Rush Hour Jackie Chan Chris Tucker Still - H 2014
Courtesy of Everett CollectionCBS got into the pilot game late Monday, moving forward with its Rush Hour adaptation and ordering a new version of Greg Garcia‘s 2013 comedy Super Clyde as well as a half-hour from Modern Family alum Bill Wrubel.
Rush Hour, which landed at CBS with a hefty pilot-production commitment, is an adaption of the blockbuster movie franchise.
From Cougar Town‘s Bill Lawrence, the TV remake is in similar tone to the New Line Cinema films and follows a by-the-book Hong Kong police officer who is assigned to a case in L.A., where he’s forced to work with a cocky black LAPD officer who has no interest in a partner. Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker originated the roles in the three-film series. Casting is currently under way.
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Lawrence and Cougar Town alum Blake McCormick will co-write and executive produce the project, which hails from Warner Bros. Television, where the former’s Doozer Productions is under an overall deal. The trilogy’s Brett Ratner (who directed) and Arthur Sarkissian (who produced) are also on board to exec produce alongside Lawrence, McCormick and Doozer’s Jeff Ingold.
Rush Hour comes as Lawrence currently has three shows on the air: NBC’s Undateable — moved from summer to midseason — as well as sophomore comedy Ground Floor and the final season of Cougar Town, both on TBS.
Rush Hour was one of scores of feature film remakes to be developed this season and marks the second of them to go to pilot after Fox greenlit its Minority Report follow-up. Studios typically reach out for a creator’s blessing when adapting a film into a TV series — Rush Hour trilogy director Ratner and producer Sarkissian are both attached — though that’s not required.
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On the comedy side, CBS is back in business with The Millers creator Garcia some two months after abruptly canceling the comedy midway through its second season with a pilot greenlight for Super Clyde. Originally piloted in 2013, Super Clyde — about a meek, unassuming fast-food worker who finds his calling — had Harry Potter star Rupert Grint attached and was ultimately passed over for a series pickup in favor of The Millers. (CBS made the pilot available online in October 2013 after a request by Garcia.)
Super Clyde will remain a single-camera pilot and be written and exec produced by Garcia via his CBS Television Studios-based Amigos de Garcia banner. It’s unclear if any of the original cast, producers or director will return, though Garcia praised director Mike Fresco’s work on the original.)
Garcia sold seven projects this season and focused his time developing other writers. After the cancellation of The Millers, he was suddenly available to take a new stab at Super Clyde. The comedy brings to five the number of pilots that were rolled or redeveloped this season.
In addition to Super Clyde, CBS also handed out a pilot pickup for Joe Time, from Modern Family‘s Wrubel and Warner Bros. Television. The multicamera comedy, marking Wrubel’s first sale since moving from 20th Century Fox Television, landed at CBS with a sizable pilot-production commitment. Previously titled The Good Life, Joe Time revolves around family man Joe as he struggles with the fact that everyone around him is pursuing their dreams and enjoying their lives more than he is.
Monday’s pickups bring CBS’ comedy haul to six and dramas to five. Last year, the network ordered nine dramas and 10 comedies.
Email: Lesley.Goldberg@THR.com
Twitter: @Snoodit
