Citing both the 1969 original and its subsequent 2003 remake as inspiration, Paramount is said to be revving up a new interpretation of The Italian Job for TV.
Deadline broke the news yesterday evening, confirming that Rob Weiss (Ballers, Entourage) and Benjamin Brand will join forces to flesh out the script, before going on to executive produce alongside Donald De Line, the producer involved in that 2003 remake headlined by Charlize Theron and Mark Wahlberg.
If you’re unfamiliar with the property, The Italian Job is a British crime caper centering on a make-shift family of expert criminals. Forced out of retirement to complete one last job – a time-honored action trope if ever there was one – their mission involves rescuing their beloved “patriarch” from a long sentence behind bars. Charlie Croker, played by Michael Caine and later Wahlberg, is the crooning ex-con at the heart of the story, with Deadline noting that the idea is to engineer a “noisy, sexy, thrill-ride.” Contentious though that may be, The Italian Job was celebrated as a joyous romp rather than a “sexy,” Fast and Furious-esque thrill ride, there’s currently no casting news to report as yet.
The Italian Job is now the latest dormant classic to be repackaged for television. No mention of when Paramount will set the wheels in motion, but a late 2017 premiere isn’t out of the question. Also simmering in production are reworked TV series based on both S.W.A.T. at CBS and Behind Enemy Lines – to name but two.