"St. Elmo's Fire" reignited as TV series

(Agencies)
Updated: 2009-08-14 15:20

LOS ANGELES – ABC has the hots for "St. Elmo's Fire," a contemporary take on the 1985 film that was one of the defining movies of the Brat Pack genre.

After strong interest from multiple networks, ABC landed the comedy-drama series project, executive produced by Schumacher, Topher Grace, Dan Bucatinsky and Jamie Tarses and to be written by Bucatinsky.

"Fire" hails from Sony Pictures TV, whose feature sibling owns the rights to the original movie. Co-written and directed by Joel Schumacher, the film starred Emilio Estevez, Rob Lowe, Andrew McCarthy, Demi Moore, Judd Nelson, Ally Sheedy and Mare Winningham as friends who had just graduated from Georgetown University and chronicled their adjustment to adulthood.

"More than anything, the movie evokes a feeling that doesn't go away," Bucatinsky said, "the feeling of bonding with your friends who become your surrogate family."

Added Grace, "It's the feeling of that time in your life when everything is possible but you can't figure out how to make it possible."

The series will use the movie as a take-off point and as an inspiration as it introduces six new characters. The setting will remain the same -- Georgetown and St. Elmo's Bar & Restaurant, now called St. Elmo's Bar & Grill, where the friends hang out. And if the setup looks a little bit like "Friends," that's OK with Bucatinsky.

"I feel it is time to re-create 'Friends' in the hourlong genre and feel like this is the perfect opportunity," he said.