It's a definite sign of success when only a few days after a film is released, it is signed on to be a syndicated television series. ABC is teaming up with "Friends" creator Marta Kauffman and Warner Bros. to adapt "The Time Travelers Wife" for the small screen.
According to The Wrap, ABC has been circling "Traveler's Wife" for years now but was unable to secure the deal until the beginning of this week.
There is no news so far on whether the series will star the movie's cast, Rachel McAdams and Eric Bana (very doubtful!), or on whether the storyline will be a reimagining of the novel or pick up from where the film left off (likely the first). There is also no time frame on when the series will debut, but ABC has given Warner Bros. a pilot commitment.
One of the major complaints of the film was that it squished too much story into almost two hours. Like its novel-to-television predecessors "Friday Night Lights" and "True Blood," a "Traveler's Wife" TV show would have more time to analyze the intricacies of the novels story and let the audience get to know the characters better. ABC seemed to think there was enough material from the book for Marta to write and exec-produce for several seasons. The network was also the company behind the "10 Things I Hate About You" TV reboot.
Though the deal for the television show is unquestionably riding on the coat tails of the films success (a decent $20 million opening weekend), it doesn't seem too soon to be translating the novel for television. Novel-to-television adaptations have done very well in the past — sometimes even critically better than their film predecessors (were looking at you, "Friday Night Lights") — and it seems like the right time for some more romance to hit the small screen.
What do you think about a "Time Traveler's Wife" TV series? Do you think this news comes too soon after the films release? Who do you think should star in the TV show?
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