Variety reports that Warner Brothers has snagged the rights to do a feature film version of Hawaii 5-0.
This is not the first time studios have tried to revive the classic TV series… dozens of feature scripts based on the series have died in development over the years. But before going the feature route, CBS quietly enlisted Stephen J. Cannell and former network president Kim LeMasters to steer a TV revival. A one-hour pilot was shot, with Gary Busey and Russell Wong splitting the McGarrett role…and with several old regulars from the original series making cameo appearances (including James McArthur as Danny Williams, now Governor of Hawaii, and Kam Fong’s Chin Ho character, who was killed off in the last season of the show).
The unsold pilot was dreadful and mercifully never aired…though bootleg copies have been circulating among 5-0 fans for years.
All I have to hear is that theme song and I’m ready. May be it is a good thing that all revivals have died. I’m not too happy with any of the movies made on any of the series.
Years ago I read a profile of Oscar-winner Cameron Crowe. He told the reporter that the night before he’d had an incredibly detailed dream about how to do a Hawaii Five-O movie — and that in the dream, the movie was great. Somebody at Warners should give Crowe a call.
There have been a couple good feature film adaptations of TV shows…
STAR TREK
POLICE SQUAD
MAVERICK
THE BRADY BUNCH
THE ADDAMS FAMILY
GUNN (based on PETER GUNN)
THE UNTOUCHABLES (though it could be argued that was based on the book, not the series).
Some that were okay:
MISSION IMPOSSIBLE
STARSKY AND HUTCH
CHARLIES ANGELS
LOST IN SPACE
SCOOBY DOO
Some that sucked:
FLINTSTONES
WANTED DEAD OR ALIVE
AVENGERS
McHALES NAVY
I SPY
MOD SQUAD
SGT. BILKO
CAR 54
MY FAVORITE MARTIAN
SWAT
WILD WILD WEST
THUNDERBIRDS