As if feature remakes and reboots weren’t common enough, studios have begun to turn to the small screen for their efforts to revive beloved films from the past few decades. There’s the upcoming Fargo series for one, and the Beverly Hills Cop sequel show that didn’t go forward. Paramount TV actually had a hand in that one, along with Sony TV. And it’s Paramount TV that’s involved in this next venture, as the studio’s TV division is looking to develop Ghost for a potential TV series.
Deadline reports that Oscar winner Akiva Goldsman and Alias’ Jeff Pinkner are teaming up to co-write a pilot script based on the 1990 Oscar-winning film Ghost. The film starred Patrick Swayze and Demi Moore and centered on Sam and Molly, a couple living together in New York, until Sam is killed by a mugger. Rather than walking into the light, Sam stays behind, stuck as a ghost as he tries to make sense of his situation. Part of the story involves him communicating with a medium — Whoopi Goldberg’s Oda Mae Brown, a role and performance that won her an Oscar — and another part involves a bigger story related to how Sam died, which involves his friend and work colleague, Carl (Tony Goldwyn).
Deadline doesn’t offer any details about the plot of the project just yet, beyond the fact that it’s based on the Jerry Zucker-directed film. But it’s not hard to picture a drama series with a similar plot… and possibly a steamy scene involving pottery. But given the plot — assuming it’s going to be part drama, part murder mystery (and maybe a little bit thriller) — I’d question whether or not it’s right for a full series, assuming this deceased person is going to be stuck as a ghost the whole time. Looking at the format American Horror Story has been running with, a Ghost series might work better as a limited series or miniseries that restarts each year, with each season focusing on a new ghost with a new set of unresolved issues to sort out each season. Or if they wanted to serialize it more, the Oda Mae Brown character could be the link, returning each season as her character comes into contact with the series' star "ghost."
We’ll have to wait and see what other details emerge about this project, including what network it lands at. Will it be cable or network TV? How close will the pilot stick to the plot and characters of the film? Who will play the leads, assuming it makes it past the script stage? While we wait for the answers, here’s a flashback from the original film, featuring Demi Moore and the great and unfortunately late Patrick Swayze:
