Re Magnum the movie, any word on which major male character will be turned into a swishy girly man? Hollyweird has to have at least one in every film these days. Maybe they will have Higgins and Magnum getting it on. (Barf!)
Clooney as Magnum is bad enough, but like all series-made-into-movies, the producers are planning another dumbed-down version for "modern audiences".
(3/16/04) Back in the 1990s, when Tom Selleck appeared to be the top contender to star in this movie, none other than Tom Clancy, the best-selling author of naval and military-themed novels, was working on a 'Magnum' script which would see the character returning to his career as a Naval Intelligence officer (source: Corona). When the project was revived at Universal Pictures in late 2003, however, the studio chose comedy screenwriter Michael McCullers instead.snip
3/17/04 - So, although the idea of a 'Magnum, P.I.' movie starring Tom Selleck has put up a good fight over the last decade, it appears that the movie we're likely to actually get will be a comedy starring... someone else.
As I imagine what a 'Magnum' movie will be like, the #1 aspect that filters through everything is Universal's choice to go with a screenwriter whose experience is so thoroughly within the world of "comedy spoofs." To me, that means we're probably not going to get the sort of gravitas and gritty dramatic tension that was just beneath the surface of the show even in its most comedic moments.
IMO, "Magnum" was at its best when it was dark and gritty. The best episode of the series was "Did You See The Sunrise?", which recounted Magnum and TC being tortured in Vietnam. The episode ended with Magnum executing--in cold blood--the man responsible for that torture.
Ultimately, 'Magnum, P.I.' was the story of four war veterans who end up spending the rest of their lives either dealing with or denying the impact that it had on them psychologically ...'Magnum, P.I.' didn't make the war experience its immediate target, but by keeping it a continuing subtext that was touched upon a few times a season, it was never forgotten either. This new movie is expected to be set in the 21st century, with the war in question being the (first) Persian Gulf War. All wars are hell, but some are less infernal than others; that war only lasted a few months, and most soldiers did not experience the relentless battle horror that Tom Magnum and his friends went through as Navy SEALS. So, it's difficult to imagine that this movie will have that same sort of war-related depth and significance (and like I said, especially not with a script by the guy who helped Mike Myers with the 'Austin Powers' movies).
Gag me.