DEVELOPMENT TRACKING (parte the seconde)
Mr. & Mrs. Smith was set-up as a pilot by Fox. This came to pass a few weeks ago, but it has been very much on my mind (and not just because my King Vs. Queen pilot script would make a fantastic read for whoever the showrunner on this might be...heh).
This was easily one of my favorite films of 2005, and I enjoyed the article Simon Kinberg wrote for scr(i)pt on writing it. He had originally developed it for television (it was also his thesis project at Columbia) and one of the main points of that article was struggling to make the unique story (a metaphor for marriage as a concept) work for the big screen. Kinberg and film director Doug Liman are both involved in the pilot as writer and director, respectively, so I think an excellent product can be expected. Because Kinberg did think this up as a TV series, I think, bodes well. I imagine a lot of the mental hopscotch in setting this up for the small (and I think superior) screen has likely been done to a degree.
I can see this airing in one of two ways.
Either it ignores the movie and starts essentially from scratch. That could be at any point. The pilot could go from when they first met or from the honeymoon and work toward events similar to what transpires in the film, eventually moving past them. It could even begin at the point which they discover each other's true nature and go from there.
The other option might follow up on the ending of the film. They've already gone through the woes of discovering each other's secrets and are still hunted by their respective former employers. Not diggin' that one.
I prefer the first option. Specifically, I'd start on the day of their wedding. That's just me. (Ye Gods, do I want to be staffed on this series!)
While Fox is getting this thing set up (along with New Regency), Liman has a first-look deal with NBC (who are doing Heist, of which he is an executive producer). Though the initial reports say that this is part of ABC's pilot crop. Good. ABC seems to have a better track record with more unusual series of late. And NBC's idea of an adventure show this year is E-Ring, which features exciting montages of generals signing orders and cheap mostly off-screen secret ops.
Liman has also said that he'll be searching high and low for the next Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie to take over the lead roles, though I can think of several more well-known types who might be right in the roles and can make them their own. I think going with unknowns can be pretty damn risky in this case. Or even just semi-knowns. Many people attribute the success of the film the fucking Brangelina phenomenon, and they are two extremely electric actors, but underneath all that, there was an interesting film (and a premise that I think will ultimately work better as an episodic drama). Casting could kill this show right out of the gate.
Mr. & Mrs. Smith is being positioned as a mid-season replacement for 2006-2007. So, there may be some time to get my shit together. I'm such a wannabe.
This will be the second series called Mr. & Mrs. Smith.
This was easily one of my favorite films of 2005, and I enjoyed the article Simon Kinberg wrote for scr(i)pt on writing it. He had originally developed it for television (it was also his thesis project at Columbia) and one of the main points of that article was struggling to make the unique story (a metaphor for marriage as a concept) work for the big screen. Kinberg and film director Doug Liman are both involved in the pilot as writer and director, respectively, so I think an excellent product can be expected. Because Kinberg did think this up as a TV series, I think, bodes well. I imagine a lot of the mental hopscotch in setting this up for the small (and I think superior) screen has likely been done to a degree.I can see this airing in one of two ways.
Either it ignores the movie and starts essentially from scratch. That could be at any point. The pilot could go from when they first met or from the honeymoon and work toward events similar to what transpires in the film, eventually moving past them. It could even begin at the point which they discover each other's true nature and go from there.
The other option might follow up on the ending of the film. They've already gone through the woes of discovering each other's secrets and are still hunted by their respective former employers. Not diggin' that one.
I prefer the first option. Specifically, I'd start on the day of their wedding. That's just me. (Ye Gods, do I want to be staffed on this series!)
While Fox is getting this thing set up (along with New Regency), Liman has a first-look deal with NBC (who are doing Heist, of which he is an executive producer). Though the initial reports say that this is part of ABC's pilot crop. Good. ABC seems to have a better track record with more unusual series of late. And NBC's idea of an adventure show this year is E-Ring, which features exciting montages of generals signing orders and cheap mostly off-screen secret ops.Liman has also said that he'll be searching high and low for the next Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie to take over the lead roles, though I can think of several more well-known types who might be right in the roles and can make them their own. I think going with unknowns can be pretty damn risky in this case. Or even just semi-knowns. Many people attribute the success of the film the fucking Brangelina phenomenon, and they are two extremely electric actors, but underneath all that, there was an interesting film (and a premise that I think will ultimately work better as an episodic drama). Casting could kill this show right out of the gate.
Mr. & Mrs. Smith is being positioned as a mid-season replacement for 2006-2007. So, there may be some time to get my shit together. I'm such a wannabe.
This will be the second series called Mr. & Mrs. Smith.