You can’t keep old TV series from being warmed over like last week’s roast quite like Hollywood can, and once again, they are trying to make "MacGyver" happen. Twice over.
READ MORE: ‘Haywire,’ ‘Lethal Weapon,’ ‘The A-Team,’ And MacGyver TV Shows In Development
Earlier this week, Deadline reported that CBS ordered a pilot for a new "MacGyver" TV show, one that would focus on the exploits of young, 20-something Angus MacGyver, whose knack for using paper clips, seaweed, and pocket lint to get out of life threatening situations, lands him a sweet gig with a clandestine organization. No word yet on who will fill that title role, but the thing is, that’s not all.
Variety reveals that Lionsgate is now mounting a "MacGyver" movie reboot. Series creator Lee David Zlotoff and "The Fast & The Furious" mastermind Neal Moritz are working on the project, though that’s about all the details for now. But it’s not the first time "MacGyver" attempted a leap to the big screen.
Back in 2012, the buzz on James Wan‘s nifty "The Conjuring" was so good, that New Line decided to toss the writer/director "MacGyver" as a possible movie project. It never came to pass, but last year, the director shared his vision for the project.
“…my initial concept was I wanted to do a young college MacGyver who went to Boston, one of the great universities, who’s really brilliant, right? He’s a really smart guy but he’s so smart he could never feel like he fit into a construct, or into a world that is an establishment. So he’s always a bit of an outsider… To cut a long story short, the idea here is I wanted to put my MacGyver story around something like a ‘North by Northwest,’” he said. “…in the context of the story he gets blamed for something that he had designed, something really big that’s something everyone wanted, and now someone has weaponized it and everyone’s coming after him. He’s running for his life and he’s trying to clear his name, not quite unlike the structure of ‘Enemy of the State.’ So imagine ‘Enemy of the State,’ if Will Smith had the brains of MacGyver.”
That could’ve been interesting, but we’ll see where these dueling "MacGyver" projects end up. Maybe CBS and Lionsgate can work together and create a MacGyver Cinematic Universe?
Please chose Billy Burke as MacGyver
I would completely agree to bring back Richard Dean Anderson in some kind of capacity, that is a must. After all watching every single episode and T>v. movies all of them is one of the reasons why i know own and carry a Swiss Army Knife, and have a brow leather jacket. And if this does go over and happen how many people it would encourage to back to school and or collage for a better and brighter future. But that is only my P.O.V.
MacGyger went to Caltech, not Boston. James Wan sounds like a fool.
You are describing the movie "chain Reaction", Mr. Wan. Learn your movie history.
Flop and flop written all over both of these. Come up with some original ideas, Hollywood. Enough with the garbage reboots.
Anderson needs to do this as a 50-something called back by the government. Give him an eyepatch like Solid Snake.
Think about the way the series\’s end he going off with his SON. The son should be one one or his grandson or granddaughter .
I agree Anderson needs to be there in some capacity. The original Macgyver was back when television was pure. Macgyver wasn\’t some social deviant story like most shows today. Bring back a show that kids will idolize in a good way and that a family can sit down together to watch.
I wonder if they will have the courage to make the character openly gay this time or if they will only hint at it by having him abjure the use of firearms like the original series?
So, let me guess, bowing to the recent controversy….this will be filmed with an ALL BLACK CAST.. with Jada Smith as McGuyver.
Sorry guys, but this isn\’t the way to take this if you want success. You need to convince Richard Dean Anderson to come back to the show as a mentor to perhaps his grandson or for that matter grand daughter. You\’re not taking into consideration all of us 50 somethings who were loyal fans of the original show as a lion\’s share of your potential audience. Anderson\’s affinity for the MacGyver charactor WAS the show. You are going to need to bring back that chemistry if your\’re going to be successful here!