MINI-SERIES & FRANCHISE IDEAS

     Hollywood seems to be on a sequel kick, with TV series turned feature film at the box office. An appearance to the public that so called agents have nothing to offer the studios, or with features costing so much so they need some kind of guarantee to cover their box office bet.

     Either way, the fans are the ones who are let down on television and at the box office. Are we out of material? Is there nothing fresh available to Hollywood? I would so no, and yes to those two big questions. Have YOU read any good movies or mini-series lately? I surely have. There is material that would make, a great picture, an incredible mini-series or feature film franchise. Whether or not Hollywood could do it right is simply another matter which fans also have no control over. Budgets, actors, special effects houses, script writers, producers and directors all determine whether the best idea is worth a shit when it reaches the fans.

There is other material out there besides Stephen King's stuff for mini-series. And most of them have better endings.

Here is my list of material for either a television mini-series, telefilm type series or feature film franchise... Remember, these are all great reading material you could just read.

* ALIEN Earth Hive: a Trilogy of Alien books from writer 'Steve Perry'. If Fox is interested in taking the Alien franchise to a new height and direction should consider this trilogy from Perry. It is extremely well written with new characters and same well loved alien creatures. This would make an incredible trilogy of feature films for FOX. 

* Dragon Riders of Pern: There are four main books from 'Anne McCaffery' which tells the story of Lessa, Flar and young lord Jaxom from rising to power and the final destruction of thread. These four books would be an impressive 10 to 12 hour mini-series. Flying dragons in a 14 Century type world... wonderful. ( books: Dragonflight, Dragonquest, the White Dragon & All the Wyers of Pern)

* Battlefield Earth: by L. Ron Hubbard: This one should have been done as an 8 or 10 hour television mini-series. With the $50M Travolta spent on the feature he could have done an incredible mini-series for TV or even HBO or Showtime. It would still be wonderful if redone in this format.

* Battletech: There are so many books in this series it would be better as several mini-series, a weekly TV series or even a franchise of feature films. Even a series of films done for HBO or Showtime would work. The variety is so huge you wouldn't need just one set of actors. 

* Man Who Never Missed: By Steve Perry: The first three or four books in this series would be a great 8 or 10 hour mini-series for television or pay per view. 

* John Carter of Mars: by Edgar Rice Burroughs: There are ten books in the series, but the first two would be an incredible 6 to 8 hour mini-series or take several books and turn in into a feature franchise. Disney has the feature rights I believe and at one time were developing it into a feature, but it never happened. 

* Magic Kingdom for Sale: by Terry Brookes: This book would make a great feature film or a four hour mini-series.

* Apprentice Adept trilogy: by Piers Anthony: The original trilogy would work as another mini-series. 10 to 14 hours would do justice to the books. 

Series: Retooled as new series or feature films...

* Buck Rogers in the 25th Century - could be time for Buck Rogers in a new action feature film. 
* Beauty and the Beast - This series would be wonderful if returned to the small screen as two movies, doing three or four in a year. 
* Sliders: With the right script and the return of the series original actors, could be a decent feature film. 
* Space: Above and Beyond - With idea of the series, would work well as a franchise of feature films, at least a trilogy. 
* Tales of the Gold Monkey - This one could be the next Indiana Jones franchise without worry about a 60 year old Indiana Jones running around. A young talent signed to a three or four picture deal. Heath Ledger would be great in an Indiana Jones style role. 
* UFO - Revamped and retooled, UFO could be a new genre hit on the big screen or a new series for television. 
* Werewolf - This was an interesting series on Fox years ago, and with todays technology and some fresh writing could return as a new weekly series, or set of three to five Telefilms. 
* M.A.N.T.I.S. - Give the script Mantis could make the transition from small screen to big screen with all the comic book superheroes currently in development. 
* the Flash - This underrated series could attempt another go on the small screen. It was an extremely well done series before its time. Nightman, was horrible and lasted two seasons, while the flash had quality effects and a decent cast behind it. A series or set of telefilms could work.

Got a suggest for a great mini-series? Give it to me. 

scifi
    

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