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Mimic Reboot in Development From Director Paul W.S. Anderson
A new Mimic TV show is currently in the works with Paul W.S. Anderson set to direct the pilot and executive produce. Mimic is a 1997 movie from director Guillermo Del Toro, which starred Mira Sorvino, Jeremy Northam, and Josh Brolin. A director's cut of the film was released years later after Del Toro had gone on to become a superstar director.
The 1997 Mimic film was an adaptation itself of a sci-fi horror short story of the same name by Donald A. Wollheim and was co-written and directed by Guillermo Del Toro. It centers around a genetically engineered breed of insects known as the "Judas" who develop the ability to mimic their human prey. Though it received mixed reviews (and Del Toro was publicly not a fan of the studio's final cut), it was successful enough to spawn not one but two direct-to-video sequels.
Deadline reports that Miramax TV has only just begun shopping the series to sellers, but they're confident with the team behind the reboot. The reboot of the 1997 film comes from Miramax TV, with Jim Danger Gray serving as writer, executive producer, and showrunner. It will be one of the first major projects produced by Miramax TV since Marc Helwig took over in May, as he's made it clear he intends to take advantage of the extensive Miramax film archives for potential TV projects. In addition to Anderson and Gray, the series has an executive producer in Anderson's long-time collaborator Jeremy Bolt, completing the pair behind the billion-dollar Resident Evil franchise. The presence of a recognizable IP in the horror genre will bolster Miramax's global television slate along with the detective novel adaptation The Turkish Detective and the original Cold War miniseries Spy City.
In addition to Resident Evil, Paul W.S. Anderson has had a storied career in science fiction and horror, including the Death Race franchise and the recently delayed adaptation of Capcom's Monster Hunter. Meanwhile, showrunner Jim Gray was previously a writer-producer on NBC's Hannibal, though his opinions on Mads Mikkelson are unclear. He also served as executive producer on the Game of Thrones prequel pilot with Naomi Watts, so his professional portfolio more than covers genre and horror.
Mimic is an interesting series. The first installment saw Guillermo Del Toro's vision constrained by studio demands, to the point that he finally released a director's cut in 2011. The sequels aren't good, but they're direct-to-video sequels, and expectations should always be tapered. The fact remains that the Judas as a species is a very creative and exciting concept, and deserve a story of equal quality. Despite the critical teetering of Paul W.S. Anderson's work, they tend to stick around and become cult favorites. Maybe the world of grimy genre TV is suited better to him. Only time will tell, but first, the Mimic TV show has to find a buyer.
