The Regal Beagle is back in business, baby! Yes, New Line Cinema has come knocking on the door of an ancient sitcom, hoping to revive it to box office success. The studio is ready to bringThree’s Companyto the big screen. And thisTV-to-movie adaptationwill be set in the original’s1970stimeline. New Line is currently in negotiations to pick up the rights to the slapstick feature film, which originally aired on ABC.
Abby KohnandMarc Silversteinare writing the screenplay forThree’s Company. The duo is best known for their work on the 2009 hitromantic comedy,He’s Just Not That Into You. According toTHR, Veteran producerRobert Cortis shepherding the project forward. He’s known for such blockbuster comedy hits asTom Cruise’sCocktailandJulia Roberts’Runaway Bride.
Three’s Companyfirst debuted in 1977 and was an instant hit, staying in thetop tenfor most of its 8 seasons. The show ended in 1984. The story followed two single woman living in Santa Monica who take on a male roommate. During the era, cohabitation between platonic roommates was not a societal norm. To keep the arrangement with the landlords copacetic, the trio pretended that the man was gay. The show was a comedy of errors, and was filled with innuendo and pratfalls.
John Ritterlead the original ensemble as Jack Tripper, a career chef. His roommates were played byJoyce DeWittandSuzanne Somers.Dewittstarred as Janet, a spunky brunette, whileSomersbecame a worldwide sex symbol playing Chrissy Snow.Suzanne Somersactually left the show early on in its run over a contract dispute. She was laters replaced byJenilee HarrisonandPriscilla Barnes.
The sitcom itself was an adaptation of a British comedy calledMan About the House. In the updated 70s version, Jack, Janet and Chrissy were often trying to hide their shenanigans from their landlords The Ropers, played byNorman FellandAudra Lindley. They proved to be so popular, they got their own spinoff, withDon Knottscoming into take over. The show also starredRichard Klineas Jack’s best friend Larry, a used car salesman who was always on the prowl for ladies. While other TV-to-Movie adaptations have been meta and self-referential, such asThe Brady BunchandAdam Familymovies, it isn’t known how straightThree’s Companywill play the material.
While these kinds of adaptations were popular in the late 90s and early 2000s, they fell out of favor with audiences over the course of the last decade. Movie-to-TV adaptations, however, are flourishing on the small screen. And there may be a resurgence in the genre all together. Paramount Pictures is currently shooting a big screen version ofBaywatch, which is an R-rated action comedy starringDwayne JohnsonandZac Efron. And the21 Jump Streetmovies have proven to be a hit for Sony Pictures, who just announced that the third movie in the franchise will be a crossover withMen in BlackcalledMIB 23. There is no casting news yet onTHree’s Company. But there is no short supply of possible candidates to play Jack, Janet and Chrissy.
