Here in the U.S., Gidget instantly recalls earlier decades, whether the beach party films of the late 50s starring Sandra Dee, or the TV series that launched Sally Field's career in the 60s. I'd assumed Gidget was as permanently part of the 60s as the Supremes or bell bottoms, but if Variety is to be believed, Gidget has seen a resurgence as a global brand, and the time for her return to the screen has come.
Pterodactyl Films and producer Mark Canton are working together to update Gidget for a new century, and will develop Gidget stories simultaneously for film and television. The producers seem to be aiming to make Gidget more of a jockish, strong figure than the old-fashioned waif in the bikini suggested; Canton told Variety, "Gidget has always been such a strong symbol of girl power. With female surfing exploding across the globe, the time is right to bring her back in a major way."
No matter how much of a modern gloss they give her, it's hard to imagine Gidget ever having any adult appeal, but that's probably not what they're going for-- I'm guessing it'll be more of a "Hannah Montana goes to the beach" kind of thing. In fact, if the Gidget TV show winds up on the Disney Channel after all this, you know you heard it here first.
