We’ve had more than our fair share of ‘80s movie franchises and/or TV shows getting the reboot treatment in Hollywood —yoo many to count at this point. Even with that in consideration, you may be surprised to hear that a serious attempt is being made to create a television spinoff of the 1984 film “The Last Starfighter.” If you’re not old enough to remember, “The Last Starfighter” was one of the first big blockbuster movies to utilize CGI, long before it became commonplace. Now screenwriter Jonathan Betuel, who penned the screenplay for the film over 30 years ago, is attempting to make a ‘Starfighter’-themed TV show. His goal is to make it the first TV show that embraces virtual reality technology.
The concept of the TV show, currently called “The Starfighter Chronicles,” would depart significantly from the movie. The film tells the story of a teenage boy/video game fanatic who is recruited by an alien defense force to help fight an interstellar war. According to Betuel, the TV show will exclusively focus on the alien law enforcement, and the use of virtual reality will play a big role in exploring this interstellar milieu. Betuel has partnered with virtual reality entertainment company Surreal.tv to enact his goals as such.
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Betuel and his partners at Surreal have been shopping the project, which would be shown from either a TV network or streaming service. Part of the show would be a standard 2D viewing experience, and then there would be a whole other aspect that requires the use of a VR headset. As Betuel told Variety, “It’s a very interesting blend, the otherworldliness of it lends itself to VR.”
You can’t help but commend the guy for embarking on such an ambitious project, but what do you think? Could a TV show like this actually work? Would it be too expensive? Give us your thoughts in the comments.