Just recently the increasing importance of Intellectual Property (short IP) in TV-series business was discussed (and criticized) at SERIESMANIA festival in Lille, France, as well as the lack of risk-taking on broadcaster side to show truly “original” content in order to reach an audience. As a result: all streaming services that act as an extension of major studios are scouring their own back catalogs for promising and serializable movie material. The results can be seen in the recent past and near future.
GREASE - RISE OF THE PINK LADIES
Where: Paramount+, starting 07.04.
Who: Annabel Oakes (creator), Marisa Davila, Cheyenne Isabel Wells, Madison Thomspon (cast)
What: Virtually the serial prequel about the history of the Pink Ladies who caused a stir in the 1950ths "Grease" (1978).
Why: Because musicals and especially musical shows are currently in high demand and the serial backstory gives the creators (and fans) the opportunity to enjoy over 30 new songs.
DEAD RINGERS
Where: Prime Video, starting 21.04.
Who: Sean Durkin, Karyn Kusama, etc. (director), Rachel Weisz, Poppy Liu (cast)
What: The gender-swapped reinterpretation of David Cronenberg´s classic "Dead Ringers" (1987), where a pair of twins crosses moral and ethical boundaries.
Why: Because we are curious how Rachel Weisz will fill the role originally played by Jeremy Irons and at the same time we are pretty sure that directors like Karyn Kusama ("The Invitation") and Sean Durkin ("Martha Marcy May Marlene") can do psycho- and body horror particularly well.
Fatal attraction
Where: Paramount+, starting 01.05.
Who: Alexandra Cunningham. Kevin J. Hynes (creators), Lizzy Caplan, Joshua Jackson, Amanda Peet (cast)
What: Serial reboot of the cult thriller by Adrian Lyne, which in 1987 let Glenn Close loose on Michael Douglas and Anne Archer´s marriage.
Why: Because more than 35 years later the role models are likely to have changed a bit and Lizzy Caplan as femme fatale may prove the ideal cast against a Joshua Jackson who is often rather drab.
WILLOW
Where: Disney+
Who: Jonathan Kasdan (creator), Warwick Davis, Ellie Bamber, Ruby Cruz (cast)
What: A late sequel to the high-fantasy hit from 1988, for which George Lucas and Ron Howard teamed up with Val Kilmer (and Warwick Davis).
Why: Because Warwick Davis has been working towards his comeback for quite a while now and the rather humorous fantasy approach promises refreshing variety. However "Willow" has already been canceled...
FARGO
Where: Prime Video, Joyn, Magenta TV
Who: Noah Hawley (creator), Billy Bob Thornton, Kirsten Dunst, Ewan McGregor, Chris Rock (cast)
What: An exploration of the depths of the human abyss in over 4 seasons, set in the cinematic universe, the Coen Brothers created with Oscar-winning "Fargo" (1996).
Why: Because each season of the anthology series has even more wild twists than the previous one and the impressive casted four seasons almost surpass the film original in terms of narrative finesse.
The lord of the rings: the rings of power
Where: Prime Video
Who: Patrick McKay, J. D. Payne (creator), Morfydd Clark, Markella Kavenagh, Daniel Weyman (cast)
What: Prime Videos' impressive and massively expensive attempt to challenge the "Game of thrones" universe based on Peter Jackson's "Lord of the Rings" adaption.
Why: Because in our current market, the show is probably unparalleled in terms of its visual overload and megalomania and because more female and diverse representation is long overdue in fantasy genre.
WESTWORLD
Where: Wow, Sky
Who: Jonathan Nolan und Lisa Joy (creator), Evan Rachel Wood, Ed Harris, Thandie Newton, Jeffrey Wright (cast)
What: The serial mindfuck version of Michael Crichton’s 1973 classic movie, which stars Yul Brynner as a robotic cowboy running amok in a futuristic amusement park.
Why: Because the convoluted storytelling of season one evokes some "Lost" nostalgia, and because, after two mediocre seasons, season four manages to surpass even its original source material.
WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS
Where: Disney+
Who: Jermaine Clement (creator), Kayvan Novak, Matt Berry, Natasia Demewtriou (cast)
What: An American TV show based on the 2014 New Zealand mockumentary hit which catapulted Taika Waiti to Hollywood fame.
Why: Because we can’t get enough of our lovable vampire roommates and their macabre shenanigans which have been renewed for a fifth and sixth season.
HANNIBAL
Where: Joyn, Athaus+, Sony AXN
Who: Bryan Fuller (creator), Mads Mikkelsen, Hugh Dancy, Laurence Fishburn (cast)
What: An ingenious TV adaptation depicting the symbiosis between criminal profiler Will Graham and Hannibal the Cannibal, who rose to global fame in the 1988 novel “The Silence of the Lambs”.
Why: Because of Mads Mikkelsen’s powerhouse performance of Sir Anthony Hopkins’ iconic role as Dr. Hannibal Lecter, and because abject horror has rarely been portrayed in a more artistic and psychologically insightful way.
ANDOR
Where: Disney+
Who: Tony Gilroy (creator), Diego Luna, Stellan Skarsgard, Fiona Shaw, Denise Gough (cast)
What: The serial return to what the "Star Wars" universe could have been if it had grown up, based on the second-best "Star Wars" tragedy "Rogue One" (2016).
Why: Because the universe imagined by George Lucas here receives character and geographical depth for the first time and in every way sets new serial standards. Not just for "Star Wars".