Lost in Space

[Nevada]

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - The Robinson clan is headed back into deep space.



The WB Network has given a pilot order to a remake of the fantasy-adventure drama "Lost in Space," which ran on CBS from 1965-68. Feature filmmaker John Woo (news) ("Mission: Impossible 2") is on board as an executive producer and may possibly direct the pilot.


The prospect of revisiting "Lost in Space" piqued the interest of several networks. The WB, which bid aggressively, is hoping that "Lost" will become another fantasy-action franchise show for the network, even if its young-skewing audience has no firsthand memory of the original series.


The new-model "Space," to be set in the year 2097, will hew closely to its progenitor by following the adventures of the Robinson family and their loyal robot sidekick.


In the original series, Guy Williams (news) and June Lockhart played the heads of a family of three who set out on a five-year mission to explore a distant planet only to find themselves hopelessly lost in space after the controls of the spacecraft are sabotaged by a nefarious scientist who inadvertently winds up going along for the ride.


"We're sticking to (creator) Irwin Allen's core vision of a family fighting for its survival in space," said Doug Petrie ("Buffy the Vampire Slayer (news - Y! TV)"), who will write the pilot script and also executive produce. "As a writer, space is the greatest window dressing in the world, and we are going to have fun with it. But at its core, it's a family story, and their emotions are going to be completely real and completely relatable."


Also executive producing will be Jon Jashni and Kevin Burns, whose Synthesis Entertainment banner was formed in 2001 to oversee revivals of the many TV and film properties controlled by Allen's estate.


Synthesis and NBC had previously been working on a two-hour "Lost in Space" TV movie that would have been something of a reunion of original series cast members. But the project was scuttled in November following the death of "Lost" star Jonathan Harris (news), who played the malevolent Dr. Smith.


When the Synthesis partners met with Petrie to discuss a range of possibilities, the writer sketched out his detailed vision for a series remake.


"When I got to my ideas for Season 4, they said, 'OK, OK, shut up already,"' Petrie said.

[vanessa]

Sounds like fun!

They certainly did well enough with the series for special effects (considering what was available).... i hope this doesn't just become a special effects series and they are able to get the "human" touch in there...