The Saint returning to TV

[Sawyer]

http://www.deadline.com/tag/the-saint/

Adam Rayner Lands Lead In ‘The Saint’ Remake From Jesse Alexander, Simon West
By NELLIE ANDREEVA

EXCLUSIVE: Exactly fifty years after the premiere of the British spy series The Saint, a remake is picking up steam with a pilot directed by Simon West. British actor Adam Rayner has been cast in the title role made famous by Roger Moore in the original series. The remake, produced by Brad Krevoy, is not set at a network yet. Written/executive produced by Jesse Alexander (Heroes), it is slated to begin shooting a pilot later this month. In the project, debonair international thief Simon Templar (Rayner), a modern day Robin Hood, steals from rich criminals and keeps the loot for himself. A master of disguise, improvisation, martial arts, firearms and espionage and the quintessential English gentleman, he is hired by certain government agencies for special assignments. The completed pilot is expected to be shopped to networks.

Rayner was last seen co-starring opposite Melissa George on the first season of the Cinemax/BBC spy drama Hunted, created by Frank Spotniz. He is repped by ICA Talent, IALA, Jamie Feldman in the US and Maxine Hoffman and Lara Beach in the UK. This is not the first stab at remaking The Saint on the small sceen. Four years ago, Moore was attached to produce a TV movie/backdoor pilot. Producers Barry Levinson, Tom Fontana, Bill MacDonald and writer Jorge Zamacona were behind the project, which had James Purefoy attached as the lead but ultimately didn’t get off the ground. Val Kilmer played Templar in the 1997 feature remake.

Eliza Dushku To Co-Star In ‘The Saint’ Backdoor Pilot, Roger Moore To Co-Produce
By NELLIE ANDREEVA

EXCLUSIVE: Buffy The Vampire Slayer alumna Eliza Dushku is set to co-star opposite Adam Rayner in The Saint, a backdoor pilot from Brad Krevoy’s film and TV production company MPCA. No network has been attached. Simon West is directing the pilot from a script by Jesse Alexander. Alexander is set as showrunner of the project, a new take on Leslie Charteris’ The Saint 70-book franchise. It will follow the exploits of Simon Templar (Rayner), a brilliant criminal who uses his considerable illicit skills as a modern-day Robin Hood as he infuriates local law enforcement and woos Patricia Holm (Dushku), his on-again, off-again romance.

Roger Moore, who played Templar in Lew Grade’s popular 1962 Saint British TV series, has joined as a co-producer along with with his son Geoffrey Moore, Lulu Moore, and Louisa Macdonald. Author Ian Dickerson, an expert on the history of Charteris’ creation, will serve as a creative consultant. Krevoy, Alexander, and Roman Viaris will executive produce and have teamed with Silverscreen Pictures in Los Angeles and Canadian producer Fred Fuchs to start production on Friday in Los Angeles, Toronto, and London. The backdoor pilot is being cast by Mandy Sherman and Sari Knight of Sherman/Knight casting (Lost). MPCA’s TV division is backing the project through independent financing, with the company’s Francisco J. González handling international sales and Michael MacDermott handling product placement. The Saint has been adapted to 15 feature films, most recently in 1997 by Paramount with Val Kilmer in the lead.

Dushku, who also toplined the cult Fox drama Dollhouse, is repped by The Collective, UTA and attorney Ryan Levine. The Saint is repped by CAA, the Charteris estate is repped by attorney David Wardlow.

I wonder what network is going to land this.

 

[Hunter Rider]

Isn't the term backdoor pilot used for a show that debuts within another show?

At any rate I loved the old Roger Moore series and have always dug Eliza Dushku so hopefully this turns out well.

 

[flickchick85]

I believe a backdoor pilot is something that's made as a TV-movie, with the option of being picked up as a series.

 

[batdude]

Not all that familiar with the Saint. I do however love Dushku! So I hope this is a hit. I thought backdoor pilot meant spinoff/ team up with something thogh

 

[Silvermoth]

Um why?

 

[The Englishman]

Why what?

 

[Matt]

Hasn't The Saint for all intents and purposes already been updated as Persons of Interest? They are basically the same premise, with Persons of Interest updating the premise for the post-9/11 era.

 

[Hunter Rider]

Hasn't The Saint for all intents and purposes already been updated as Persons of Interest? They are basically the same premise, with Persons of Interest updating the premise for the post-9/11 era.

No they are pretty different, Simon Templar is a suave Ladies man who is also a gentleman thief who travels the globe getting into various scrapes in the high living circles he mixes in. A new Saint shouldn't lose the glamour or sense of fun the original had, it's about beautiful locations, Ladies and capers with a roguish hero.

 

[Hunter Rider]

I believe a backdoor pilot is something that's made as a TV-movie, with the option of being picked up as a series.

Ah I see, I thought it was the term used for how NCIS debuted in an episode of JAG and then NCIS: LA inside an epsiode of NCIS. .

 

[THUNDERSTRIKE]

Ah I see, I thought it was the term used for how NCIS debuted in an episode of JAG and then NCIS: LA inside an epsiode of NCIS. .

those are what's called spin-offs...

 

[Sawyer]

No, those were backdoor pilots for spinoffs.

 

[Matt]

No they are pretty different, Simon Templar is a suave Ladies man who is also a gentleman thief who travels the globe getting into various scrapes in the high living circles he mixes in. A new Saint shouldn't lose the glamour or sense of fun the original had, it's about beautiful locations, Ladies and capers with a roguish hero.

