Two of the funniest guys in comedy are coming together to take on an American classic. It was announced Wednesday that comedians Seth MacFarlane (Family Guy) and Danny McBride (The Righteous Gemstones) are planning on turning the 1977 film Smokey and the Bandit into a television series according to The Hollywood Reporter.
A massive box office success, Smokey and the Bandit is considered a classic American film. Starring Burt Reynolds (Boogie Nights) as Bo “Bandit” Darville, Jerry Reed (The Waterboy) as Cledus “Snowman” Snow and Sally Fields (Norma Rae) as Carrie “Frog,” it was the second highest grossing film of 1977. An action comedy about two bootleggers, Bandit and Snowman, they attempt to transport beer from Texas to Atlanta but must overcome many hurtles that involve wild car chases and being pursued by the cops.
No network has been announced for the Universal Content Production reboot project. Brian Sides (Alaska: The Last Frontier) and David Gordon Green (Halloween) will be writing the upcoming comedy series. This will mark one of many collaborations between Green and McBride, as Green directed films such as Pineapple Express and episodes of Eastbound & Down, both of which starred McBride. He also co-wrote the 2018 horror film Halloween with McBride.
Still in the early stages, it is planned for Green to executive produce the series alongside McBride, MacFarlane, Jody Hill (Vice Principals), and Brandon James (The Righteous Gemstones). The Hollywood Reporter picked up a statement released by Green who said: “Growing up in the South, Smokey and the Bandit was an iconic franchise for me. The legacy of these characters is a playground of swagger and sass that I’m excited to dig into.” For the upcoming adaptation, they plan to stay true to the original and have it take place in the south.
MacFarlane had previously made a $200 million deal with NBCUniversal earlier this year, which is comprised of NBCUniversal International Studios, Universal Television, and Universal Content Productions. This marks MacFarlane’s fourth project with them.