Evans bringing ITV's UFO to big screen
by John Scott Lewinski, posted May 22nd 2009 1:03PM
In Hollywood's never-ending quest to locate every single piece of pre-existing intellectual property to make into a movie without actually purchasing an original screenplay, they'll be turning to flying saucers and shiny women with purple hair.The iconic 1960s British sci-fi series UFO (right) will be brought to the big screen by an even more iconic producer -- Robert Evans. According to Variety, Evans will team with ITV Global to update the Earth vs. aliens premise.
The original UFO featured a secret team of elite Earthlings (SHADO: Supreme Headquarters Alien Defense Organization) fending off a mysterious collection of invading creatures.
Of course, movie audiences have seen a comic version of the same premise with Men in Black, so Evans and company will have to stay away from comedy to remain distinct. The show will be set in the near future, steering away from the period look that made the original show so memorable.
And there lies a possible problem. A chunk of UFO's charm was its cheesiness, and the premise might not hold up with modern effects. Then again, people suggested the same problem would ruin the rebooted Doctor Who on the small screen, and that proved a massive hit. If this new project turns out more like Who and less like the big screen Thunderbirds, it might be fun.

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