Why Fantasy Island Should Be A TV Show (Again)

Why Fantasy Island Should Be A TV Show (Again)

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Blumhouse’s Fantasy Island, from director Jeff Wadlow, took a classic TV show, spun it into horror, and made it a movie – but it worked better before.

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Why Fantasy Island Should Be A TV Show (Again)

Blumhouse’s Fantasy Island made the swap from small screen to big screen, adapting a classic TV show with a horror bend, but this might not have been the wisest move.

From director Jeff Wadlow, Fantasy Island explored the manufactured outcome of a magical island that twists its guests deepest, darkest fantasies. As warned by their benefactor and host, Mr. Roarke, once a fantasy begins, each guest must see it out to its natural conclusion. Of course, this sets up the horror angle easily, such as when desires to embody a soldier turns deadly, or the price of “having it all” doesn’t come cheap. With twists and turns that comment on vengeance, bullying, and inner turmoil related to loss, Fantasy Island packed a lot into just under two hours of run time. Yet, sequences dragged, the PG-13 rating caused any attempt at scares to miss, and the concept was the most intriguing part about it.

Given that the reviews for Fantasy Island are largely negative and the concept was the best part, perhaps its time Blumhouse reaches out to television if they want to continue the franchise. Director Jeff Wadlow said that the film was originally intended to be rated R, but as this didn’t come to fruition, it might be a better approach to key in on what did work – and has worked – since the ’70s.

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Fantasy Island Should Go Back To Television – Here’s Why

The Fantasy Island TV series ran on ABC in the late ’70s and early ’80s, but was revived in 1998 with horror alum Malcolm McDowell (Rob Zombie’s Halloween) as the mysterious Mr. Roarke. While the original series got the most acclaim, there was clear interest in bringing it back once before, and while the movie didn’t quite take off, it could be done again. For starters, the ending of Fantasy Island did set up for the perfect continuation, with Mr. Roarke uniting with his trusty sidekick, Tattoo, in a clever nod to the original series. The TV show wasn’t horror, but it was certainly boundary-pushing for its time, and did have some plots – like one with Jack the Ripper – that straddled the line between fantasy and horror.

In the tradition of shows like The Twilight Zone, Fantasy Island dealt with themes of the unusual, paranormal, and supernatural. Mr. Roarke would often intervene to save his guests from the trouble that undoubtedly surfaced from their fantasies, similar to how he did in the film, but would only intervene at the last moment. It’s a niche television show, but there’s space for it with modern audiences. Shows like Riverdale, Nancy Drew, and The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina have taken a teen drama/supernatural/horror blend, and have been very successful for their network, CW. Netflix has Stranger Things which brought sci-fi/horror to the streaming giant. Even genre shows like The Mandalorian and Game of Thrones have seen popularity on their respective networks and platforms.

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Though if Blumhouse and Wadlow wanted to keep the ‘teen scream’ angle, the CW might seem like the best choice, Wadlow’s interest in an R-rated Fantasy Island could work for a network like HBO or even Showtime. The film does have a Westworld lean to it, and shows that blend supernatural, sex, and mystery have done well in the past on premium channels, as was proven with True Blood. Given the nature of the concept, there’s almost limitless potential for young people to arrive at the island to play out their fantasies, and while the movie might not have been a big winner, there’s nothing wrong with trying something different, especially when old is new again and nostalgia reigns supreme.

Link Source : https://screenrant.com/fantasy-island-better-tv-show-movie-reason/

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