UPDATE: I guess ABC couldn’t resist Cameron’s True Lies. The network bought the rights to develop the project, though this doesn’t mean it will receive a pilot or even make it to series. And with the upcoming NBC show Undercovers from J.J. Abrams, the spy next door genre seems to be filled on network TV. But if I know James Cameron (which I don’t), that little fact won’t bother him in the slightest.
EARLIER: Let’s be honest. James Cameron can pretty much do whatever he wants. With the #1 and #2 highest grossing films of all time, he has the ability to pick and choose his projects as he sees fit. It’s not like he’ll be starving anytime soon.
So what does he do? He plays it safe and starts adapting one of his previous hits for television. True Lies, the 1994 classic action film starring Governor (which is still weird to think about) Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jaime Lee Curtis (not a governor, but fingers crossed), is being produced by Cameron’s Lightstorm Entertainment and 20th Century Fox TV. The 4400 and Castle executive producer Rene Echevarria will double as the writer and executive producer.
I like True Lies as much as the next manly man, but Cameron isn’t the best writer out there. True Lies was awesome, but it was also based on a French film so Cameron had a head start. Sure, I saw Avatar twice in theaters, but not for the story. And Titanic was saved by Leo and Kate’s brilliant acting. TV shows survive based on the quality of writing of the episodes and hiring Echevarria (who is also developing Teen Wolf for MTV) does not inspire much hope with me.
And the last time Cameron dabbled in television we got Dark Angel. Remember that show? Of course not.
But Dark Angel did give us Jessica Alba (which I am thankful for every day) and Cameron does know how to put on a good show. As much as I hate to say this, I’ll watch every episode of this show and it will have bigger ratings than the Super Bowl. James Cameron just works like that.
Source: Deadline
