The Avengers Reboot In The Works From Netflix Director
Most people might think of Iron Man, Captain America, and Black Widow when they hear someone talk about the Avengers, but people who love 1960s spy drama might have some very different names come to mind. The UK cult favorite 1960s spy series, The Avengers, may share the same name as the Marvel superhero team, but their missions are usually a bit smaller scale than saving the world from aliens.
And now, it looks like we’re getting a reboot in the form of a series written by Industry’s Mickey Taylor and Konrad Kay and directed by Sex Education’s Ben Taylor.
The Avengers follows operatives that work for an organization known as The Ministry, which works to take down criminals in the UK. The original series had fan-favorite characters like John Steed, Dr. Cathay Gale, and Emma Peel, who were played by Patrick Macnee, Honor Blackman, and Dame Diana Rigg, respectively. The reports say that the new reboot series is expected to bring these characters back, played by new actors, naturally.
A reboot of The Avengers, a 1960s spy drama, is in the works, with Sex Education director Ben Taylor directing.
The Avengers was created by Doctor Who co-creator Sydney Newman and ran for six seasons, first premiering in 1961. The series would come back in the 1970s for a sequel series and would later see a feature film reboot in 1998. Unfortunately, the Uma Thurman and Ralph Fiennes-starring reboot failed to impress and bombed both commercially and critically.
Eventually, Shane Black would try to get a pilot off the ground for a The Avengers reboot series, but he wasn’t able to make it happen. Charlie Higson and Paul Whitehouse were reportedly approached to helm a reboot, but they decided to decline the opportunity. When asked about their decision, Higson candidly explained that they didn’t want to reboot something that wouldn’t be as good as the original.
The Avengers was created by Doctor Who co-creator Sydney Newman and ran for six seasons, first premiering in 1961.
The news that creative talent from two successful shows like Industry and Sex Education are attached to the project means that The Avengers reboot finally has some forward momentum. At this time, there’s no news on where the reboot might land, but if the pilot gets off the ground and is actually good, it would be easy to see someone like Netflix picking it up. Of course, the TV series is likely going to have to change its name to avoid some confusion.
Interestingly, the Marvel version of The Avengers was released in the UK as Avengers Assemble to specifically address this issue. Or maybe the TV show can get lucky and bring some interest in by accident. If it’s as good as the original show, it might be able to draw people in with the name and then keep them there with the quality.
Unfortunately, the Uma Thurman and Ralph Fiennes-starring 1998 reboot failed to impress and bombed both commercially and critically.
It seems like audiences might be a little fatigued with all the superheroes and Marvel’s version of The Avengers, so it seems like the perfect timing for this spy series to hit our screens. There’s no news of casting yet, but we’ll undoubtedly learn more as the series gets closer to production. Stay tuned, and we’ll keep you updated.
Source: Radio Times
