Duncan Jones’ Source Code, written by Ben Ripley and starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Michelle Monaghan, was a fantastic follow-up to his 2009 debut, Moon, taking almost quadruple its m. budget at the box office alone this spring.
One of the film’s producers, Mark Gordon, has now sold a TV version of it to CBS, THR report, turning the concept into a weekly episodic format.
Gordon is an Oscar-nominated producer of both film and television programmes, whose list of credits is very impressive, including feature films Saving Private Ryan (which earned him his nomination), Speed, The Day After Tomorrow, and TV shows Reaper, Grey’s Anatomy, and Criminal Minds.
Initially, I thought the idea of developing Source Code into a television show was a terrible idea, because there’s almost no way that the TV show would be anything like as brilliant as the film. But thinking about it a little more, I don’t think it would necessarily have to be as good as the film to still be good. The concept of Source Code, when you think about it, lends itself very well to being turned into a weekly show.
“The action/procedural follows three former federal agents who are part of a top-secret program. Each week, they’ll use “Source Code” technology to jump into the consciousness of people involved in tragic events.”
The only possible/probable pitfall is that, like many shows of its kind (and especially those at CBS – CSI, I’m looking at you), it will no doubt have a very formulaic structure for every episode, and thus quickly start to feel repetitive. Having said this, CSI has of course turned into a major franchise watched across the globe by millions of people every week, who clearly don’t mind if the majority of the episodes have the same basic structure. If it keeps you entertained, does it really matter if it’s entirely original? (An argument can of course be made either way.)
Regardless, I think I’m actually rather warming to the prospect of a Source Code TV show. I love the film so much, and my love for it won’t change regardless of the quality of the adaptation. Steven Maeda, who’s written for TV’s Lost, Lie To Me, and The X-Files, is on board to pen the new programme, and with any luck, Gordon will get a brilliant cast to star, and some great directors on board to shoot it. Hopefully that means I’ll just have more stories set in a world with Source Code to enjoy. More news as we get it.
