Coming Soon to Your TV… A Bunch of Old Movies Made Into Shows!
Who said there are no good ideas left in Hollywood? Just look at the new fall lineup, which features a number of shows based on old movies. So, let’s rundown which of your favorite features are coming to the small screen…
First up, Fox has its sights set on two classic movies…
The Lethal Weapon series decided four movies were enough and migrates to the boob tube with Clayne Crawford as the unhinged Officer Martin Riggs, and Damon Wayans as Roger “I’m Too Old for This *Bleep*” Murtaugh.
Related: Cancellation Watch 2016: What’s Been Axed So Far
Fox will also produce an Exorcist adaptation based on the 1973 Oscar Winner. This version is set in present-day Chicago with Geena Davis as the mother of the possessed pea-soup spewer. Ben Daniels and Alfonso Herrera will play the priests investigating the case.
Now over to CBS…
The Eye will retell the tale of Training Day. The 2001 movie gets an update with Justin Cornwell stepping into the Ethan Hawke protégé role. And Bill Paxton plays the corrupt cop character that netted Denzel Washington an overdue Best Actor Oscar.
On to ABC…
Only one adaptation, and it’s a bit on the obscure side… Time After Time isn’t *just* your favorite Cyndi Lauper song, it’s also a 1979 movie about sci-fi author H.G. Wells chasing Jack the Ripper through time. Scream and Vampire Diaries writer Kevin Williamson will executive produce with Freddie Stroma playing Wells and Josh Bowman as Jack the Ripper.
Now let’s flip channels to NBC…
Taken made us realize Liam Neeson could be an action star on par with Sly, Arnold and Bruce. The movie’s two sequels made us realize the series should have been “one and done.” But that won’t stop NBC from making a weekly prequel with Vikings’ Clive Standen standin’ in for Neeson.
NBC will also reimagine The Wizard of Oz… again. Emerald City follows a 20-year-old Dorothy, played by Adria Arjona, as she and her police dog travel through a mystical land rife with magic, warriors and bloody battles. This Oz sounds like a mash-up of Game of Thrones and a police procedural.
Lastly, let’s look at the CW…
So maybe you remember the 2000 movie Frequency… If you do, get excited! The CW brings back the Dennis Quaid-Jim Caviezel drama about a time-travelling ham radio. Peyton List plays the young detective who, with the help of cross-time radio link, is able to speak to her father, played by Riley Smith, who died 20 years prior.
What had to be cancelled to make room for this new crop of shows? Find out in our SuperFan In Memoriam for 2016’s Cancelled TV Shows…
So what movie-to-TV adaptation are you most excited for? And what movies deserve the small screen treatment? Hit us up on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram or leave your comments below. And check out our host, Khail Anonymous, on Twitter.