Four Films Being Adapted To TV Shows

While films have often been adapted from TV shows, its quite rare when the coin flips the other way round. There have been a number of shows (some unsuccessful) that have made it on to TV; Limitless, Minority Report, Rush Hour, School of Rock and so now is has become increasingly popular to adapt films to the small screen. Here are four that are coming soon.

Westworld

Based on the Michael Crichton’s 1973 film, Westworld is currently gaining steam at HBO. The story follows a futuristic theme park and the robots that inhabit it, promising a dark journey and look into artificial intelligence. The eagerly anticipated show stars Anthony Hopkins as a series regular for the first time in his career. Alongside him will be James Mardsen, Thandie Newton and Ed Harris while J.J. Abrams and Jonathan Nolan are producing. The show will premiere on 2nd October on HBO in the US, and will air on Sky Atlantic in the UK soon after.

Taken

When Taken hit cinemas in 2009, little would have known that it would turn into a franchise. This three-film franchise has now spawned a TV series, as NBC have picked up the story of the former CIA operative Bryan Mills played by Liam Neeson in the films. The story is a prequel, before he married and had a a child that was kidnapped. The series stars Clive Standen as Mills and is set to premiere in 2017 in the US.

Lethal Weapon

Another unlikely candidate for a TV adaptation is the 1987 classic Lethal Weapon. The iconic duo Roger Murtaugh and Martin Riggs are now played by Damon Wayans and Clayne Crawford in this reboot, following the buddy-cop antics of the mismatched pair. The show has already started airing over in the US on FOX and has been picked up by ITV to air in the UK.

Frequency

In this re-imaging of the 2000 supernatural film, police detective Raimy Sullivan (Peyton List) discovers that she is able to speak to her deceased father in 1996 through a ham radio. They attempt to work together on a decades-old unresolved murder case, but her attempts to save his life trigger a ‘butterfly effect’ which creates havoc in the present day. The show is helmed by former Supernatural showrunner Jeremy Carver and will air on The CW 5th October. The show has yet to be picked up by a UK broadcaster.