9 classic films that are being made into TV shows

What’s the film about?

The 2009 pun-packed picture follows slightly-mad inventor Flint Lockwood, who creates a machine that transforms water into food. And that then causes the sky to rain meatballs. Meatballs that eventually turn on the town before Lockwood saves the day. It’s an original idea, we’ll give it that.

How different will the TV show be?

It’s a 2D cartoon prequel to the film, revolving around Lockwood’s high school years. And instead of sharing the screen with gastronomic weather, he’ll be joined by new-girl-in-town Sam Sparks and Steve the Monkey.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yrFUtDEynmc

When’s it airing?

March 6th 2017, on Cartoon Network/Boomerang

5. Snatch

What’s the film about?

It’s a Guy Richie classic in the gangster comedy genre, mainly due to its two interwoven plotlines. The first: the tale of Mickey O'Neil (played by an Irish-accented Brad Pitt), a traveller who’s rounded into a boxing ring by London promoter Turkish (Jason Statham). And the second: the hunt for a diamond stolen from a heist in Antwerp.

How different will the TV show be?

The ten-episode series for new Sony streaming service Crackle won’t pick up the continuation of the film. Following Fargo, the Snatch show will be set in the same universe as the movie but it'll focus on a new set of characters, one of which will be played by Rupert Grint.

Yes, Ron Weasley will be the new face of the London underworld.

Grint will be playing Charlie Cavendish, an “utterly posh con man”, one of the twenty-something hustlers who stumble upon a truck-load of stolen gold. Cue rogue cops, international mobsters and the supervillains of the capital’s underworld.

Also slated to appear is Dougray Scott (Fear the Walking Dead) and Ed Westwick (Wicked City) as a recurring guest star. Plus, Nick Renton (The Musketeers) will direct.

When’s it out?

16th March 2017 on Crackle, which isn’t yet available in the UK. We’ll just have to wait until it’s picked up by another network.

6. The Departed

What’s the film about?

It's simple really: the 2006 crime drama pits undercover cop Leonardo DiCaprio against crime kingpin Jack Nicholson against foul-mouth detective Mark Wahlberg against police mole Matt Damon.

May sound a tad complicated, but this Martin Scorsese classic went down very well with the critics and earned four Oscars, including Best Picture.

How different will the TV show be?

The new show, made by Amazon and Warner Bros, will centre on a young undercover cop trying to infiltrate a gang, which simultaneously plants its own mole in the police – the same premise as The Departed and 2002 Hong Kong movie Internal Affairs, which the former is based on.

When’s it out?

Don’t expect it anytime soon: we’ve not heard anything since the news was announced last August.