Roland Emmerich, the director/producer of the apocalyptic film 2012 (opening Nov. 13), confirmed to EW exclusively that a small-screen version of the end-of-the-world movie is already in the works. Emmerich said there was “plenty to do in a TV show” and that 2012 executive producer Mark Gordon – who’s also an exec producer on TV shows like Grey’s Anatomy and Private Practice - would be attached.
“The plan is that it is 2013 and it’s about what happens after the disaster,” Emmerich told EW while walking the red carpet for the 2012 premiere Tuesday. “It is about the resettling of Earth. That is very, very fascinating. (2012 writer/producer) Harald Kloser and I came up with the idea and we have the luxury of having a producer on the film who is a big TV producer, Mark Gordon. We said to Mark, ‘Why don’t you do a TV show that picks up where the movie leaves off and call it 2013?’ I think it will focus on a group of people who survived but not on the boats … maybe they were on a piece of land that was spared or one that became an island in the process of the crust moving. There are so many possibilities of what they could do and I’d be excited to watch it.”
Word in Hollywood is that Gordon has already entered talks with ABC to develop the disaster drama. Though Gordon wouldn’t confirm this, he did tell EW that ABC “will have an opening in their disaster-related programming after Lost ends” (An ABC spokeswoman declined to comment). “I think people would be interested in this topic on a weekly basis,” Gordon said, who also attended Tuesday’s premiere. “There’s hope for the world despite the magnitude of the 2012 disaster as seen in the film. After the movie, there are some people who survive and the question is how will these survivors build a new world and what will it look like. That might make an interesting TV series.”
Added Emmerich, “The movie talks about the varied reactions people have in the face of disaster and who should survive and how we carry on and what parts of our culture do we save. The TV show could carry on all that.” – With reporting from Carrie Bell
Photo Credit: Sara De Boer/Retna Ltd.
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Blecch. Hopefully this will have the same fate as Van Helsing: The TV Series (aka “Transylvania”).
Smart idea taking an already horrible looking movie and making it into a tv show.
and the comical part is that it seems theyre expecting this to replace LOST once its done.
hahahaha thats hilarious.
So the world doesn’t end? Blech! This movie looks like a depressing romp through a bog of endless doo doo.
Pass!
Sounds like crap to me, we don’t need more like this. besides ABC is already doing Flash Forward, and Lost doesn’t need to be redone or replaced with similar.
I don’t know about you, but I think they just gave the end of the movie away. Dumbass!
You can’t honestly tell you me you expected EVERYONE to die in the movie…
i did… and i WAS going to see it with that hope in my mind…
when did you ever see John Cusack die in any of his movies ? ( He’s indestructable )
I didn’t think everyone was going to die, but I also didn’t know how they were planning on having survivors. But I guess a boat makes sense, once the waves calm down and don’t go around tossing aircraft carriers into the White House.
Although it was a nuclear incident, I have the feeling there will be similarities between this and Jericho, which I loved. But like the rest of you guys, I will probably pass…
Jericho was awesome. I still miss it. I get the feeling this will not come close to replacing it.
I was also thinking it sounded like a bad Jericho.
thanks for giving away the ending of your movie in the interview Roland!
So…people escape on boats. That still doesn’t explain why the whole crust of the Earth seems to have a tidal wave under it in the preview or how Adam Lambert got to be so awesome. I think I’ll still watch.
hahahaaaaa. I haven;t figured it out either, but then again I didn’t watch AI
If the Mayan supposedly predicted 2012, how come they missed on Cortez?
Haha…Bill Maher!
WOW…BEST TV IDEA EVER!!! That is, if the casting is right,the writing is amazing and its done well!!
Are you being serious? It is hard to tell when it is typed. I hope like hell that you are kidding.
You just described NBC’s “Day One”… me thinks you’ll like it!
Uh I think these people are missing the point of the mayan prophecy. IT was the END of the world, meaning death meaning there is no 2013.
This move looks just as bad as The Day After Tomorrow, why would I want to watch it on TV?
There is no Mayan prophecy. The Mayans only come into it because that’s when their calendar ends. Which is stupid, because our calendar ends every year on December 31 and no one worries about it.
The Mayans couldn’t even predict their own demise. 2012 is just the end of a cycle.
Well, now I do.
Oh Really?A Tv show about 2012?When is that going to happen?
I’m embarassed to admit that I LOVE crap like this! I’m really looking forward to “2012″, and I’d watch “2013″… at least for a few episodes!
I’m with you, I love these type of movies. I watch them all, disaster, apocalyptic, zombie movies, if it has action, I love them. The type of movies I hate are the chickflicks, they are mindless drivel.
It’s true, I can’t wait till this movie comes out. I could care less about the storyline, all I’m motivated to see is just a load of destruction. Obviously, this movie isn’t going to be Oscar worthy and I think Roland intended not to be, but all of you guys making such a big deal about how bad of a movie it’s going to be, why can’t you let us disaster loving freaks enjoy our moment of glory? It’s all for fun anyway, right?
Im looking forward to 2012, I think it looks like an awesome movie, I love Independence day and the Day After Tommorow I have yet to watch but to see the whole world go down like that looks amazing. Not everything is award material, I dont know why we have critics its personal preference anyway how you grade a movie.
