NBC wants to hack back into “Sneakers.”
The network has bought a script for a proposed series remake of the 1992 feature, which starred Robert Redford as a hacker leading a team of computer security specialists. The original movie cast also included Sidney Poitier, Ben Kingsley and River Phoenix.
At the moment, there is no cast attached or episodic order for the NBC series. But the executive producers for the TV version are Walter Parkes and Laurie McDonald; Parkes co-wrote and was one of the producers on the original film. Tom Szentgyorgyi, who has worked on “The Mentalist,” is also on board as a writer and executive producer.
Parkes and his producing partner Lawrence Lasker developed the idea for “Sneakers” while making their 1983 hit thriller, “WarGames.” In “Sneakers,” Redford played a computer ace who led a team of hackers who get recruited for a “black box” operation to intercept sensitive data stolen by the Russians. In making hacking a major plot device, the movie was ahead of its time and predated contemporary thrillers such as “Mr. Robot,” the hit USA show about a hacker and the shadowy collective that recruits him.
“Sneakers” drew mixed reviews but was a box office hit, grossing more than $100 million globally.