Two new guests have made their reservations for Fox’s Fantasy Island. According to Deadline, the rebooted series set for a summer premiere has cast Kiara Barnes (The Bold and the Beautiful, The Wrong Wedding) and John Gabriel Rodriguez (The Fosters, Rosewood) as regulars. This reimagining of the iconic late 1970s drama is being helmed by writers Liz Craft (The Shield, 666 Park Avenue) and Sarah Fain (Women’s Murder Club, The Fix).
According to Deadline, Barnes and Rodriguez will portray two of the show’s three main characters. Barnes is Ruby Okoro, a terminally ill woman who finds new life once she arrives as a guest at the resort. Rodriguez will play the island’s head of transport, Javier. Described as a jack of all trades, Javier’s rugged charm may come at a deeper cost. The third character has yet to be cast, but they will portray Elena Roarke, a female descendent of the resort’s original owner.
The original series, created by Gene Levitt (Any Second Now, Run A Crooked Mile), premiered in 1978 and starred Ricardo Montalbán (Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over) as Mr. Roarke, via Deadline. Executive produced by Aaron Spelling (Beverly Hills, 90210, T.J. Hooker) and Leonard Goldberg (Hijack, Something About Amelia), Roarke and his trusty assistant, Hervé Villechaize’s (The Man with The Golden Gun, Forbidden Zone) Tattoo, ran the magically mysterious resort for eight seasons. Various guests would land on the island where one’s wildest dreams and inhibitions became a reality. However, these earnest wishes would usually reap a hefty cost. In a similar vein, Fox’s version will feature a new guest seeking their deepest desire each episode.
According to Deadline, Craft and Fain will executive produce with Gemstone Studios, a subsidiary of Sony TV Pictures. Fox Entertainment will also produce the series. In 2020, the series was the basis for a horror film of the same name. Starring Michael Pena (Crash, Ant-Man), guests were granted their grandest wishes with a deadly twist.