The 2001 romantic comedy Serendipity, previously of the big screen, is now getting the television treatment. The project has received a script commitment from NBC and hails from Miramax Television, the original film being a part of their archival materials. The original film featured Kate Beckinsale and John Cusack, and while hopes of cameos abound, no casting, cameo or otherwise, has been done yet.
The logline for the television series reads, “Harry and Claire fall in love one fateful night, are separated by circumstance and then spend years trying to find one another again… with a little help from the universe.” The project is being helmed by Jonny Umansky, who previously co-wrote 2016’s Legends of the Hidden Temple based on the Nickelodeon game. Umansky will write and serve as executive producer of Serendipity.
Umansky said, “I’ve been madly in love with this movie for more than half my life. Never has the world needed a show like Serendipity more, and the love stories we have in store are big, bold and filled to the brim with whimsy and wonder.”
Miramax CEO Bill Block and Senior Vice President of Television Caitlin Foito will also serve as executive producers. Foito released a statement saying, “We are privileged to be working alongside Jonny, who has invented a relentlessly optimistic romantic comedy cinematic universe. His creative take and adaptation of Serendipity will be a surefire win for everyone involved in this unique project.”
Umansky has another project in the works at NBC that has been in development since December 2018. The series, which has Vin Diesel signed on as an executive producer, is currently known as Conway, and will follow, “St. Louis detective Cal Conway finds his world turned upside down when he wakes up from a coma with exceptional cognitive abilities.” The premise of the series is based on a very rare condition which has been seen in about fifty people across the globe due to traumatic brain injury.
Serendipity is also the second project NBC has greenlit this week based on a film. Earlier this week the Peacock announced a modern take on the 1985 Brat Pack film St. Elmo’s Fire. The network also gave the go ahead on a comedy starring Ted Danson and collaboratively created by 30 Rock’s Tina Fey and Robert Carlock.
Meanwhile at Miramax TV things have been quieter in the past few years. Their most recent project of note was the Netflix animated series Spy Kids: Mission Critical.