If you’re feeling out of luck and out of love, don’t fret; the date doctor is on his way to television. That’s right, according to Deadline, Fox has sanctioned a half-hour series based on Will Smith’s hit romantic comedy, Hitch.
Admittedly, this isn’t the first time that Smith’s Overbook Entertainment and Sony have tried to get the wheels in motion on a series based on the titular love guru, following failed attempts in 2007 and 2010 with a variety of writers.
Now, however, it seems the project has been swept off its feet so to speak, landing a single-camera series at Fox, who describe the adaptation as “a workplace comedy that explores dating and sexual politics.” Though it’s next to impossible that Will Smith would actually star in the show, it’s understood that the A-lister has signed on board to executive produce in tandem with Deborah Kaplan and Harry Elfont — with the latter two also working on the script.
This news means that Hitch joins a long, long line of movies that are on their way to television in one form or another, with the likes of Mother in Law (which, incidentally, also found a home at Fox’s studio), Marley & Me and Minority Report to name but a few.
Of course, given that the 2005 original racked up $370 million at the global box office, it’s no wonder that the studio are keen to continue the adventures of Alex Hitchens through the medium of television. Whether Hitch has the brand awareness to pull in a considerable audience week after week remains to be seen, but you can colour us intrigued so long as Fox and co. make the correct decisions in the casting quarters.
