Hawaii Five-O eyes the big screen — with Spider-Man: Brand New Day director developing
Fresh off his widely acclaimed MCU outing, Spider-Man: Brand New Day director Destin Daniel Cretton is lining up a film remake of a beloved ’60s crime series.
Another week, another old TV show getting the big-screen treatment — and this time, Hawaii Five-O is up for a cinematic reboot, with none other than Destin Daniel Cretton in the director's chair. If that name rings a bell, it's probably because he just knocked it out of the park with Spider-Man: Brand New Day, which basically turned the box office on its head.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day is currently ranked as the third highest-grossing film ever released.
So, what do we know? This new project lands at Paramount Pictures, and they're not exactly strangers to Hawaii Five-O — the original show was a CBS staple for years, and CBS comes under the Paramount umbrella. They've brought in screenwriter Chris Bremner (think Bad Boys For Life-level action sensibilities) with Noah Oppenheim producing.
Classic TV, Classic Premise
For those not up on their '60s procedural telly: Hawaii Five-O was one of those shows that defined an era, running from 1968 to 1980 with 12 seasons on CBS. The setup is pure cop show gold — Detective Steve McGarrett (the late Jack Lord) heads up a special department tasked with cleaning up the crime-riddled bits of paradise. The show gave us the endlessly quoted 'Book 'em, Danno!' every week and introduced millions to the crime-fighting side of the Hawaiian islands long before the days of binge-watching.
- The original Hawaii Five-O debuted in 1968 and ended in 1980 after 12 seasons
- Jack Lord starred as Steve McGarrett
- Catchphrase: 'Book 'em, Danno!'
- The series was rebooted in 2010, running an extra ten seasons with Alex O'Loughlin and Scott Caan
So yes, it's had a reboot before — the 2010 version delivered another ten years of crime-solving surfside. You could say the franchise never really left TV land for long.
The Cretton Factor
It's a bit of a surprise move for Cretton, who seems determined to check off every major property in Hollywood. Besides his success with Spider-Man: Brand New Day, he's got his hands on the upcoming live-action Naruto adaptation at Lionsgate, which, frankly, has anime fans somewhere between excited and terrified. His past lineup also gives you an idea of his range: Wonder Man (Marvel again), Shang-Chi, and the Oscar-friendly Just Mercy.
That's all for now — plot details on Hawaii Five-O the movie are tightly under wraps, though if it keeps even half of the original's spirit, expect sun, surf, and an inordinate amount of criminal masterminds being caught with dramatic flair.