Report: New 'Friday Night Lights' movie from Universal in final negotiations
According to a report from Variety, director David Gordon Green and Universal are in final negotiations for a remake of H.G. Bissinger’s classic novel “Friday Night Lights.”
What it means…
The new movie would not be a remake of the 2004 film nor continue the Emmy-winning NBC series. Rather, it would feature a new cast, new characters and a new setting (sorry, Odessa) while still focusing on Texas high school football and its impact on a community. A source told Variety:
…the movie is not a sequel to Universal’s 2004 film starring Billy Bob Thornton, nor is it based on NBC’s TV series with Kyle Chandler. Instead, it’s a new property, though still focused H.G. Bissinger’s non-fiction book about the 1988 Permian High School Panthers as the new Texas football team makes a run towards the state championship.
Background information…
Universal’s 2004 film adaptation experienced only modest box-office success, bringing in $61 million. But the NBC series, which aired from 2006-2011, did very well, and in 2011, Kyle Chandler won an Emmy for “Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series” as head coach Eric Taylor. Peter Berg directed both the movie and the television series.
Green recently directed 2017 release “Stronger,” the real life story of Boston Marathon bombing survivor Jeff Bauman. He also directed “Pineapple Express” and “Eastbound & Down,” among others.
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