‘Varsity Blues’ is being brought "into the 21st century".
The 1999 football movie – which starred James Van Der Beek, Jon Voight, and the late Paul Walker – will be adapted into a new series by Quibi, a mobile-first technology service which offers original scripted programming, for MSM and Paramount TV.
Tripper Clancy will write the new show, with Anne Fletcher directing, and the movie’s executive producer Mike Tollin will resume the same role, alongside John Gatins and Tova Laiter.
Tollin said in a statement: "For all those who cheered Mox’s refrain, ‘I don’t want your life,’ as well as all those who never heard of the West Canaan Coyotes, we’re thrilled to bring Varsity Blues to Quibi and into the 21st century!"
This isn’t the first time a remake has been in the pipeline.
In 2016, original film writer W Peter Iliff was on board to pen a script for a potential TV series for CMT.
At the time, James – who played quarterback Jonathon ‘Mox’ Moxon in the original film – said he’d make a cameo in the new show but "only if it’s the people who were involved in the movie."
He added: "I feel like those things only work if you have the people who were involved in the movie involved in the series."
The 42-year-old actor rocketed to fame in 1998 thanks to his portrayal of Dawson Leery in US teen drama ‘Dawson’s Creek’ but previously confessed he has only seen some episodes from the six series of the hit show, which ended in 2003.
Asked whether he had watched all of it, James confessed: "No, actually I didn’t. At a certain point it became easier to do it and to kind of let it go"
TV reboot of Varsity Blues in the works
