back to article The A-Team flies into Hollywood

Twentieth Century Fox has enlisted director Joe Carnahan to bring 1980s TV series The A-Team to the big screen, Variety reports. The project, slated for a summer 2010 release, sees Ridley Scott producing with brother Tony in the exec producer's chair under their "Scott Free" banner. Canahan will rework a script by Skip Woods ( …

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  1. Lionel Baden

    worried

    If they bugger this up i am not going to be happy !!!!!!

  2. Adam Foxton
    Thumb Down

    In 2002...

    ...a crack commando unit was sent to prison by a military court for a crime they didn't commit.

    They were promptly tortured to the point that they admitted to the crimes, a "great day for Freedom" according to the President.

    Yeah, that's going to be great.

    Mr T walks up to airport, can't get through metal detectors, has to tell Hannibal "I can't get on no plane!", while the other white guys manage to walk though unimpeded.

    They're being chased and escape in a Prius, having decided that the big AMC van didn't get enough miles per gallon for people on the run in the Los Angeles underground.

    As usual, though, there are hundreds of explosions and millions of bullets shot off but no-one will die- or even get hurt. This is super-sanitised American TV-land!

  3. Red Bren

    Brought up to date

    "In 2002 a cack command unit was not sent to prison by the International Criminal Court for a war crimes they did commit. These men promptly embarked from a maximum security stockade to the after dinner speech circuit. Today, still wanted by the rest of the world, they survive as consultants for a small fortune. If you have a question, if no one else can help you water-board your prisoner, and if you can find them some oil, maybe you can hire the B-Team."

    Starring George W Peppard and Tony "Mr T" Blair. Disappearing from a TV screen near you.

  4. Richard

    Thanks Hollywood.

    Now I feel sick.

  5. Ash
    Thumb Down

    No.

    Not watching it.

  6. Michael
    Black Helicopters

    :-)) <- what do you mean a smiley doesn't count as a proper title?

    Should be interesting in the current PC climate how they deal with "Howlin' Mad" Murdoch. (Will he be henceforth referred to as "Special Needs" Murdoch?) Will Hanibal have ditched the big cigars for a nicorette patch? Will they have to abolish the glass ceiling and make Amy a full member of the team? Will they have exchanged the big van for a Prius...

    Black helecopters, because, well, they can turn one into a turnip gun or something.

  7. Sarah Bee (Written by Reg staff)

    I may be interested

    if they cast Jim Carrey as Murdoch and, I dunno, some bloke off of ER as Face.

  8. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Pitying the fool

    I pity the fool who tries to remake the A-Team.

  9. Luther Blissett

    Surely shome mistake here

    Given the passage of time and electrons (and holes), surely any revival should be called The AI-Team.... amanfromMars are you with me on this?

  10. Evil_Medic
    Boffin

    No camp...No problem.

    I dunno, Lester. Perhaps reducing the camp and/or formulaic plot might work.

    Example?

    Somehow we went from:

    Holy Backpacks, Batman! It's the Scoutmaster!

    <word balloons> BAM! BIFF! KAPOW!</word balloons>

    To the award winning awsomeness of Dark Knight.

    Jus' Sayin.

  11. Graham Allsop
    Unhappy

    The Dukes of Hazzard

    Nuff said.

  12. Frank Bough
    Stop

    worried

    When they bugger this up i am not going to be happy !!!!!!

  13. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    It can't be a Turnip Gun...

    surely it would have to be a Snickers Gattling Gun.

    Get over here speedwalker!

  14. Steve
    Happy

    ".........without cheesing it up."

    So it will simply remain cheesier than a cheese licker's cheesy bits, then?

    Trivia Hunt: I swear blind that I once saw SOMEONE ACTUALLY DIE in an episode once (thrown off a balcony). No-one believes me, of course (crazy fool!). Who out there in Reg land has The Nerds to provide illumination?

  15. Chris
    Thumb Down

    Ugh, no.

    They might decide to urinate on one of my fondest childhood memories but I won't be joining in.

  16. Anonymous Coward
    Flame

    This will be fun to watch

    The train-wreck-in-slow-motion of this project, I mean -- not the movie itself.

    Article: "a movie which "reflects on the real world without losing the great sense of fun and the velocity of action in a classic summer popcorn film" "

    In other words -- "the studio suits and the producers can't agree among themselves whether this is light and campy like Charlie's Angels, or dark and gritty like Die Hard. So we're going to make something that flips unpredictably between the two, achieves neither, and flops at the box office."

    My prediction: The trailer will have the "tone" of the movie that the studio really wanted. The movie itself will be something else entirely.

  17. Anton Channing
    Stop

    Why should we care if its good or not?

    It might be an entertaining film, it might not. I don't know. I'm not going to invest emotionally in the idea that it might. To be honest for 2009 I'm more looking forward to 'King Shot' by Joderowski and David Lynch and 'Watchmen'. Although Alan Moore graphic novels don't have a good track record of movie conversions, I still think it will be entertaining...

