Fox is saddling up with writer-director Craig Brewer and Paramount TV for a series adaptation of the 1980 John Travolta-Debra Winger movie “Urban Cowboy.”
Brewer is on board to writer and direct the pilot and exec produce the series for Paramount TV and 20th Century Fox TV. It’s eyed as a possible companion piece for Fox’s mega hit “Empire” although the project is still in the early script stage.
From the small-world department, “Empire” is toplined by Terrence Howard, who starred in Brewer’s breakthrough feature, 2005’s “Hustle and Flow.” Robert Evans, who produced the original Paramount film, and HBO alum Sue Naegle are also on board as exec producers.
Like the movie, the TV adaptation of “Urban Cowboy” will follow the star-crossed relationship of Sissy and Bud as it unfolds against the gritty backdrop of rodeos, oil refineries, line dancing clubs and other aspects of modern-day Texas. The 1980 pic — written by Aaron Latham and James Bridges and directed by Bridges — helped solidify Travolta’s status as a mega movie star, and it kicked off the mechanical bull-riding craze to boot.
Paramount TV set a TV development pact with Brewer in early 2014. “Urban Cowboy” is in keeping with the studio’s strategy of digging into its film vault for recognizable material to be adapted as TV series.
