Although 90s nostalgia is beginning to have its moment – if you believe in the 30-year cycle – the 80s boom is still going strong. The 1985 film Explorers is the latest piece of 80s IP to be getting the reboot treatment, as it will be reimagined as a TV pilot from the minds of filmmakers Cary Fukunaga and David Lowery.
The duo are teaming up to write the pilot together, which is tentatively planned to air on the Paramount network, and will be based on the coming of age sci-fi film that originally starred Ethan Hawke and River Phoenix. Either Fukunaga or Lowery will direct the pilot if it’s picked up.
Explorers itself revolved heavily around nostalgia, as it focused on a boy obsessed with 50s sci-fi movies, who teams up with a friend to build a spaceship that he has been having recurring dreams about.
Both directors have been busy recently, with Fukunaga directing the Netflix limited series Maniac (itself rooted in in 80s fantasy and sci-fi films – sensing a trend here?) while Lowery’s latest film, The Old Man And The Gun, is set to be an Oscar frontrunner.
There’s clearly a Stranger Things influence here, as the original Explorers was in turn a major influence for the Netflix show, and now The Paramount Network – formerly SpikeTV – is looking for their first hit since their rebrand, and what better show to emulate than one of the most popular currently running?
The project is still in the very early stages of development – it’s possible, but unlikely, that the pilot isn’t picked up – so we’ll wait and see how far this goes. Expect Explorers to likely be given a series order at some point though; 80s nostalgia remains extremely strong.
#Peace.Love.Explorers
