We've known for a while that Behind Enemy Lines was one of the movies being considered for a TV reboot. We've reached that point in the TV season when pilots are being ordered by the major networks, and while some of these reboots and revivals have faded off into the distance, it looks as if Behind Enemy Lines will be moving forward. In fact, Fox recently indicated that the potential series will definitely be getting a pilot for the network to take a look at.
The Behind Enemy Lines pilot has been a long time in the making. The project was in contention last season, but seemed to be DOA by the time the networks were announcing what would be airing in 2016-2017. Then, a few months ago we learned that Fox was still toying with the idea of recreating the Gene Hackman and Owen Wilson movie for the small screen. The network had hired a new writer for the project and the rest has been history.
Now, McG has signed on to direct the pilot, just a season after he was also responsible for directorial work on Fox's highly touted Lethal Weapon. Per Variety, writer Nikki Tostano is also executive producing, alongside Marty Bowen, Wyck Godfrey, John Davis, and John Fox.
If it moves forward, the theme seems as if it might be a little different than the original Behind Enemy Lines movie, which featured soldiers on a reconnaissance mission who accidentally captured photos of mass graves, making them the targets of Serbian soldiers. Three direct-to-DVD sequels were also made. This makes sense, as the TV project has always been described as only being "loosely based" on the events in the 2001 film. In the pilot, U.S. soldiers will be working behind actual enemy lines. Service people on a nearby aircraft will factor into the plot as will officials at home in Washington D.C.
We'll have to wait and see if Behind Enemy Lines moves forward to series. This season, Fox has had good luck with reboots, remakes and revivals. Lethal Weapon, for instance, has been a ratings winner for the network, and Prison Break is about to make a comeback in the schedule in a big way. Fox also has a big X-Men project in the works, so we'll have to wait and see what moves forward and what doesn't. We do know that we will be unlikely to hear about any major pick-ups until this spring, after pilots have been completed and Fox has taken a look at them.
In the meantime, there's plenty of good stuff headed to TV over the next several months and into this summer. To take a look at what is hitting the schedule soon, please take a look at our midseason TV premiere schedule.
