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Jason Rothenberg (The Sparrow) has landed the assignment to write The Twilight Zone, a new feature version of the Rod Serling classic ’50s TV series that Warner Bros is developing with Leonardo DiCaprio’s Appian Way. Details are scant, but the expectation is they will take some of the original stories written for the series by the likes of Serling and Richard Matheson. The deal comes at a time when Rothenberg is adapting for Universal and Imagine Entertainment The Forbin Project, a new version of the 1970 Joseph Sargent-directed scifi tale Colossus: The Forbin Project. Ron Howard is attached to direct and Will Smith is attached to a contemporary Frankenstein story about the world’s first sentient computer and the misunderstood genius who gains power over the world because of it. WME-repped Rothenberg separately sold the pilot True North to Fox with McG and Peter Johnson producing through Warner Bros TV. It’s a treasure hunter adventure show set in the Florida Keys.
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Big Twilight Zone fan. My favorites:
1. Serving Man
2. The one where the guy wants all people to go away so he can read, read, read. Gets wish, but steps on glasses.
3. The “disfigured” model who gets a makeover. Timeless.
4. Nick of Time.
I beleive the titles were
To Serve Man
Time Enough at Last
Eye of the Beholder
There’s a reason the anthology series keeps making a comeback, and it’s the same reason short stories in literature keep getting written: the form is classic, going right back to Neolithic storytellers around the campfire. Any writer worth his ink will also tell you that writing a GOOD short story is amongst the hardest things to do and to do well, and the short story that stands one it’s own, without reference to an established background is extremely difficult to get right.
Issues of literary cannibalism aside, I think it could be a good thing to have another TZ on the box; my only problem is that recent efforts at long-form storytelling show that all the good writers have gone to cable & network TV has become a cultural toxic waste dump.
Thanks for ruining the endings!
Christ…more unnecessary, crappy remakes of classic shows and movies that should just be left alone. Guys like Serling and Matheson cranked out original shit left and right for decades. Today…pop culture cannibalism. Someone said the first true sign that a culture is waning is when nostalgia infects its art.
Not every erg of nostalgia has it’s ultimate end as artistic entropy. Good things can result from fond remembrances. I do think, however, that poorly done remakes suck as hard as any sucking thing that ever sucked. I’m yet hopeful…
Hey Jonathan… Couldn’t have said it better.
Tell that to the Italian Renaissance, whose inspiration was ancient Greek art and culture. Or a more recent reference with Quentin Tarantino, who has practically made a career of using old ideas in a new way. I don’t disagree with the notion that many recent ‘remakes’ advertised as ‘re-imaginings’ should be more appropriately called poor ‘ripoffs’, but there’s nothing wrong with looking back to move forward artistically. With The Twilight Zone movie, I hope they’ll use the mood and energy of the show to develop something original and exciting. If done properly, this could eventually bring a new audience and appreciation to the genius of Rod Sterling. There’s a problem with criticizing a project before it’s completion — there’s nothing to criticize (yet). So, let’s wait and see, shall we?
Couldn’t agree more, Jonathan. Enough with the remakes/reboots.
EXACTLY RIGHT! There is so much awesome original stuff over the years that still hasn’t been touched like “Childhood’s End” & “The Demolished Man” (or “Tyger, Tyger” if you live across the pond).
Let’s get William Shatner to reprise his “Nick of Time” TZ episode!
Can’t wait to see the surprise endings I know are coming.
JB, I think the problem with your choices is that three of them are just build-ups to surprise endings, and if you’ve seen them once, you’v seen them etc. etc.
I’d prefer the scarier episodes and a couple with social undertones, and would nominate:
1. Nightmare at 20,000 Feet
2. The Howling Man, if only to show the extent to which is was borrowed by “Lost.”
3. Little Girl Lost, which would terrify any parent.
4. The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street
5. Nothing in the Dark, with Robert Redford reprising his tv role.
Very good company to be set up at. But – they should write originals. Hire a different writer for each.
You guys forgot to list “The Odyssey of Flight 93″
i believe it’s “The Odyssey of Flight 33″
It might be CBS’s most celebrated shows o all time, but when it was airing CBS tried to cancel this show. Specifically CBS President James Aubry.
And it says a lot to know that he replaced The Twilight Zone with Gilligan’s Island. Soon to be followed by his Petticoat Junction and his Beverly Hillbillies.
“Submitted for your dis-approval….another remake”
Geez,
I would have bet WB would not attach it’s corporate logo to anything mentioning Twlight Zone. What is the need to rehash excellence and rework it into something idiotic.Since Alan Horn is out WB has it’s foot to the pedal going “Back to the Future.”
Is there no one that can present an original idea on that lot?
BTD
Jason Rothenberg, one of the nicest writers in town. Talented and collaborative and all about trying to make things work.
Amen to that. Jason is a gentleman. Kudos.
Just as long as it’s not a wildly-uneven mishmash like 1981′s (if memory serves) Twilight Zone: The Movie, I’ll happy.
Also, “The Monsters Are Due On Maple Street” scared the crap out of me when I was younger. I wouldn’t mind seeing an update of that particular story.
Aw, Jason Rothenberg was behind the CW pilot Body Politic, which I’m still sad wasn’t picked up. It was definitely one of the best pilot scripts I read that year.
Good luck to him. The Twilight Zone is one of my favorite series of all time, so if they’re going to remake it (like everything else they’re doing now days) I hope it’s at least good.
My favs go like this!
1) Jeopardy Room
2) The Other Place
3) Masks
I’m insanely excited for this!
My 5 faves are
-Midnight Sun
-Nothing in the Dark
-The Monsters are due on Maple Street
-Nightmare at 20,000 feet
-The Lonely
If they choose any of em I’ll piss myself.
Can’t wait for production to start.
Everyone has already voiced the same displeasure that I am feeling. Why can’t “Hollywood” come up with anything NEW??
Especially upset by their remaking of Colossus: The Forbin Project.
It seems that we will never make anything that will become a classic because we are just modernizing the old ones that shouldnt be.
what a shame. Have we reached our pinnacle already? This appears to be the way down.
Oh, pshaw. Put up some rel money (as appears to be happening) to buy real, well-crafted short teleplays, hire top talent to appear in such a marquee production. Remakes? How about “Playhouse 90″?