One of the lesser-discussed properties that Disney acquired when they bought 20th Century Fox was The A-Team. The classic 1980s TV show was last adapted for the big screen by The Grey director Joe Carnahan back in 2010, with Liam Neeson, Bradley Cooper, Quinton Jackson and Sharlto Copley as the titular team.
That film received mixed reviews and just about squeaked into profitability, though on rewatch it’s a perfectly serviceable action movie. Now, Disney is reportedly considering another stab at a big screen adaptation of the franchise. However, where the 2010 film recast the TV show’s characters, the Mouse House is apparently taking a different tack.
According to our sources – the same ones who said a new Scream movie was in the works and that Disney is developing an Aladdin sequel, both of which have since been confirmed – their concept is that this will be set in the universe of The A-Team, which presumably means it’ll be a quasi-sequel to the TV show and may leave the door open for a Mr. T cameo as B.A. Baracus.
The studio is eager to snare an A-list cast for their new characters, too, with Will Smith and Dave Bautista both reportedly under consideration for roles. It’s unclear if either has been formally contacted yet, and we imagine Disney has other names on their list as well, but as far as plot goes, it’ll apparently have something to do with the team trying to save one of the members from a group of terrorists.
But is the audience really there for a new A-Team? The recent Charlie’s Angels tried the same narrative tactic as this movie and sank without a trace at the box office, with analysts concluding that audiences simply didn’t care about a 1970s TV show. The A-Team is a little more recent than Charlie’s Angels, sure, but only by a few years, so Disney is hopefully aware that they cannot skate by on nostalgia for the IP alone.
In any case, it seems this project is still only in the very earliest stages of development and ultimately, the studio could end up getting spooked by the high profile failure of Charlie’s Angels. Still, if they can assemble a hi-octane action film with a witty script and a charismatic cast for this new take on The A-Team, I’ll be there day one.
