The classic cult TV series Lost in Space is getting the remake treatment at Netflix. Irwin Allen's 1965 sci-fi series ran for three seasons, following the Robinson family's journeys through the solar system after the nefarious Dr. Smith sabotages their navigation system, leaving them... y'know...lost in space.
The reboot comes from the feature writing duo Matt Sazama and Burk Sharpless, aka the guys behind Dracula Untold, The Last Witch Hunter, and my new favorite movie I haven't seen, Gods of Egypt. Sazama and Sharpless will executive produce alongside Kevin Burns, Marc Helwig, and Neil Marshall. Marshall, known for his high-spectacle, higher-violence work on movies like The Descent, Doomsday, and most recently TV series like Game of Thrones and Hannibal, is expected to direct the reboot -- a somewhat surprising and exciting choice given the original series family-friendly tone.
Per Deadline, the new Lost in Space is described as "an epic but grounded science fiction saga focusing on a young explorer family from earth lost in an alien universe and the challenges they face in staying together against seemingly insurmountable odds". The report states that Netflix snatched up the reboot under competitive circumstances with multiple bidders, and that the project is being written with a straight-to-series order in mind.
Lost in Space reboot is a passion project for Burns, who created Synthesis Entertainment with Jon Jashni in 1999 with the aim of rebooting the franchise with remakes and sequels. The first attempt, an NBC revival series, fell appart following the death of original star Jonathan Harris. About a decade ago, WB landed the reboot series The Robinsons: Lost in Space from Doug Petrie and director John Woo. The show never made it to series, but you can check out the pilot here. Lost in Space did eventually get a sub-par film remake in 1998, which fizzled out after negative critical and audience reception.
The Netflix revival offers an opportunity to breath life into the beloved franchise, and considering the folks behind it, I'm super curious to see where the tone lands. With Sazma, Sharpless, and Marshall at the wheel, I'm hoping for intergalactic monsters and mayhem. What do you guys think? Do you like Netflix as a home for the Lost in Space reboot? How about the folks calling the shots? Sound off in the comments below.
