Matilda Lutz holds sword in first 'Red Sonja' pic

Oct. 11 (UPI) -- Millennium Media released a photo of Matilda Lutz as Red Sonja on Tuesday. Lutz plays the Robert E. Howard barbarian warrior.

Filming is underway in Bulgaria at Nu Boyana Studio. Nu Boyana plans to film at their Greece studio later this month.

M.J. Bassett is directing the script by Joey Soloway and Tasha Huo. Michael Bisping, Martyn Ford, Eliza Matengu, Manal El Feitury and Katrina Durden also star.

Red Sonja first came to the screen in a 1985 movie starring Brigitte Nielsen. Arnold Schwarzenegger co-starred with her. The character has also appeared in comic books adapted by Roy Thomas.

Several attempts at a modern day Red Sonja film have been made. Robert Rodriguez was going to direct one starring Rose McGowan for The Weinstein Company in 2008.

The Millennium version originally hired Bryan Singer to direct. Even after The Atlantic published new allegations of sexual assault against Singer, Millennium temporarily kept him attached.

Singer, however, has not directed a movie since 2018's Bohemian Rhapsody, for which Dexter Fletcher completed principal photography.

Millennium has not set a release date for Red Sonja.