When one thinks of notable comic book movies during the 1990s, the ones that most likely come to mind are the original four Batman movies, the three Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and Jim Carrey’s The Mask. However, another has stayed around as a cult favorite among many despite being a box office flop: Tank Girl, based on the comic book character of the same name.
Tank Girl has never been a mainstream hit in the world of comics or adaptations, and it appeared that the character had missed her shot after the movie disappointed audiences. Yet in an era where Green Hornet is getting another movie after the previous film version disappointed, and Godzilla was given a second American reimagining after the 1998 film disappointed audiences, no franchise is truly beyond returning.
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
MGM / UA Distribution
In 2019, it was reported that Margot Robbie was looking to develop a new Tank Girl movie. Later, Miles Joris-Peyrafitte signed on to direct the reboot, having previously worked with Robbie on Dreamland. Since then, no word has been made about the project likely due to a combination of the COVID-19 pandemic and Robbie assumedly beginning to take over other franchises, like Pirates of the Caribbean and Ocean’s 11. No writer is attached to the project, meaning that the film is not a major priority and can take its time and develop over years. \
Rebooting a character that was known not only as a cult comic character but also the star of a notable box office bomb is certainly a risky one, but Tank Girl was made in 1995, and a lot has changed in three decades. In an age of comic book properties becoming some of the biggest moneymakers at the box office and other non-mainstream comics finding success in the world of streaming like The Boys and Umbrella Academy, it now might be a better time for a Tank Girl revival than ever before.
Tank Girl is Based on a Comic
Deadline Publications Ltd.
Tank Girl was created by writer Alan Martin and artist Jamie Hewlett, who would later go on to co-create and design the hit band The Gorillaz. Tank Girl appeared in the British magazine Deadline in 1988 and was incredibly popular through the 1990s. It was set in a futuristic Australia and drew heavily from British pop culture, particularly the punk scene. The story followed the titular Tank Girl who lives in a tank as she gets into misadventures with her boyfriend Booga, who just happens to be a mutant kangaroo. The series was known for its chaotic art style, which was a mix of absurdist and psychedelic energy with a visual aesthetics of a fanzine, giving it a true underground anarchistic feel in contrast to other comics at the time.
Tank Girl ran in the pages of Deadline until 1995, as the magazine ceased publication the same year the film was released. Dark Horse Comics acquired the rights to the original strip and began publishing re-issues, while the DC imprint Vertigo published a graphic novel titled Tank Girl: The Odyssey in 1995 and then a four-issue series, Tank Girl: Apocalypse, that ran from November 1995 to February 1996, and it seemed the movie’s poor failure killed the character. However, in 2007 after an 11-year hiatus, the character returned in a story published by IDW Comics. The character has since appeared sporadically over the years in various comics, maintaining a loyal fanbase.
The Wild Tank Girl Flop
The 1995 film adaptation of Tank Girl starred Lori Petty as the title character alongside Malcolm McDowell, Ice-T, Reg. E. Cathey, Iggy Pop, and Naomi Watts in one of her first films. The movie was directed by Rachel Talalay, who began pitching studios on Tank Girl after she read the comic while filming Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare. Talalay pitched to Amblin Entertainment and Columbia Pictures before MGM eventually agreed to back the film. The movie was released on March 31, 1995, and opened at number 10 at the box office, bringing in a paltry $2 million over the first three days (Tommy Boy, which was released the same weekend, was number one at the box office). The movie received negative reviews from critics at the time.
Yet despite the film’s initial box office failure, it has grown into a ’90s cult classic. The film’s director recently made the Netflix film A Babysitter’s Guide to Monster Hunting, her first feature film in 25 years after the flop of Tank Girl. Tatalaly fought for Tank Girl’s production designer, Catherine Hardwick which paid off in the long run, as Hardwick went on to direct films like Thirteen, The Nativity Story, and the first film in the popular Twilight franchise. Tank Girl has remained a popular cosplay costume at conventions and the film’s influence can be felt in a number of properties, namely Birds of Prey, partly explaining why star Margot Robbie wants to work on the reboot.
It Worked For Dredd
Entertainment FilmsUnited International
Tank Girl was one of many comic book adaptations made in the ’90s to popularize on the success of Batman. Yet instead of going for the big superheroes like various DC heroes or the Marvel characters, studios gravitated more towards pulp heroes like Dick Tracy, The Phantom, and The Shadow, or underground comic characters like Barb Wire, Judge Dredd, and Tank Girl. Tank Girl was released the same year as Judge Dredd, which also was an adaptation of a popular British comic book character. Despite Judge Dredd being a major box office and critical disappointment, the character endured with fans and was rebooted in 2012 with the release of Dredd.
Dredd may not have been a box office hit the way the studio hoped, grossing just $41 million at the worldwide box office against a budget between $30 to $45 million. However, the film was critically praised and did gain a cult following and fans are still hoping for the film to get a sequel or a streaming series continuation, although that seems unlikely.
Streaming and the Meaning of Tank Girl
A new Tank Girl might not be an automatic box office hit, and the budget may make it a risk, but there is still the chance to make a good movie that could connect with audiences. It could break out to become a box office hit, and if it doesn’t, it could also redefine the character for a new generation and start a new cult following. It could be released as a streaming film, as streamers like Apple TV+, Netflix, and Peacock are likely in high demand for comic book-based properties, as they do not have the same access to a back catalog of characters that Disney has with Marvel or Warner Bros. does with DC.
Tank Girl may never be a mainstream hit, but maybe that is what makes it special. The comic has its root as an underground piece of pop punk art and has always been one that people discovered as an alternative. Even if a new film is made and is not a box office hit, that might be okay, because like a titular tank, Tank Girl still manages to endure as an underdog story both narratively and in pop culture.
