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Kevin Williamson and his Outerbanks Entertainment group will be developing four TV series as part of a new deal with Universal Television. Two of them will be reboots of classic thriller films: Alfred Hitchcock’s Rear Window (1954) and David Fincher’s The Game (1997).
According to Deadline, which broke the news this week, Williamson will write the script for Rear Window while serving as an executive producer along with John Davis and John Fox. It will likely mirror Hitchcock’s original concept of a wheelchair-bound journalist who apparently witnesses a murder from his window while spying on his neighbors. As for The Game, its original writers John Brancato and Michael Ferris will be adapting the film into a series format.
Williamson will also be developing two other series for Universal: an adaptation of Ruth Ware’s book The It Girl, and an original crime drama titled The Waterfront. Sarah L. Thompson will be co-writing the It Girl script along with Williamson. Set in North Carolina, The Waterfront focuses on the fortunes of a dysfunctional family struggling to keep their fishing business afloat. Williamson was grew up in that region, where his own father was a fisherman.
In announcing the project, Universal Television’s president Erin Underhill was quoted as saying: “Kevin is a prolific and brilliant creator with a proven track record of producing iconic hits for both the big and small screen. He’s a trusted collaborator whose imagination is boundless and inspiring. We love our creative partnership with Kevin and his terrific team at Outerbanks. We think fans will love everything they are cooking up.”
“I couldn’t be more thrilled to be part of the Universal Television family,” added Williamson. “When making television, it’s so important to have partners who believe, support and inspire you. In Universal Television I have found exactly that. I’m excited to be working with such an amazing team doing what I love to do.”
Outerbanks Entertainmenet is headed by Ben Fast as president and Julia Buckingham as president. Williamson has a number of acclaimed dramas under his belt, including The Vampire Diaries, Dawson’s Creek, The Following, and Tell Me a Story.
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