Universal Content Productions is reviving Burt Reynolds' classic filmSmokey and the Banditas a television series. The new project is being developed byFamily Guycreator Seth MacFarlane along with Danny McBride, David Gordon Green, and Brian Sides.
Released in 1977,Smokey and the Banditlaunched a franchise consisting of two feature film sequels and a television series starring Brian Bloom as a young version of Reynolds' Bo “Bandit” Darville. The original film followedDarville and fellow bootlegger Cledus “Snowman” Snowas they attempted to illegally transport 400 cases of beer from Texarkana to Atlanta. Along their journey, the duo welcomes a runaway bride they find hitchhiking on the road and evade Texas county sheriff Buford T. “Smokey” Justice. While Snow drives the truck carrying the beer, the Bandit drives his Pontiac Trans Am to distract law enforcement.
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Per The Hollywood Reporter, UCP’sSmokey and the Banditseries will deliver a new take inspired bydrive-in double-featuresof the ’70s and ’80s to explore “the crossroads where humble realities meet those larger-than-life, all in a blast of tailpipe exhaust.” Green will write the series alongside frequent collaborator Brian Sides and is also set to direct the pilot of the potential series. “Growing up in the South,Smokey and the Banditwas an iconic franchise for me. The legacy of these characters is a playground of swagger and sass that I’m excited to dig into,” said Green in a statement. At this time, a network is not attached to the project.
Green is also attached to theSmokey and the Banditseries as an executive producer along with MacFarlane, who is developing the project as part of an overall deal betweenhis Fuzzy Door Productionsand UCP. Erica Huggins is also on board as an executive producer for Fuzzy Door, as are Danny McBride, Jody Hill, and Brandon James for Rough House Pictures. “When UCP mentionedSmokey and the Banditwe were immediately drawn to it. We knew we had to remain faithful to its original setting in the South and find an authentic voice,” said Higgins in a statement. “David’s immediate interest and his unique perspective and love for the original made it possible.Smokey and the Banditwas a very cool and irreverent film at the time and we hope to achieve that same feeling in the show.”
TheSmokey and the Banditseries is not the only title being revived from UPC’s library of works. New versions ofBattlestar GalacticaandChuckyare also being developed for Peacock and Syfy, respectively.
WhileSmokey and the Banditmay not be as well-known to younger generations, the original was a sleeper hit upon its release. Eventually earning $126,737,428 at the domestic box office, the Reynolds classic became the second highest-grossing film of 1977, placing behind onlythe originalStar Wars.
Smokey and the Banditis now available on Amazon Prime Video.
