Cinematic TV Bits: Hulu And IFC Eyeing ‘Arrested Development’, ‘Mr. Ed’ Heads To Big Screen, ‘Universal Solider’ Coming To Small Screen
By Angie Han/Oct. 5, 2011 11:00 am EST
Vulture writes that Arrested Development episodes, clips, and other related videos have been streamed about 100 million times on Hulu since the site premiered in 2008 — and that’s without online exclusivity, as Netflix also offers the series on its streaming service. Either service could get a big boost by picking up exclusive rights to stream new episodes, and both companies could really use that help. IFC, meanwhile, has shown reruns of Arrested Development in the past, so the cable channel could be a good fit for additional installments of the series.
As previously reported, each of the miniseries’ nine or ten episodes will focus on one character, catching us up on what he or she has been up to for the last several years. The fact that the limited series is garnering so much interest seems like one of the more promising signs we’ve seen in a while for the return of Arrested Development. Maybe this movie will really happen after all! [via Cinema Blend]
FremantleMedia Enterprises will be rebooting the film franchise Universal Soldier as a television series, with Damian Kindler (Stargate) set to write and Allen Shapiro and Craig Baumgarten signed on to executive produce. The sci-fi action film series launched in 1992 with Roland Emmerich’s Universal Soldier, starring Jean-Claude Van Damme and Dolph Lundgren as soldiers brought back to life. Since then, the franchise has released two theatrical sequels and three direct-to-DVD follow-ups; another big-screen installment is in the works.
“We’ve long wanted to come up with a bold new way of updating Universal Soldier,” said Shapiro and Baumgarten. “We’re thrilled to team up with FremantleMedia and are sure that the millions of fans who loved the movie will now welcome it into their living rooms.” The project will be shopped to international buyers. [SuperHeroHype]
