TV is quickly becoming my favorite form of media delivery these days, with film taking the back seat by a mile. I’d far prefer getting invested in a series than putting all my hopes and dreams in a few hours of film, only to come up disappointed and upset that I can’t actually get my money back. In recent years I’ve fallen in love with series that manage to captivate my imagination and titillate my geeky side, but probably none so much as the new Battlestar Galactica. I can even forgive the show for its lukewarm ending because everything else about it was mind-blowing to me. The acting, the storyline, the philosophy, the James Callis…
Anyway. Those of you who pay attention might remember I’m sort of a steampunk gearbrain, so you can imagine my absolute moment of squee when I heard the rumor that, according to Entertainment Weekly, Ron Moore, the mastermind behind the new BSG series, is in the planning stages to put together a new version of The Wild, Wild, West. The TV series. (You might also note that I’ve got quite a thing for cowboys, in general.)
I’m willing to bet that in the steampunk community you’d be hard-pressed to find a film that stirs as much ire as the rebooted film The Wild, Wild, West—you know the one I’m talking about, with Will Smith and Kevin Kline and that horrendous mechanical spider (which, even my dad complained about, and he’s not even into steampunk). That film is reviled. It had so much potential. And hey: it’s kinda pretty. The aesthetic is there at times, especially in the set design and costumes. But having tried to watch it a few months ago and failed to make it through even the first fifteen minutes, I can assure you it is a crime against film-making.
The original series was far cooler, but it’s definitely dated. Finally enough time has passed since the awful movie that we can start again.
And hearing this, well, I was physically jumping up and down. If I could have picked anyone to give The Wild, Wild, West the proper treatment it would be Ron Moore. Steampunk has suffered in movies and television for time out of mind, with directors always opting for camp and cuteness—or just implausibility in general—and forgetting the stories and the philosophical tensions that are so inherent in the genre. Yes, these grown up topics can be translated to a larger audience, as Moore has proved. And it’ll be damn fine, too, if it gets the greenlight. I’m thinking a grittier, sexier, darker approach, with lots of cool guns and inventions. And don’t start me daydreaming about the casting…
Yes, at the moment this is just rumor. I understand that there’s a chance it might not happen at all. But I am going to be waiting with bated breath for news on this, and I’ll keep you posted.
Tags: Battlestar Galactic, BSG, Ron Moore, rumors, steampunk, television, The Wild Wild West, TV