    But there will always be films that disappoint. Especially when they are based on something that has come before, like a book, comic or old tv series. Or even an older film. Whilst at other times there are pleasant surprises...

  18. Andrew Barratt
    Stop

    Its a simple fomula and they will ruin it by trying ot make it "Relevant"

    The whole point of the show was that it WASNT relevant. It was fantasy land for young boys dreaming of getting captured and breaking free shooting lots of bullets and not hurting anyone!

    They could do this so well with :-

    Sam L Jackson as BA

    Jim Carey as Murdock

    some pretty boy unknown as Face

    John Travolta as Hannibal

    It should be non PC, but it won't and they'll ruin it. Needs to have a cheeky side appearance from some original cast members too.

    I love it when a plan comes together....

  19. g e

    To much talk

    Quit yo jibber-jabber fools!

  20. Glyn
    Heart

    @Dukes of Hazzard

    I'm in the minority that like the DoH Film. It may have been because the day I was having when I watched it anything was up.

    I particularly liked where you could see the car break every time it landed, then the next shot it's carrying on on it's merry way, just like the TV series :P

    I second the motion for Jim Carrey as murdoch. Someone here suggested George Clooney for face, though he's probably a bit old, so howzabout David Boreanaz. After seeing Bones I reckon he could do it justice. Christopher Walken as Hannibal, just because!!!

    I'ld like to see someone other than a rapper get the Mr T role, it's a bit of a cop out.

  21. Andrew Halliwell
    Coat

    Snickers? Are you mad?

    What if the baddy has a peanut allergy?!

    Mine's the one with the adrenalin syringe in the pocket.

  22. Anonymous Coward
    Paris Hilton

    Revisiting TV programmes of childhood

    rarely is any good - as you end up wondering why you liked it

  23. Anonymous Coward
    Unhappy

    Nooooooooooooooo!

    98.3% chance of this film sucking balls. The A-Team had their day and own a plot in a very coveted 80's era area in my heart (along with transformers, thundercats, MASK, Knight Rider, Airwolf, He-Man and the Masters of the universe, Streethawk, yada yada yada).

    A true 80's child I was left in front of the TV whilst my parents argued then divorced. It broke my heart. Don't break the rest of the only happy time in my life by releasing the worst 'resurrection of an 80's series' film ever.

    Now I'm going to my room to sulk and I won't be tempted down by Potatoe Waffles, burger and beans! (the staple diet of an 80's child going through the parents divorce).

  24. Tom Chiverton
    Stop

    Dear Hollywood

    Dear Hollywood, please have an original idea. Any time this year. Just one. Please.

  25. Bassey
    Thumb Down

    Re: Jim Carrey

    If they cast Jim Carrey as Murdoch then I shall go to the cinema and sit through the whole thing with my back to the screen and my fingers in my ears in protest. Just no.

  26. Anonymous Coward
    Gates Horns

    Those of you wearing the rose-tinted glasses, look away now

    but the TV show was actually pretty piss-poor, to be fair., which at least means a movie can't muck it up. Still, if it gives Mr T and Dwight Schultz (who's a truly lovely feller) another turn around to talk about the good old days, I'm not going to be too upset.

    BillG, he's a crazy foo'

  27. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    casting suggestions?

    for BA Baracus - that kid off the 118 commercials getting a Mr T haircut - "Crazy fool!"

  28. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    @ Evil_Medic

    Personally I much prefer the old, speech bubble filled Batman outings.

  29. David Ritchie

    Cast

    I always thought that they could make a A-Team movie as a sequel to 3 Kings

    Cloony as Hannibal, Ice Cube as Mr T and Mark Wahlberg as Face.

  30. Alan Paice
    Thumb Up

    @Evil_Medic

    Thats a very good point! Although I do enjoy the Camp Bat man too ZONK! BIFF! SOCK!

  31. Anonymous Coward
    Heart

    The Gay Team

    I saw a film called The Gay Team once, not sure if that counts for anything though. Go on, search Google Images for it, I dare ya.

  32. Anonymous Coward
    Flame

    NO!

    An A-Team movie is wanted just as much as a Bladerunner sequal - some twunt is going ahead and penning a BR sequal and doesn't care that most people who have seen the film believe it should NEVER EVER have a sequal/prequal/remake.

    Copyright laws should be changed to stop this sort of crap from happening, remakes & spin-offs 'work' so rarely they should be outlawed.

  33. Dan Breen
    Stop

    When is the A-Team not the A-Team?

    When this happens...

    "Fox hired me to make it as emotional, real and accessible as possible without cheesing it up."

    The A-Team WAS cheese - thousands of rounds fired, improbable vehicles built from improbably parts and NOBODY was ever killed.

    Stop, go back to the recipie and re-add the cheese.

    LOTS of cheese...

  34. Tom

    Epic Fail! And they haven't even drafted a script yet.

    The WHOLE POINT of The A-Team was the camp, the car crashes, and the explosions, and the thousands of rounds of ammunition being fired without anybody getting so much as a ricocheting splinter wound. I pity the fool who doesn't get that.

