Big Screen ‘T.J. Hooker’ Adaptation in the Works

According to Variety, the latest tv show to get the big screen treatment will be none other than the William Shatner mid-eighties police drama T.J. Hooker. No, that’s not a typo, I said T.J. Hooker. Is this another sign of the pending apocalypse or further proof that Hollywood has completely run out of original ideas? Perhaps both.

In case you were not a fan of the original series or its star William Shatner, the show centered on Shatner’s character, a no-nonsense police sergeant who, among other things, bossed around the young and beautiful Heather Locklear, the young and hunky Adrian Zmed and occasionally caught some bad guys in the process. Producing the action comedy will be David Foster, Ryan Heppe and series creator Rick Husky.

According to the article, producer Heppe is gung-ho about the adaptation saying: “The series was the poster child for cop TV shows in the 1980s with great stunts, so we think there’s a fun movie to be made from it.” Chuck Russell, whose previous work includes The Mask and the less-than-stellar Eraser, is in talks to direct. Writers Brent Maddock and S.S. Wilson are handling the scrip, which reportedly focuses on the relationship between the title character and his father.

I know reboots and remakes are here to stay, but I have to wonder if this film really needs to be made? Although, if the story stays consistent with the description here and the movie ends up going forward, I see a great opportunity for the roles of T.J. Hooker senior and junior to go to William Shatner and Chris Pine. Come on, you would totally see that movie.