I see. So basically it'll be Persons of Interest combined with the fun of Hawaii 5-0, with a bit of James Bond thrown in? I can get behind that.

 

[Hunter Rider]

those are what's called spin-offs...

No, those were backdoor pilots for spinoffs.

That's what I thought.

I see. So basically it'll be Persons of Interest combined with the fun of Hawaii 5-0, with a bit of James Bond thrown in? I can get behind that.

Hawaii Five-0 is definitely the tone it should be going for I'd say but with a James Bond type lead yes, the thing with Person of Interest is they are actually actively looking to help people or stop crimes, The Saint just gets involved because of the lifestyle he leads.

 

[Baramos]

The problem with The Saint is that it seems like they are just remaking it hoping people watch it based on name recognition and not because anybody actually wants to watch another Saint TV show. Kind of like the Knight Rider remake, nobody was clamoring for it but they made it anyway.

Like if tomorrow they announced a remake of, say, Mike Hammer (which would be the third Mike Hammer TV show, actually), it would be similar. Nobody's been clamoring for a Mike Hammer remake and nobody's been clamoring for a Saint remake, that I know of.

 

[Sawyer]

No one was clamoring for a new Hawaii Five-0 and that's done just fine.

 

[Sawyer]

http://www.deadline.com/2012/12/for...-ian-ogilvy-join-the-cast-of-new-saint-pilot/

Former ‘Saint’ Stars Roger Moore And Ian Ogilvy Join The Cast Of New ‘Saint’ Pilot
By NELLIE ANDREEVA

EXCLUSIVE: In a sign of continuity, The Saint, the backdoor pilot from Brad Krevoy’s film and TV production company MPCA, has cast the two men who played the dashing Templar in the previous two Saint TV series, Roger Moore and Ian Ogilvy. Also joining the cast of the Saint reboot, starring Adam Rayner and Eliza Dushku, are James Remar (Dexter), Enrique Murciano (CSI), Thomas Kretschmann (Wanted), Beatrice Rosen (The Dark Knight), Yani Gellman (90210), Greg Grunberg (Heroes), Michael Ornstein (Sons Of Anarchy), Sonalii Castillo (Heroes), Sammi Hanratty (A Christmas Carol), Oliver Bell (The Sparticle Mystery), Kirsty Mitchell (Capone’s Boys), and Jason Brooks (Star Trek).

Moore also is producing the pilot, directed by Simon West from a script by Jesse Alexander who serves as showrunner. A new take on Leslie Charteris’ The Saint 70-book franchise, The Saint will follow the exploits of Simon Templar (Rayner), a brilliant criminal who uses his considerable illicit skills as a modern-day Robin Hood as he infuriates local law enforcement and woos Patricia Holm (Dushku), his on-again, off-again romance. Moore, who originated the role of Templar on the Lew Grade’s popular 1962 Saint British TV series, plays Jasper. Ogilvy, who played Templar in the short-lived 1978 British revival series Return Of The Saint, plays The Banker. He is with The Gage Group. Remar, repped by Gersh and Lighthouse Entertainment, has been cast as Arnie Valecross; Murciano, repped by Gersh and Untitled, as Inspector Fernack; Kretschmann, repped by APA, as foe Rayt Marius; Rosen, repped by Innovative and Cornerbooth, as Katherine Valecross; Gellman, repped by Joe Vance and Chaotik, as Doyle Cosentino; Grunberg, repped by ICM Partners, as Agent Garces; Ornstein, repped by Zero Gravity, as Kal Barko; Castillo, repped by Connor Ankrum and Redrock Entertainment, as Sonali Alves; Hanratty, repped by Paradigm and Zero Gravity, as Zooey Valecross; Bell, repped by Mavrick Artists and LSI Talent as Young Simon; Mitchell, repped by IAM, as Simon’s Mother; and Brooks, repped by Sovereign Talent, as Captain Miller.

Production on the pilot began on December 14 with shooting taking place in Los Angeles, Toronto and London. Moore serves as co-producer alongside his son Geoffrey Moore, Lulu Moore, and Louisa Macdonald. Krevoy, Alexander, and Roman Viaris executive produce alongside Silverscreen Pictures. The project is not set up at a network yet. MPCA’s television division secured independent financing, with the company’s Francisco J. González handling international sales. The Saint has been adapted to 15 feature films, most recently in 1997 by Paramount with Val Kilmer in the lead.

Roger Moore on board.

Lots of other recognizable faces there too.

 

[Baramos]

No one was clamoring for a new Hawaii Five-0 and that's done just fine.

That's a totally different situation--that's a CBS prime-time procedural. Absolutely anything will be successful in that time slot with that basis.

If this is on NBC, on the other hand...

 

[Sawyer]

Yeah, okay....

 

[Baramos]

You scoff but do not underestimate the power of the CBS 50+ demographic.

Basically if you want The Saint to be a guaranteed success hope that CBS picks it up.

 

[Hunter Rider]

 

[flickchick85]

Trailer:

http://www.deadline.com/2013/04/tv-trailer-simon-wests-pilot-the-saint/

Looks...eh.

 

[Sawyer]

Seems like it belongs on USA.

 

[flickchick85]

Seems like it belongs on USA.

LOL my thoughts exactly.

 

[Hunter Rider]

Eliza is killing me in that trailer.

I actually think it looks like slick fun, not totally sold on Rayner but I'll give him a shot and I like the legacy concept with the two previous Saint's the Dodge and Ogilvy being involved.

 

[Shifty]

BBC America and some international channels will probably pick it up as a co-production.