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'Rockford Files' remake on the way (2012 EDIT: Now maybe a movie?)

Discussion in 'Anything goes' started by Starman, Aug 2, 2009.

  1. Mizzougrad96

    Mizzougrad96 Active Member

    Re: 'Rockford Files' remake on the way

    Why anyone would want to make or see this movie is beyond me.

    I'm trying to think if this has ever been done well. There are a few ones that are OK (Get Smart, Brady Bunch) but most are God awful.
     
  2. imjustagirl

    imjustagirl Active Member

    Re: 'Rockford Files' remake on the way

    It's not a movie. It's a series.
     
  3. Starman

    Starman Well-Known Member

    Re: 'Rockford Files' remake on the way

    It would have to depend on the approach they take to the reboot/restart/remake question:

    1. "Batman Begins": Complete reboot; start over from scratch. The basic fundamental plot points remain; Jim Rockford is a pardoned ex-con working as a PI, living on the beach in a trailer, with his crusty-but-lovable dad hanging around -- the other details can all be reinvented.

    2. "Superman Returns": the previous incarnation is used as somewhat of a loose prelude to the new version; you keep the plot points you like, dump the rest, and also introduce a heretofore-unknown long-lost kid (I suppose under this approach, you would have ghostly CGI images of Noah Beery Jr. as Rocky dispensing advice to Jim).

    3. "Star Trek 2009": The previous version still happened, but in a parallel universe, so the old Jim Rockford (James Garner) can talk to the new one in a cameo appearance. I don't think the Malibu beach is the venue for trans-dimensional time travel, so I think this one is out.

    Garner is 81, more or less retired from acting; I haven't seen any public appearances in a couple years. According to the ever-reliable Wiki he had a stroke in early 2008 and made a "positive" recovery -- it's not too likely he could make more than a token cameo appearance in any new version of "Rockford."

    I think it might be OK. "House" has a pretty good rep as a decently-written series, and Carell, as Mizzou notes, was involved in a good remake ("Get Smart") and was the one decent/passable part of another one, "Bewitched" (he was good as Uncle Arthur; the entire rest of the movie bombed) -- he obviously has some idea how to reintrepret an existing character. But as I said, I don't think he would be good as Rockford; I think he would be OK as Dennis Becker and probably real good as Lt. Chapman, Rockford's stick-up-the-ass nemesis on the LAPD.
     
  4. spaceman

    spaceman Active Member

    Re: 'Rockford Files' remake on the way

    Ron Livingston would be a good choice, if he'd do it. Not sure he'd have to.
     
  5. Mizzougrad96

    Mizzougrad96 Active Member

    Re: 'Rockford Files' remake on the way

    House is probably the best show on network TV, but in a case like this, that really isn't going to mean anything...

    I don't think I've seen Garner on TV since 8 Simple Rules went off the air.
     
  6. Starman

    Starman Well-Known Member

    Re: 'Rockford Files' remake on the way

    I've often thought over the years that John Cusack would make a good Rockford (using his character in "Grosse Pointe Blank" as somewhat as a basis -- of course they would probably want to leave the psychopathic-hitman part out).

    He's close to the same age Garner was when the original series aired, fairly big and rugged like Garner, and has the easygoing persona you need for Rockford.

    Also, he's not an A-list star who would be automatically priced out of the running (plus would never want to take months off at a time to do a TV series). He's kind of a solid B-lister -- he doesn't carry movies all by himself, but he's always good to have on the marquee.

    John Corbett (Chris from "Northern Exposure") was on the verge of A-list a few years ago (after "Big Fat Greek Wedding") but has kind of eased back the last few years to diddle around in country music and other stuff. He might be someone who could work in the Rockford role, too.

    Cusack has worked with John Mahoney before ("Eight Men Out") and I think Mahoney would be a good Rocky. Brian Doyle-Murray would be a good Rocky too.
     
  7. Mizzougrad96

    Mizzougrad96 Active Member

    Re: 'Rockford Files' remake on the way

    Cusack also worked with Mahoney in Say Anything.
     
  8. 2muchcoffeeman

    2muchcoffeeman Well-Known Member

    Re: 'Rockford Files' remake on the way

    Oh, for Tebow's sake ...

    Can somebody just whack the NBC management team already?
     
  9. HejiraHenry

    HejiraHenry Well-Known Member

    Re: 'Rockford Files' remake on the way

    Not bad, really.
     
  10. JayFarrar

    JayFarrar Well-Known Member

    Re: 'Rockford Files' remake on the way

    Remake the Rockford Files? This is the first thing I thought of...

     
  11. UPChip

    UPChip Well-Known Member

    Re: 'Rockford Files' remake on the way

    Well played.
     
  12. Second Thoughts

    Second Thoughts Active Member

    Re: 'Rockford Files' remake on the way

    In this line of thought, saw today where Spielberg wants to remake Jimmy Stewart classic "Harvey"
     
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