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There was nearly a spooky Gilligan's Island reboot — but Sherwood Schwartz stopped it
In this proposed version, the castaways become cannibals.
In 2020, we saw a reboot of the Ricardo Montalbán-led fantasy drama TV series Fantasy Island. Serving as a prequel to the 1977 series, Blumhouse's Fantasy Island was a spooky reimagining of the idea of an island that brought your fantasies to life. The reception was...less than a fantasy. While it made back well over its small $7 million budget, it currently sits at a dismal 8% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
However, this was not the first classic TV show that was proposed to be brought back as a horror movie. The idea is older than you'd think — and was proposed for Gilligan's Island in the Nineties.
James Gunn, known for Guardians of the Galaxy, The Suicide Squad, and Slither, recently spoke about a concept that had been floated by Charlie Kaufman, the writer of indie darlings Being John Malkovich and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.
According to Gunn, in the Nineties, Kaufman proposed a dark and gritty retooling of the beloved castaways. "A true story: In the late ‘90s screenwriting GOAT Charlie Kaufman pitched a movie version of Gilligan’s Island where the islanders, starving & desperate, started killing & eating each other," Gunn tweeted.
According to Gunn, "Warner Bros wanted to do it - but Sherwood Schwartz, the creator, said no way."
Of course, Gunn was not the mega-star back then that he was now. In modern times, fresh off his Guardians of the Galaxy smash hit, he tried to revive the eerie Gilligan reboot again.
Warner Bros. and Kaufman were ready to board this three-hour tour, but once again Schwartz — well, the Schwartz estate — put a stop to it. "Anyway, if the Schwartz estate changes their mind," Gunn said, "I’m here."
Castaway cannibals! Only one question remains now... who would you cast in this gory retelling?
147 Comments
Clip from GOMER The Welsh Rarebit Fiend.
Mary Ann Summers on Gilligan's Island .
The song C'mon Marianne by
The Four Seasons.
AKA MARY ANN SUMMERS.
Marianne by The Brothers Four.
AKA May "AND THE REST" be
with you!!!!!
Rock Around The Clock
When Chuck Cunningham 1 Gavan O 'Herlihy Chuck Cunningham 2 Randolph Roberts Bag Zombroski Neil J Schwartz
Moose Barry Greenberg And
Eugene Belvin Denis Mandel
Melvin Belvin Scott Bernstein
Daphne Hillary Horan and Spike
WERE STILL on Happy Days and when Chuck Cunningham Bag Zombroski Moose Eugene Belvin
Melvin Belvin Daphne and Spike
Left Milwaukee and VANISHED into thin air With No Forwarding Address these Happy Days Characters were MISSED by the Happy Days Viewers who liked those characters.
Butch .
waitresses Marsha Simms (Beatrice Colen) and Wendy
(Misty Rowe) and Bobby MELNER
(Harris Kal) WERE STILL on Happy Days.
AND THE REST were the TWO
COOLEST CASTAWAYS!!
Castaway 8!!
Zip 11 Months Ago
I wouldn't cast anyone in it because I wouldn't be a part of making it.
Thank goodness Sherwood put the kibosh on that nonsense! Hopefully the Schwartz estate will continue to put the brakes on any such notion.
I really wish hollywood would stop ruining classic shows.
Of course, in a nod to North America's most famous incident of cannibalism, the only one who could or should have directed the film was Richard Donner.
I'd support Rob Zombie's remake of The Munsters
than have the Castaways imitate the Donner Party.
And yes, Rob Zombie did just THAT.
his last name is Zombie.
You could recreate the setting down to a banana leaf perfection of Gilligan's Island or Fantasy Island and it's guaranteed that without those actors, that ensemble of actors you might as well slap some other title on the effort.
I know they changed out Tatoo (I think because they had to) and in fact the other guy was a distraction. That's what happens. It did with Bewitched because all you could think about was Dick Sargent is only pretending to be Darren. You substitute a single character in Fraiser to be filling in, and the show's gone. Which is different than adding or even subtracting a character. So acknowledge it, and move on with it. Do not call it a reboot. They virtually do not exist.
And television is 𝒏𝒐𝒕 Shakespeare!
Am hoping besides the horror and scary parts, they'll be humor too. I love the episodes of shows featuring the Costume parties.
Reader Poll:
Which Shows and Episodes stand out for their humor? Even if they're not run here.
1. I'll nominate the Fraiser episode in Niles' home.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VcHzVNcCehU
Body Meets A Body and The
Laurel And Hardy Murder Case
Were ALMOST The Same Story
And BOTH the 3 Stooges Short and the Laurel And Hardy Short
had SURPRISE ENDINGS!!
Also the MGM Cartoon called
WHO KILLED WHO? Is a SPOOKY
CARTOON!
F
Character actor Fred Kelsey was the police Detective in both
lf A Body Meets A Body and The Laurel And Hardy Murder Case
And the police Detective in the cartoon was modeled after and
Looked like Fred Kelsey.
However depicting cannibalism for entertainment purposes in fictional TV shows or Movies is unnecessary, their is no entertainment value to it whatsoever.
Yeah that's a tough question on what anyone would do, I couldn't answer that.
Don't ruin Gilligan's Island!!