I love them too! And forget about all the prententious jerks who judge us for wanting to see a movie they haven’t seen, yet feel they can already say it is horrible.
It would be a good show for a while, but what would happen when 2012 passes. If it’s still running, it wouldn’t make sense!
We still listen to Prince’s 1999, don’t we?
And I party harder every year….
I’d be more interested in a show about people who survived watching this movie.
If there are any.
I love how people on who aren’t interested in seeing the movie or the tv show took the time to click on this topic, read it and comment on how much they hate it. GET A F#@$%! LIFE!!
Sad part is you will probably still watch it…and then B#@!%.
Movie looks good to me, and I’ll probably watch the tv show.
wow, so much anger! I am glad that you are not as judgemental as we all are. It is just that we have seen disater/end of the world movies before, and this one is, what, 10 years too late? What, are you related to someone on the production team? Are YOU on the production team?
and I suppose YOU only watch Oscar-worthy movies?
Don’t get me wrong, I love visual works of art, but come on, how is a huge tidal wave driving an aircraft carrier into the friggin’ White House NOT awesome?
Not all movies have to be Schindler’s List, it would badly suck if they were.
I’m really looking forward to watching this movie on the big screen, it’s popcorn entertainment at it’s finest.
Dude, you’re the best. That’s exactly how I feel.
Roland Emmerich is a hack. always was. always will be. Seroiusly, he’s worse than Michael Bay & Brett Ratner.
Woah woah woah … “worse than Michael Bay” … is that even possible?
He’s certainly a close second though. The total disdain for the audience and the feeling that “we don’t need a plot or character development. People will pay as long as there are big explosions” is sickening. But not as sickening as when they’re proven right by box office totals.
Iagree with both of you. Emmerich is terrible. Yes, his movies have some great special effects, but are just supposed to overlook the lack of plot, character development, and genuine emotion? He’s a hack. I’ll never forgive myself for paying money to see that awful excuse for a movie “10,000 BC.” I never thought a movie like that could be so boring.
Sometimes it’s just fun to watch things blow up. Not everything has to have redeeming qualities.
this is Roland Emmerich in a pitch meeting: “Blow up the white house”… “Engulf the statue of libery with snow”… who needs a script when the movie is a series of hackneyed set pieces
I’m still not sure I want to see the movie, but I know that I wouldln’t watch the series. The whole boat thing is a little hokey. I’m sure the movie will make money since most people don’t even know what a good movie is anymore. The classics have real actors and don’t depend on overdone special effects to get the story across.
Isn’t this a similar premise to the upcoming NBC series DAY ONE????
Yes!!! Temple of the Syrnix!!!
Smart idea, but this article contains WAAAAY too many spoilers about the film. Now, it’s “ear muffs” for me!
2012 is going to be as bad as all the other ‘doomsday’ flicks. I am way more interested in seeing the film version of Cormac McCarthy’s book, The Road. A clear-eyed look at the (inevitable?) end of human civilization, the book was riveting and powerful; the movie might be pretty good, but either way, it won’t be full of cheesy special effects and stock Hollywood characters reading from moronic scripts.
The world will end when GOD decides… 2013 should be based on heaven/hell
You can pitch that idea to Mel Gibson.
Yeah they should have put a spoiler warning in the article.
So “disaster-related programming” is an actual tv genre?
It does seem quite soon to have a tv series coming soon since the film is still a week away. For all I know the movie is goodnbut it does seem premature for a tv show.
I pray PRAY that 2012 will bomb! I’m so tired of movies like Transformers and GIJOE making zillions of dollars with no regard for story. Don’t get me wrong. I love action and I love explosions but I just can’t stand the utter disregard for the audience’s need for a compelling story and interesting characters. I’ll be very disappointed if 2012 succeeds… Unfortunately, I expect it to do just that.
I’m looking forward to 2012, and I had no desire to see Transformers or G.I. Joe. There are Emmerich fans out there that really just like Emmerich. I could recognize one of his movies instantly- every scene is so picturesque that it could be a painting. He has a talent for striking imagery that you don’t get in other movies: the wave coming over the Himalayas did not require a bigger budget, only a more daring imagination. His movies are also hilarious (usually), sometimes dark humor- the crack separating Adam from God, the giraffe being carried by helicopter through the snow. I was happy to read that some review said this was the best comedy of 2009- sounds fun. Of course, I perfectly understand if people don’t like that tone for an end of the world movie, but for kids it really lightens the movie up and makes it a great thrill ride. Back when I was a kid, Independence Day was the king of movies, so I’m rooting for Emmerich. He’s certainly not a hack. Even the bad reviews sound like the movie is incredible, even if they were offput by cliched characters and stuff. Honestly, I think he puts some great dialogue in his movies too- you can call it cliched but it really nails the emotion, and he requires great performances from actors. However, this TV show sounds like a bad idea, and I worry about Emmerich doing Foundation- at least he’s teaming up with the guy he did The Patriot with.
Seeing that it won’t probably come out until 2011, they’re not hoping for more than two seasons…
right! my thoughts exactly. The movie and the series are going to be extremely dated in a few years.
The movie doesn’t interest me very much, but I’d be on board for the tv show.