Amazon has had a hard time keeping up with the “streaming Joneses,” Hulu and Netflix, but is determined to get a foothold in the scripted comedy arena with a new take on a classic flick. In a market saturated with reboots and revivals, this one injects some new blood and might just be a hit.
The Hollywood Reporter confirmed that a “less than traditional” reboot of the 1992 comedy A League of their Own is in the works for Amazon. Before you eye roll, check out the talent behind the scenes. Amazon has tapped writer/executive producer Will Graham from the service’s Golden Globe-winning (and under appreciated) comedy/drama Mozart in the Jungle as well as Broad City co-creator and star Abbi Jacobson to write and produce what they’re calling “a modern look” at the story of the county’s first women’s baseball league. According to a press statement:
”A League of Their Own is a half-hour comedy infusing the warmth, humor and DNA of the classic film, while taking a contemporary spin on the stories of the women surrounding the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. The show will begin with the formation of the league in 1943 and follows the Rockford Peaches, season to season as they struggle to keep the team alive through close games, injuries, late night bar crawls, sexual awakenings, not crying and road trips across a rapidly changing United States. The series dives deeper into the issues facing the country while following a ragtag team of women figuring themselves out while fighting to realize their dreams of playing professional baseball.”
The proposed half-hour series is still in development, but the new League won’t continue or retell the story of sisters Dottie and Kit, played in the original movie by Geena Davis and Lori Petty. Abbi’s deal has yet to be finalized, but she is not going to be in front of the camera. She shared the news about her involvement on the new show with a tweet on Friday, featuring a GIF of Tom Hanks and Geena Davis. Along with the GIF, she wrote, jokingly, “No pressure at all!”
No pressure at all! pic.twitter.com/uu09jvJFIi
— Abbi Jacobson (@abbijacobson) March 31, 2018
As the Marla Hooch of many a softball team, I have always had a soft spot in my heart for League of Their Own and I think Will and Abbi are a great team to bring it back. Of course, there’s been a long, storied tradition of movie-to-TV flops (especially in the 80s and 90s). Remember Working Girl with Sandra Bullock or Feris Bueller with Jennifer Aniston? THR also reminded us that there’s already been a TV adaptation of League, which ran for a mere three episodes back in 1993. But it may be time for League to have another chance “at bat.” I’ll definitely check it out. In the interim, check out some photos from a 2017 reunion of the cast and some of the original Rockford Peaches.
Photos: Getty Images, WENN.com
I was 11 when the first movie came out and I was obsessed-I must have watch it every day for a year. My dad is a journalist and that year for a school report he found a member of the Racine Belles and I got interview her .Madeline Green-she even sent me her baseball card. It was the highlight of my childhood
What a cool story! Go Dad!
Just relieved this wasn’t yet another super hero series.
I still love the movie, and I really love Abbi too, her involvement definitely gives me hope for this.
My opinion is that some movies shouldn’t be rebboted and that is one. It’s an amazing movie, with an incredible cast, even Madonna is good in this one! Let it be a classic, that’s all.
I’m with you. I feel like we are living in the same place as the middle aughts when they were doing movies of old tv shows. back then we said that there must not be any new ideas, and that’s why those horrible movies were made. they got success with marvel and DC, then they started doing a buttload of comic book movies. They seem to have forgotten to take risks in the entertainment industry and have gotten stale.
Whoever is running the networks and and online platforms are boring and an unimaginative. Pretty sad. I’ve been waiting for a couple years for Hulu to start production on the Throne of glass series they bought the rights for. Now that would be better than these stale reboots.
I won’t watch the tv version of LotO, because i have zero interest. I enjoyed the movie and am satisfied with it staying a movie.
sidenote: when my grandpa died I found my grandma’s softball bat. it was the first version if Louisville for women. still have it.
Yes. Let is be. It’s perfect as is.
While I’m not exactly excited about an A League of Their Own reboot, I know it’ll be well done.
I love Mozart in the Jungle (Hi-lay!!) and Broad City- they’re both outrageous yet grounded, with effervescent, oddly charismatic characters.
If a reboot can capture even a fraction of that to the small screen, I’ll give it a shot.
Sounds dull.
Well…this is my Ghostbusters. A League of their Own is perfect. Don’t touch it. You will not succeed.
I think this is amazing. I wish they were not so focused on the same team, etc, but ultimately don’t care. This is a chapter in history that deserved more than one single movie, however amazing it was (and it so was, it’s still one of the best movies ever made!!).
I played baseball for most of my childhood and I was obsessed with this movie when it came out. I had never heard of the AAGPBL (in my defence, I grew up in Canada lol), and I just loved the characters and the story.
I feel comforted by Abbi’s involvement, that this won’t be another lazy reboot. I’ll be watching and have got my fingers crossed it’s good!
I grew up baseball obsessed in Argentina – I often times felt alone with my passion for baseball (that’s how I ended up playing cricket… a sport actually played in Argentina). I was able to lobby for a softball team at my british school and managed to spend 4 glorious years playing softball.
This movie was critical in my falling in love with this sport so I AM HERE for this remake.
That movie was so perfect…and a big part of it was due to the fantastic cast. Even Madonna was great. This show has big shoes to fill.
I loved the movie, but I can definitely see how a “Friday Night Lights of women’s baseball” show could be super compelling. Crossing my fingers that it’ll be good!