If you have listened to The Playlist Podcast, our ‘Mayans’ podcast, or just talked to me in random conversation, you know I’m a big fan of Elgin James. He’s one of the most interesting and thoughtful filmmakers working today. What he did with FX’s “Mayans M.C.” over the final three seasons is nothing short of magical. So, it’s incredibly exciting news to see that his next project has finally been announced.
According to Deadline, Elgin James is set to lead a new version of “Prison Break” for Hulu. For those unaware, “Prison Break” is a popular series from Fox’s library that ran for four seasons, followed by a film to wrap things up, and then a reboot series that really, seriously wrapped things up again in 2017. The original series followed the story of a man who tattooed nearly every inch of his body with hidden codes to help him orchestrate a prison break that would allow for him and his brother to be free. The series would fall victim to its own success, as it clearly started to spin its wheels a little after a couple of seasons. Later seasons would have the brothers have to break out of other prisons. It got a bit ridiculous.
That said, this is just a perfect playground for James to unleash his creativity. This is a guy who has his own history that is intimately involved with the prison system (listen to my first podcast interview with him for more on that), but even better, he’s someone who just brings harsh realism to his projects. He loves to give humanity to people who are typically written off, but he also understands the reality of a situation. So, give him a prison full of exciting characters and a plot to break out, and the possibilities are endless.
Speaking to that, it’s being reported (and folks I’ve spoken to back this up) that the new series will feature a new cast of characters and won’t likely include any of the returning cast. This is a bit obvious when you consider what happened at the end of “Prison Break,” but also, it’s good news because it allows for a fresh start. This franchise has already had a “legacy sequel/reboot,” so a full-on refresh is only logical.
No word yet on when Hulu will premiere the series, but with the writing strike officially over, you have to assume James is knee-deep in development and writing. So, fingers crossed, we’ll see the new “Prison Break” sooner rather than later.
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