When Academy Award winner Akiva Goldsman isn’t thinking about the ongoing battle of the making of Constantine 2 or the epic follow-up to I Am Legend‘s alternate ending, the acclaimed writer and director has had his mind on the world of legendary ’60s sci-fi. Irwin Allen was behind the eclectic retro-futuristic shows like Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, Land of Giants, and The Time Tunnel, which happen to be the three shows that Legendary Television has hired Goldsman to recreate for a modern audience.
While it may sound odd that the same visionary writer that brought fans both the moving drama Cinderella Man and the goofy comic book film Batman Forever is now working on a re-imagined retro sci-fi TV universe, Goldsman has always had a diverse portfolio. He has worked on a variety of projects, like the Best Picture winner A Beautiful Mind and the hit show Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, which, when you think about it, makes him the perfect person for his upcoming odd job.
Having produced the modern version of Allen’s popular disaster film, The Poseidon Adventure and 1998’s Lost in Space, the connection between the two filmmakers is already strong. Goldsman will attempt to revitalize the three sci-fi shows of a bygone era, but there are no concrete details on how true to the originals the new television universe will be. The Da Vinci Code screenwriter also has a long history in television, having worked on Fringe and Underground along with co-developing the DC series Titans. He also co-created Star Trek: Picard, which is part of the successful Star Trek renaissance. Goldsman couldn’t be a better pick to bring back Allen’s brand of colorful retro sci-fi.
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Irwin Allen’s Visionary Projects are Ripe for a Modern Reimagining
Allen’s famous projects are an undeniable part of film and TV history. Encapsulating the goofy vibes of the ’60s and ’70s, Allen’s work also included classics like The Lost World and Lost in Space. Expanding upon Allen’s work would be a field day for any modern director, and Goldsman will have his chance with three of Allen’s popular ABC sci-fi television shows. Lost in Space was already a reimagined show from Legendary TV and streamed on Netflix.
Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea aired on ABC from 1964 to 1968 and was based on the 1961 film co-written by Allen and Charles Bennett. The series followed the nuclear submarine Seaview in an unforgettable underwater adventure. The fourth ABC show created by Allen, Land of the Giants, ran from 1968 to 1979 and was set in the futuristic year of 1983. The series follows the sub-orbital space vehicle the Spindrift, whose crew shrunk after getting caught up in a sandstorm; the plot is pretty similar to Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea.
Allen’s third released ABC show, The Time Tunnel, ran from 1966 to 1967 and followed two scientists who are sent on a race through time after experimenting with time travel. These iconic sci-fi concepts will surely prove to be fertile ground for Goldsman.
Source: Deadline
This story originally appeared on Movieweb
