‘Dynasty’ Reboot Set At the CW With Josh Schwartz & Stephanie Savage
The CW is returning to the primetime soap arena in a big way, taking a shot at rebooting one of the iconic series in the genre, the Aaron Spelling-produced Dynasty. The network has put in development the high-profile project, which hails from the duo behind one of the CW’s biggest soaps, Gossip Girl creators Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage, in their return to the network.
They have teamed with Revenge writer-producer Salie Patrick and original series’ creators, husband-and-wife duo Esther Shapiro & Richard Shapiro for a new modern-day reboot of the classic series. CBS TV Studios is the studio.
Co-written by Schwartz & Savage and Patrick, the new Dynasty follows two of America’s wealthiest families, the Carringtons and the Colbys, as they feud for control over their fortune and their children. The series will be told primarily through the perspectives of two women at odds: Fallon Carrington — daughter of billionaire Blake Carrington — and her soon-to-be stepmother, Cristal — a Hispanic woman marrying into this WASP family and America’s most powerful class.
This is a new spin on the premise of the original series, which focused on oil taycoon Blake Carrington, played by John Forsythe whose daughter Fallon (Pamela Sue Martin) resents her soon-to-be mother-in-law John’s much younger former secretary Krystle Jennings (Linda Evans) to whom he is about to get married. Cristal will play a version of the Krystle character in the CW version, giving it a more diverse feel.
Schwartz and Savage will executive produce though their Fake Empire banner alongside Patrick and the Shapiros. Patrick will serve as showrunner if the project moves forward.
The original series aired on ABC from 1981 to 1989. It has an unaspicious start the first season before taking off as a ratings and pop culture phenom when Joan Collins joined the cast in a Season 2 revamp as the scheming Alexis. It is unclear whether a version of the character will appear on the CW reboot but that would seem logical.
This is one of the CW’s biggest pieces of development for next season, along with The Lost Boys adaptation from Rob Thomas and Warner Bros. TV.
The CW and predecessor the WB have a long tradition in young soapy dramas. It has gradually pulled out of the genre with the end of shows like Gossip Girl, The Carrie Diaries and Hart of Dixie as the CW brass ramped up more male-skewing sumerhero/genre programming but bringing back female soaps had been a goal.
Schwartz and Savage, who recently became available to other studios after wrapping their overall deal at ABC Studios, have the Marvel’s Runaways series at Hulu, which they wrote, executive produce and serve as showrunners on. They, along with Patrick, are repped by WME.
Related stories
‘Jane The Virgin’ Adds Ricardo Chavira As New Love Interest For Xo In Season 3
The CW Buys Hispanic Family Drama 'Casa’ Produced By Greg Berlanti
Alien Invaders The Dominators Set As Villains For CW’s DC Series Crossover
Get more from Deadline.com: Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Newsletter
