking which pop star should play the Houston role.
More than a third of respondents picked Beyoncé, followed by Jennifer Hudson (16%) and Zendaya (14%).
At the time, Variety reported that a Cardi B-Channing Tatum pairing was being floated.
Swift has a handful of TV and movie cameo appearances and film credits on her resume, including “Valentine’s Day” and the film version of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cats.”
And would playing a star, always accompanied by a bodyguard, be that far from the truth?
By now, Chiefs fans could probably pick her ever-present bodyguards out of a crowd.
There’s this guy.
And this guy.
Banks is all for flipping the original script entirely on its head.
“Okay, I’m just gonna be real. I’m a Black girl,” she said. “It was Whitney Houston as a Black girl and Kevin Costner as a white man. What if we flipped it, and it was Taylor Swift and Idris Elba?”
This story was originally published April 19, 2025 at 6:00 AM.
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