    "I want a trash bag! I need a tr-r-ash-h-h bag!"

  35. This post has been deleted by its author

  36. Sarah Bee (Written by Reg staff)

    Re: Jim Carrey

    I bet you would, too. And righteous it would be. You can't have a capering plonker like him besmirching the sacred memory of... that guy in that 80s action series. It's like Tom Cruise in Valkyrie only like way worse!

    Honestly.

  37. Mark Fenton

    Pitying the fool....

    If Mr T isn't involved I personally shall be taking up my pitchfork and flaming torch and getting the mob roused...

  38. Anonymous Coward
    Stop

    Required Cast

    Having discussed this one to death in a pub, I have to point out some casting issues:

    Firstly, you can't have Jim Carey as Murdock. In the series Murdock was mad and hard - Carey is mad and weedy. Brad Pit could play Murdock fantastically (remember 12 Monkeys), of course, he could also do Face, but I would cast him as Murdock. The obvious choice for Hannibal is George Clooney. BA you would replace with some random WWE wrestler. All he needs to be able to do is say "Fool" convincingly. Face you can get away with any pretty boy unknown. He was never a compelling character originally.

    They'll ruin it though.

  39. Anonymous Coward
    Stop

    In relality they did commit the War Crimes

    This is going to be too close to reality, many real war crimes from theft, murder, torture and sexual abuse has been commited by the US and UK forces and they always get away with it.

    Leave the A Team alone, it was a fun show for kids and they will never get anyone to be as good as Mr T

  40. Anonymous Bastard
    Go

    I hate it

    ...until you said "Jim Carey as Murdock" and "John Travolta as Hannibal". Now if only we could convince the studios to drop the middle east fascination and hire those guys it would be ok. And up the cheesiness.

  41. Anonymous Coward
    Thumb Up

    Keeping with the tradition of the original ...

    I know they changed it in later seasons, but in the early parts of the show, no one died.

    Helicopters would be shot down, hit the ground on fire, and everyone would scramble away - diving to the ground as it blows up in the background.

    This they must keep.

  42. Anonymous Coward
    Unhappy

    no imagination?

    is it me or hollywood for past 30 years or so had been doing nothing more than remakes ?

    what ever happened to doing something other than BOOM! BANG ! ZAP! in it?

    it seems that the movies had been over standarized to a point that only faces change and mostly not for the better...

    even zucker brothers after being funny when they started off went the way of the bland and blah!

    i must thank hollywood for killing once a viable medium

    as for revival of a team blah run dont go it will be sad very sad remake worst of all you will be out of 20 bucks!

  43. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Bring back Dirk

    He's older and greyer and smokes big cigars.... He'd do Hannibal well.

  44. Mr Bear
    Stop

    There goes the 80's

    "Fox hired me to make it as emotional,..."

    Whoa! Stop there, you've screwed it up before you've even started.

  45. Chris
    Paris Hilton

    Noooooo!

    If they're going to make cheesy 80's TV action series into feature films, I want to see "The Fall Guy" with Jessica Alba as Jody.

  46. Anonymous Coward
    Thumb Down

    Re: @Dukes of Hazzard

    "I'ld like to see someone other than a rapper get the Mr T role, it's a bit of a cop out."

    Do a 'Tropic Thunder' and get Robert Downey Jr. blacked up ... seriously, I reckon that would work, and although I cannot stand Jim Carrey, he'd be a good call for Murdoch.

    Failing that, take the idea of the A-Team film, and the clod(s) who came up with it, behind the bins and have them shot.

  47. Goat Jam
    Stop

    Line them up against the wall

    From now on every dimwitted pr flack or studio exec who utters the words "reimagine" or variants thereof will go on my list of those who will be up against the wall when the revolution comes.

    It's like some pr zombie has realised that people are sick and tired of remakes so they rather than, like, let's say, stop making remakes they all sat around and brainstormed their way to making up a new word that means "remake" but has the word "imagine" in it to make it sort of seem like they are being creative or something.

    Tosspots

  48. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Recommendations

    For the first nine months my wife and I had our TiVo, its top recommendation was 'The A-Team'.

    I pity the fool who don't understand TiVo's recommendation system.

  49. Anonymous Coward
    Pirate

    The end has already begun!!!

    Even now they're making re-imaginings of Beverly Hills 90210.... Next year, they'll do a re-take on Prison Break, and the year after that (Network Exclusive!), sees the simultaneous release of a completely new series about a rookie cop and and a gruff veteran called 'Wire Shield' *and* its re-make, so you can relive your memories of that great show you saw only thirty minutes ago.

    Also, Jeff Murdoch from Coupling for Murdoch, you know it makes sense!

  50. Alex
    Flame

    And again (See The Thing remake comments)

    http://www.fox.co.uk/contact

    FFS.... George Peppard is DEAD! You can't bring him back....

    No one should be Hannibal, apart from the Great GP.

    Hate H a t e H A T E ! ! ! !

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