Why is Fantasy Island suddenly such a hot property? The original series starring Ricardo Montalban and Hervé Villechaize kicked off a seven-season run in 1977. Earlier this year the series was reimagined/reworked/reprised as a horror film starring Michael Peña, Maggie Q, and Lucy Hale. While the original campy series is fondly remembered, the 2020 horror movie was a bust that currently has a rotten rating of 7% at Rotten Tomatoes.
Now Fox has just announced they’ve given a straight-to-series order to a “contemporary version” of the series. The new version comes from Liz Craft and Sarah Fain (The 100, The Shield) and is targeting a summer 2021 premiere.
“In continuing to develop outside of the traditional broadcast cycle, we’ve been particularly focused on providing viewers with summer series that offer a true escape from everyday life – to be sure, now so more than ever,” said Michael Thorn, President of Entertainment, FOX Entertainment. “Fantasy Island is a beloved program, and the world Liz and Sarah have created for this contemporary adaptation is signature FOX and a perfect show for today’s times. After all, who among us wouldn’t take a (safe) trip to Fantasy Island right now?”
Craft and Fain will executive produce the Sony Pictures Television, Gemstone Studios and Fox Entertainment production.
“Fantasy Island has always been one of our most popular and iconic series and when we heard Liz and Sarah’s vision of this world, we immediately knew they were onto something special. We can’t think of better partners than FOX to work on this entirely novel take on this classic property — this is truly a wonderful and exciting way to launch our new venture, Gemstone Studios,” added Jeff Frost, President, Sony Pictures Television, and Jason Clodfelter, Co-President, Sony Pictures Television.
The New Series Description, Courtesy of Fox:
Fantasy Island is a modern semi-anthology series that delves into the “what if” questions, both big and small, that keep us awake at night. Each episode will tell emotional, provocative stories about people who walk in with a desire, but end up reborn to themselves through the magical realism of Fantasy Island.
