MacGyver headed to the big screen
Mon, March 16, 2009 
Ahhh making old TV shows into movies, a favourite in Hollywood over the last 15 years ince Mission Impossible hit big, the degree of success in which this has been acchieved varies but the potential is always there. Now The Hoilywood Reorter is err reporting! that 80's hero MacGyver is in line for the silver screen treatment.
New Line is using twine, bubble gum and a pencil to throw "MacGyver" into development as a feature film.
Raffaella De Laurentiis, daughter of Dino De Laurentiis, is producing through her Raffaella Prods. along with Martha De Laurentiis and series creator Lee Zlotoff.
Dino De Laurentiis is exec producing.
"MacGyver" was a science-oriented adventure series that ran from 1985-92 on ABC. Richard Dean Anderson, later of "Stargate: Atlantis" and "SG-1" fame, starred as an incredibly resourceful secret agent for the Phoenix Foundation who frequently would escape from dangerous situations with ingenious and lightning-quick engineering trickery.
Two telefilms starring Anderson aired in the years after the show's cancellation. The character eventually achieved enough cultural penetration to become a reference for anyone attempting to jury-rig a solution out of household items. "Saturday Night Live" took the concept to the next level with its spoofs "MacGruber," starring Will Forte.
No writer is attached, but the studio hopes to find a script that can acknowledge how the concept has staked a place into pop culture yet still makes for a serious and fun adventure movie.
"We think we're a stick of chewing gum, a paper clip and an A-list writer away from a global franchise," said New Line's Richard Brener, who will oversee with Sam Brown and Walter Hamada.
MacGyver is one of my favourites and one of the few shows from the 80's that still holds up, mainly because it's cheese factor was a good degree lesser than shows like Knight Rider and because it had more varied storylines than The A Team, but mainly due to the character and premise. MacGyver was a likable hero who used his brain not brawn, abored violence, cared about the enviroment, was honourable and could make something out of anything just with his brain and his trusty Swiss Amry knife! He had a much more fully realized personality than most 80's action heroes, in truth he was a character where as most from the other shows were caricatures or character types.
If New Line are to get this right nailing the tone is the key, think Raiders of the Lost Ark in a modern setting with spy secrets as opposed to ancient artifacts, as well as casting someone with the charm but everyman qualities that Richard Dean Anderson emobdied in the original show. No small feat then but I am not opposed to this.....yet.
Reader Comments (1)
Cast Zac Levi in the lead role and I am so there!