NBC sneaks in latest movie remake

The movie Sneakers starred River Phoenix, Robert Redford, Dan Akroyd and Sidney Poitier

The trend for US networks to reboot movies for TV is continuing, with NBC handing out a script order for an adaptation of 1992 computer hacker movie Sneakers.

Walter Parkes, co-writer of the comedy feature, which starred Robert Redford and Dan Ackroyd, is attached to the project. The TV version will follow students hacking computers to redistribute money to liberal causes.

Universal Television, sibling to the movie’s producer Universal Pictures, is behind the series with Parkes and his wife Laurie MacDonald exec producing and The Mentalist’s Tom Szentgyorgyi writing.

Recent months have seen a surge in the number of film reboots as studios seek to make the most of existing IP, with Disney-owned ABC in the US committing to a TV version of 1998 feature Enemy of the State last week.

That show is being produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, who was behind the original Disney movie, and ABC Studios.

Elsewhere, CBS has adapted Training Day and Limitless, while ABC has Dirty Dancing and Fox is lining up Lethal Weapon.

Netflix has also got in on the act, turning Spike Lee’s movie She’s Gotta Have It into a 10-part series, while The CW has turned its attention to Rambo.