“Jericho” fans rejoice.   According to director and producer Jon Turteltaub, a “Jericho” movie is in the works.
“We’re developing a feature for ‘Jericho’,â€Â Turteltaub told iFMagzine. “It would not require you to have seen the TV show, but it get into life after an event like this on a national scale. It would be the bigger, full on American version of what’s going on beyond the town in Jericho.â€
Turtletaub said that members of the TV cast would return and that the movie would have a substatial budget.
“Anything would be a huge budget compared to what we were dealing with,†he said. “If we had $40 million dollars to make a movie with, that’s 20 times more than we did before.”
The serial drama began in September 2006 and centered on the residents of the fictional town of Jericho, Kansas in the aftermath of nuclear attacks on 23 major cities in the contiguous United States.
Initially cancelled after its first season, overwhelming fan support brought the show back for a further seven episodes but ratings sadly continued to slide which prompted its cancellation.
The series is currently airing Sunday nights on the CW. Turtletaub said should the episodes prove successful there, the series could be brought back (again).
“I think they’re airing it because it’s cheap and there’s still that feeling that it hasn’t really gotten all the attention it can. When I think about the fact, a repeat of Jericho’ on CW actually has more viewers than an episode of ‘Mad Men’, you realize the difference between cable and broadcast,” he said. “You realize the difference between what the press is watching vs. what America is watching. And I bring up ‘Mad Men; because it’s a brilliant show. But it’s still fun to see the show won’t die.â€
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I believe that Jericho was one of the best shows on Television. I think it will make a great movie! This is good news. Hopefully the ratings on CW will allow this show to be brought back.
When Firefly had its movie Serenity, it lost money and effectively killed off any chance for a weekly series revival. The same thing could happen here. There are absolutely no details about what this movie would even be about. Since he said it would not require anyone had seen the show and would be about the big picture, it seems as if it would not even take place in Jericho.
What is this IF WE HAD $40 million stuff? If something is in the works (beyond coming up with a basic idea) one would think they would have a budget already agreed upon. No mention of a studio or financing or anything. I know the producers loved their show and want it back but I hope there is real substance to this and not just wishful thinking.
As for the CW reruns they are getting really bad number swell under 1 million viewers a week. Reruns of Simpson episodes are getting 4 million in the same 7pm Sunday time slot – according to tvbythenumbers.com. Clearly America is not watching Jericho all that much.
Hmmm . . . I thought Serenity recovered the cost of the movie between US and international sales, with the DVD sales supposedly pushing them over the top. So, while it did not lose money, the return was not that great. Then again, it depends how they count “making money”; perhaps on paper it lost money.
Serenity made back the budget in the theatrical run. Then you had not one, but two DVD releases, so I have no doubt they’ve made a fair bit of profit. But from what I’ve seen, the studios don’t care about DVD or international returns nearly as much as they do the domestic box office figures.
Great news!
Thanks Michael for reporting this.
I’m a Firefly/Serenity fan too and most Jericho fans do not think the way Jack Pot does.
Gwen
http://www.jericho-kansas.com
The low numbers for Jericho on CW can’t be blamed on the show but must rest squarely on the shoulders of the network. The entire CW network is seriously hurting, even with its two main staples “Smallville” and “Supernatural.” CW’s chances of continuining as a network could be in question for the near future as well.
Great news and Jericho will make a awesome movie.
I hope they get that budget! That would be cool!
I’m all for a Jericho movie– I think it would be kick ass! Then again, anything with Skeet–is kick ass!
Has anyone listened to any of the commentaries on the dvds? Jon Turtletaub is a complete tool…
What a Shame CBS selling nuts to put back Jericho and a little more they were going us make donation for them. Since they stop the season of Jericho I stopped watching CBS this is the only way that they understand. Peoples have to know that it’s us who decide what we like not CBS. At the place of the creator of the series I will move Jericho from CBS to FOX.
i am sooooo happy that Jericho might be a movie, i am so excited.I have both
seasons on DVD and watched them over and over.It was an excellent t.v. show.
One of the best , i sooo hope they go ahead with a movie
please say its true :}