ABC to make a "St Elmo's Fire" TV Show....
#1
Suspended
Thread Starter
ABC to make a "St Elmo's Fire" TV Show....
ABC has the hots for "St. Elmo's Fire," a contemporary take on the 1985 movie that launched the filmmaking career of Joel Schumacher.
After strong interest from multiple networks, ABC landed the dramedy series project, exec produced by Schumacher, Topher Grace, Dan Bucatinsky and Jamie Tarses and to be written by Bucatinsky.
"Fire," which has received a script commitment with a penalty attached to it, hails from Sony Pictures TV, whose feature sibling owns the rights to the original movie.
That film, co-written and directed by Schumacher, was one of the defining movies of the Brat Pack genre. It starred Emilio Estevez, Rob Lowe, Andrew McCarthy, Demi Moore, Judd Nelson, Ally Sheedy and Mare Winningham as friends who had just graduated from Georgetown University and chronicled their adjustment to adulthood.
"More than anything, the movie evokes a feeling that doesn't go away," Bucatinsky said, "the feeling of bonding with your friends who become your surrogate family."
Added Grace, "It's the feeling of that time in your life when everything is possible but you can't figure out how to make it possible."
The series version will use the movie as a takeoff point and as an inspiration as it introduces six new friends: three boys and three girls.
What will remain is the setting -- Georgetown and St. Elmo's Bar & Restaurant, now called St. Elmo's Bar & Grill, where the friends hang out. And if the set-up looks a little bit like "Friends," that's OK with Bucatinsky.
"I feel it is time to re-create 'Friends' in the hourlong genre and feel like this is the perfect opportunity," he said.
Grace and his Sargent Hall Prods. producing partner Gordon Kaywin got the idea to do a contemporary TV series based on "Fire" when the two came across the movie on TV.
They took the idea for what would be their first TV show to Sony TV and the studio-based Tarses who, as an NBC executive, developed "Friends" and found "Fire," a more dramatic version, intriguing.
The trio recruited Bucatinsky, who has a blind script deal at Sony, and the group reached out to Schumacher, who also came onboard.
Eighties' remakes are hot at the broadcast networks this coming season with the launches of contemporary versions of "Parenthood" and "V."
Bucatinsky and Schumacher are repped by CAA. Grace, who is filming "Valentine's Day," is repped by WME, Brillstein Entertainment and attorney Michael Gendler.
After strong interest from multiple networks, ABC landed the dramedy series project, exec produced by Schumacher, Topher Grace, Dan Bucatinsky and Jamie Tarses and to be written by Bucatinsky.
"Fire," which has received a script commitment with a penalty attached to it, hails from Sony Pictures TV, whose feature sibling owns the rights to the original movie.
That film, co-written and directed by Schumacher, was one of the defining movies of the Brat Pack genre. It starred Emilio Estevez, Rob Lowe, Andrew McCarthy, Demi Moore, Judd Nelson, Ally Sheedy and Mare Winningham as friends who had just graduated from Georgetown University and chronicled their adjustment to adulthood.
"More than anything, the movie evokes a feeling that doesn't go away," Bucatinsky said, "the feeling of bonding with your friends who become your surrogate family."
Added Grace, "It's the feeling of that time in your life when everything is possible but you can't figure out how to make it possible."
The series version will use the movie as a takeoff point and as an inspiration as it introduces six new friends: three boys and three girls.
What will remain is the setting -- Georgetown and St. Elmo's Bar & Restaurant, now called St. Elmo's Bar & Grill, where the friends hang out. And if the set-up looks a little bit like "Friends," that's OK with Bucatinsky.
"I feel it is time to re-create 'Friends' in the hourlong genre and feel like this is the perfect opportunity," he said.
Grace and his Sargent Hall Prods. producing partner Gordon Kaywin got the idea to do a contemporary TV series based on "Fire" when the two came across the movie on TV.
They took the idea for what would be their first TV show to Sony TV and the studio-based Tarses who, as an NBC executive, developed "Friends" and found "Fire," a more dramatic version, intriguing.
The trio recruited Bucatinsky, who has a blind script deal at Sony, and the group reached out to Schumacher, who also came onboard.
Eighties' remakes are hot at the broadcast networks this coming season with the launches of contemporary versions of "Parenthood" and "V."
Bucatinsky and Schumacher are repped by CAA. Grace, who is filming "Valentine's Day," is repped by WME, Brillstein Entertainment and attorney Michael Gendler.
#4
DVD Talk Limited Edition
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: San Leandro/San Francisco
Posts: 7,422
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like
on
1 Post
Re: ABC to make a "St Elmo's Fire" TV Show....
So if they use the end of the movie as a starting point, how were they all transported from the 80's to 2009?
I was around the same age as the characters when I first saw the movies in 85 and thought not a great movie, I enjoyed the characters.
If done right, this could be a good show about growing up but remember the first season of Melrose Place. It wasn't very intersting until Amanda came in and started trouble.
I was around the same age as the characters when I first saw the movies in 85 and thought not a great movie, I enjoyed the characters.
If done right, this could be a good show about growing up but remember the first season of Melrose Place. It wasn't very intersting until Amanda came in and started trouble.
#5
DVD Talk Platinum Edition
Re: ABC to make a "St Elmo's Fire" TV Show....
This idea sounds stupid and I wonder if Topher Grace got inspiration from delayed movie Young Americans which is set in the 1980's.
#6
Re: ABC to make a "St Elmo's Fire" TV Show....
Gee, this and also "Eastwick" based on Witches of Eastwick. What? ABC is reviving rejected pilots from the 80's?
If they want to do something worthwhile, bring back Twin Peaks for a 3rd season!
If they want to do something worthwhile, bring back Twin Peaks for a 3rd season!
#7
DVD Talk God
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: Directionally Challenged (for DirecTV)
Posts: 130,282
Received 616 Likes
on
495 Posts
Re: ABC to make a "St Elmo's Fire" TV Show....
Meh. I never really cared for St. Elmos but then I was only 14 when it came out. I appreciated the HS 80s movies.
If they have Topher Grace, just go back to the That 70s Show universe and move it forward to the mid-80s. Bring back Red too.
If they have Topher Grace, just go back to the That 70s Show universe and move it forward to the mid-80s. Bring back Red too.
#9
DVD Talk God
Re: ABC to make a "St Elmo's Fire" TV Show....
Been there, done that. Too many shows in this genre with 20-something college kids.