Netflix Wednesday Creators Rebooting Sci-Fi Box Office Hit
If you loved what the writers of Wednesday did with the Addams’ story, you’ll be interested in what Alfred Gough and Miles Millar do with the story of I Am Number Four in a possible upcoming reboot of the sci-fi hit. You may recall that the original movie adaptation of the novel by the same name was released in 2011, and the film did well in theaters raking in around $150 million against a $50 million production cost.
I Am Number Four Story
The story follows John Smith (an alien teenager with superpowers), who is part of a collection of eight alien kids sent to Earth to escape being killed by invading Mogodorians.
Each of the eight is to be hunted down and killed in sequential order, and the first three have already been murdered. John Smith is number four. Smith has to figure out how to harness and hone his newfound powers and escape the grasp of the Mogodorians to keep his race alive.
No Sequel At The Time
Even though I Am Number Four did okay in theaters, plans for a sequel to the film were scrapped due to “disappointing performance” at the box office. Fans of the film would disagree.
In 2013 (when the second book in the series dropped), the director of the film was questioned about the possibility of a movie adaptation of the second book in the Lorien Legacies series, The Power of Six as a sequel to I Am Number Four.
Without giving a straight answer, Caruso did say that there was interest in the story.
Finally Cancelled
Ultimately, DreamWorks headed the cancellation of the project’s progression. The company didn’t see enough possible profit to fund the making of the second film, and that was the end of the story. Until now…
Just as Disney’s Percy Jackson and the Olympians TV series gave the story of Percy and his friends a new life, there’s hope that I Am Number Four can be resurrected with a new cast and a new vision.
Wednesday Writers Rebooting It
In a recent interview, James Frey (part of the trio of writers who make up the pseudonym and author of the Lorien Legacies, Pittacus Lore) said that DreamWorks and the writers of Wednesday “are in the process” of working on a rebooted version of I Am Number Four right now.
Frey went on to say that he “can’t say whether it will actually ever get made or not,” but he is working with some very talented individuals to try to make it happen.
Original Cast Unlikely To Return
It’s unlikely that the original cast will return for a reboot of I Am Number Four, as it’s been almost 15 years since the original movie was released. This leaves the question of where and how they will move forward with the story open to the imagination.
Considering the fact that I Am Number Four led to the creation of a whole franchise of book series, there is clearly enough material to lend itself to a new generation of viewers.
The writers and producers of a reboot won’t have any trouble figuring out where the story could go, because it’s already been written.
Reboot For A New Franchise?
The film version of I Am Number Four also left viewers with a very pliable ending that just screamed “there’s more to the story!”
If done right, a reboot of the series could lead to a long-lasting franchise opportunity on film and television.
Source: Sci-Fi Fantasy Gazette
