Will Smith is bringing back "Hitch" on television.
Smith and his business partner James Lassiter's Overbrook Entertainment have signed a deal with Fox to adapt "Hitch" as a one hour TV series, according to Deadline. In the 2005 original film directed by Andy Tennant, Smith portrayed Alex "Hitch" Hitchens, a professional date doctor who attempted to help men like Albert Brennaman (Kevin James) land the girlfriends of their dreams. However, neither Smith or James are expected to reprise their roles in the new series.
Curiously, Fox describes the new "Hitch" as an "action-packed one-hour" despite the romantic comedy overtones of the film. Pete Chiarelli ("The Proposal") has been signed to write the pilot script, with Sony Pictures also attached to produce the project. Chiarelli is also writing a feature film called "Most Wanted," which will reunite him with "The Proposal" co-stars Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds.
Earlier in the summer, the proposed "Hitch" series was the subject of a fierce bidding war before it ultimately went to Fox. In 2007, Overbrook Entertainment and Sony attempted to develop "Hitch" as a half-hour comedy at CBS with writer Ben Wexler, but the project was not picked up.
"Hitch' isn't the only movie that networks are looking to bring to the small screen in the upcoming development season. Last month, James Cameron's "True Lies" was purchased by ABC as a potential TV series as well.
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