Wait, another film turning into a TV show? At this point no movie would surprise me. A MRS. DOUBTFIRE show? Sure. A PULP FICTION anthology series? Bet there’s already been a discussion. A TWELVE MONKEYS series? Shit, that’s already a show!
Now, to be fair, I can see GET SHORTY working as a show moreso than others. For instance, the whole conceit of the film and upcoming show is that a gangster is trying to produce a movie in Hollywood. So you could have each season be a different aspect of filmmaking (casting, pre-production, shooting, post-production, etc.) And it seems that’s similar to the route the show seems to be headed in.
Anyway, here’s a trailer with Chris O’Dowd and Ray Romano filling in for Travolta and Hackman, respectively:
Hmmm. Not sure how I feel about it. On the one hand, I like that they’re going their own way with it – it definitely looks more violent and gritty, while showing off more gallows humor than the original film. Not saying that the original had neither of those things, but rather there was a cool, slick gloss to the film that the show (purposely, it seems) lacks. O’Dowd also lacks Travolta’s calm, collected charm, which is fine. I think making him more flawed and uncertain will work better in the long run.
On the other hand, some of the humor seemed forced, and the crime elements – while different from the source – have a lot of similarities to other crime shows out there. So let’s hope that the chemistry between Dowd and Romano works, and that the satire aspect can overcome lesser jokes and the “been there/done that”-ness of the crime elements.
Either way, GET SHORTY will premiere on Epix August 13th.
