CBS has ordered a drama pilot based on the “Rush Hour” action pic franchise starring Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker.
The Warner Bros. TV pilot was written by comedy vets Bill Lawrence and Blake McCormick. “Rush Hour” director Brett Ratner and producer Arthur Sarkissian are exec producing with Lawrence, McCormick and Jeff Ingold of Lawrence’s Doozer Prods. banner.
With comedy writers at the helm CBS’ spin on “Rush Hour” is sure to keep to the comedic tone of the original 1998 New Line feature about a stoic Hong Kong police officer assigned to work a case in Los Angeles with a cocky local cop who has no interest in a partner. The success of the first installment spawned “Rush Hour 2″ in 2001 and “Rush Hour 3″ in 2007.
CBS’ has dabbled in similar waters before. Two years ago it won the bidding for a new incarnation of “Beverly Hills Cop” produced by Shawn Ryan and Eddie Murphy. The project went to pilot but was not picked up to series.
On the comedy front, CBS is taking a second stab at a single-camera project from writer/exec producer Greg Garcia and CBS TV Studios that went to pilot in 2013. “Super Clyde” revolved around a meek fast-food worker who finds a calling. Stephen Fry, Rupert Grint and Tyler Labine starred in the 2013 rendition.
Garcia most recently exec produced the CBS comedy “The Millers,” which was yanked late last year, a few episodes into its second season.
“Joe Time” is a multicamera pilot from Warner Bros. TV and writer/exec producer Bill Wrubel. It revolves around a family man who is frustrated that everyone around him enjoys life more than he does.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
