The idea of a TV show about a teacher who decides to help some of her students do a shot-by-shot remake of the classic 1980s adventure The Goonies was bright and shiny. The network on board, Fox, disagreed and buried it underground.
What is the motto of the Goonies? onies never say die! The show, formerly referred to as the Untitled Film Re-Enactment Project, has been renamed Our Time. The idea came from writer Sarah Watson who is working with Warner Bros. TV, Amblin, and the Donner Company.
Clancy Collins White, head of development for Warner Bros TV, told Variety that Sarah worked nonstop to deliver the incredible script. It was an incredible cast, but unfortunately too young for Fox, because we came back many months later and finished the pilot. We immediately hit the town with it. There was nothing in development at Disney+. It has been another example of being able to carve a path where there wasn't one by virtue of a great story, a great pilot, a great series. The deal took a while to make, but we are excited to be moving forward.
The show follows a substitute teacher who sees a special passion in a few students and helps them shoot their own version of The Goonies, like what fans did with Toy Story 3 or Raiders of the Lost Ark. Initial reports say the result will inspire a town in desperate need of hope in this love letter to the power of cinema, storytellers and dreams.
The idea of a group of ragtag kids going on a treasure hunt feels very Disney, even though it was released by Warner Bros. Disney+ has done an excellent job of taking films that inspire a lot of nostalgia and turning them into smart, relevant, modern TV. Our Time seems like it could be that, and we hope it is.
