‘Lethal Weapon’ TV Series In Works At Fox
Add “Lethal Weapon” to the list of movies getting the TV treatment.
Fox has given a put pilot order to a Warner Bros. TV drama from writer Matt Miller (“Forever”) based on the 1987 action pic that starred Mel Gibson and Danny Glover. The project is shepherded by prolific WB-based producers Dan Lin and Jennifer Gwartz, who exec produce with Miller through Lin Pictures.
The TV incarnation revolves around the unlikely partnership between a former Navy SEAL and Texas cop who moves to Los Angeles after the death of his wife and baby and winds up teamed with an LAPD detective who must avoid stress at any cost because of a heart condition.
The original pic, directed by Richard Donner, spawned three sequels, released in 1989, 1992 and 1998. A fifth installment in the franchise has been in development at Warner Bros. for some time.
The broadcast networks have been scrambling to grab movie titles for TV adaptations at a time when the talent pool for series development is stretched thin by the multitude of shows in production across cable and digital outlets. Movie titles also come with built-in name recognition that is seen as a leg-up in marketing.
This season alone, CBS has launched a drama based on the 2011 feature “Limitless” and will serve up a “Rush Hour” redo for midseason. ABC has a comedy on tap based on the 1989 John Candy comedy “Uncle Buck.”
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