With 20th Century Fox a fully owned subsidiary of Disney, the time has come to mine their franchises for all they are worth. Disney is already looking towards a unified Marvel library as well as the potential for PLANET OF THE APES, AVATAR, and many more existing franchises. But, with the small screen looking better and better each year, Disney should reconfigure some of Fox's best IP into series for their two streaming platforms, Disney+ and Hulu. So, here is a ranking of the ten franchises under the 20th Century Fox banner that would make great shows on Disney's exclusive streaming services. See if you agree with our picks or let us know which Fox films you would like to see get the series treatment in the comments below.
ALIEN (Hulu)
Neill Blomkamp's sequel never happened because Ridley Scott's PROMETHEUS and ALIEN COVENANT took all that Fox had to offer. Well, with budgets for TV projects coming closer and closer to feature film levels, maybe expanding the ALIEN mythology doesn't need the grand scale of Scott's vision but more of the claustrophobic haunted house style of the original movie. That doesn't sound like something outside the realm of what TV can do these days. Whether it be Blomkamp's vision or something completely new, the future of ALIEN could do well mining the TV format.
THE OMEN (Hulu)
FOX brought THE EXORCIST back in an original and surprisingly good network series a few years back after several really bad sequels on the big screen. While THE OMEN has had three sequels, a remake, and a bad 2014 TV adaptation, it could be time for a decent update given the right creative team. Widely considered one of the scariest movies of all time, THE OMEN has a story that would work well as a contemporary update, especially if given the breadth an event (or ongoing) series could offer.
THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA (Disney+)
Disney+ already features these adaptations of the iconic fantasy novels seeing as the House of Mouse did produce the first two movies alongside WaldenMedia. The child actors are already too old to reprise their roles for the remaining novels that have yet to be translated to the big screen, but Disney could surely still finish the saga strong. Instead of making a big budget film commitment for each, why not turn the last four books into series that could compliment the three feature films. The remaining books comprise a prequel and stories set decades if not hundreds of years after the three movies so it works out perfectly as a way for Disney to complete a half-finished franchise they already have a vested interest in. While Netflix currently owns the rights, it may be worth pursuing.
HITMAN (Hulu)
Make no mistake, the 2007 film version of the popular video game was not that good. Starring Timothy Olyphant, it spawned an even worse sequel starring Rupert Friend in the lead role. While I could have put THE TRANSPORTER here, HITMAN has a lot more potential to mine as an acton series. Get a decent lead actor to play Agent 47 and you can easily tell an episodic tale of how he became a contract killer and who his employers may be. Maybe even get Timothy Olyphant back to reprise his role!
FANTASTIC FOUR (Disney+)
Since Disney acquired Fox, no one has been drooling more than Marvel Studios. Finally getting the rights to The Fantastic Four and X-Men characters, the library of superheroes is almost completely restored. While Kevin Feige teased that the Fantastic Four are in development already, why jump the gun and make another feature film? Josh Trank's reboot already soured many fans and while I am sure Marvel Studios could do right by the characters, giving them a Disney+ series to develop and explore the four heroes could go a much longer way towards giving them a headstart for a future big screen endeavor. Pony up the cash and get John Krasinski and Emily Blunt in the lead roles (hell, give Krasinski creative control as writer and director, too!) and you have an instant hit on your hands.
PERCY JACKSON (Disney+)
Do you remember back when every studio was trying to find the "next HARRY POTTER"? Well, 20th Century Fox got close with their adaptations of Rick Riordan's fantasy infused Percy Jackson novels. With the main series based in Greek/Roman mythology, the films fizzled out after only two adaptations. But, should Disney look to reboot the franchise on the small screen, they have a lot of novels to work with. Plus, Riordan has explored other tales like Norse and Asian mythology in his own writings and spin-off series he has overseen. Disney could do a lot with these tales and it would certainly benefit from a longer form of storytelling that Disney+ can provide.
DIE HARD (Hulu)
Believe it or not, but FOX's Lethal Weapon TV series was actually pretty good. While it was nowhere near the quality of the feature films, it was an enjoyable take on the material. DIE HARD is a franchise that has not come close to the quality of the first films with any of the recent sequels, so why not try adapting it for the small screen. A six or eight episode event series could give enough room to make an action-packed thrill ride of a show without stretching it too far. Maybe Bruce WIllis would even be willing to star in it!
M*A*S*H* (Hulu)
Both Robert Altman's original film and the long-running CBS series are regarded as classics. No medical or military shows on the air today can match the style of comedy and blend of drama that M*A*S*H* brought to the airwaves. Maybe it is time to bring it back? Some of the original cast, namely Alan Alda, are still with us today and updating the setting to a contemporary war could be the right way to honor the legacy of this story while keeping it fresh for a new generation.
CASPER THE FRIENDLY GHOST (Disney+)
1995's CASPER was a decent hit for Universal and a cult favorite with fans. Aside from an atrocious sequel, the franchise has wallowed in animated form for the last two decades. With Disney having an extensive library of animated characters whom they have translated to new formats and stories, why not do the same with the friendly ghost which Fox has the rights to? The hijinks of a spirit could make for a fun and family friendly series that could mine advances in technology since the first film debuted 25 years ago.
INDEPENDENCE DAY (Disney+)
Roland Emmerich's INDEPENDENCE DAY: RESURGENCE was a disappointment for many hoping the magic of the 1996 disaster epic could be replicated. While the big screen may not be the place for it, a new generation of tales set in this scifi world could have a home on the small screen. The PG-13 films could easily be fodder for stories set on Earth or in the reaches of space. Plus, continuing from the cliffhanger ending of the sequel could be a perfect lead in for an event or ongoing series.
