Sherwood Schwartz Wanted Michael Cera & Beyonce To Play These Gilligan's Island Characters

Sherwood Schwartz's 1964 sitcom "Gilligan's Island" was a pop-cultural powerhouse, attracting a mass audience larger than any of the CBS executives expected. While many critics and audience members criticized the show for being silly, unrealistic, and simplistic, it nonetheless lasted for three hit seasons, and was put into eternal syndication, staying alive in reruns for decades. What's more, the series warranted numerous TV movie sequels and spinoffs, including a 1981 TV movie wherein Gilligan (Bob Denver) and the other castaways met the Harlem Globetrotters — called, helpfully, "The Harlem Globetrotters on Gilligan's Island" — and an animated series wherein the castaways became stranded on a distant planet (!). Yes, "Gilligan's Planet" is a thing.

The spinoffs retained all the original cast members, with the exception of Tina Louise, whose character, Ginger, was played by various other actors. Curiously, the Globetrotters movie was the last time an original "Gilligan's Island" project graced the screen. One might think that the nostalgia-hungry media landscape would have exploited the "Gilligan's Island" I.P. by now. The project would immediately gain attention, and some readers might already be recasting the seven stranded castaways in their heads. Which hot comedic actors could play Gilligan in the year 2024?

After all, there have been feature films of "The Munsters," "The Addams Family," "The Brady Bunch," "The Honeymooners," "The Beverly Hillbillies," and even "Car 54, Where Are You?" Why hasn't one of the most popular sitcoms of all time, "Gilligan's Island" been subject to the feature film or reboot treatment?

It seems that various "Gilligan's" film projects have been pitched over the years, including a 2009 film that was to be overseen by Schwartz himself. This film was to star Michael Cera as Gilligan and Beyoncé as Ginger. Sadly, that project never got off the ground. It was covered in a 2009 article for the website TV Series Finale.

News of the 2009 "Gilligan's Island" movie broke when Schwartz, then 92, was being inducted into the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Hall of Fame. Speaking to the press, Schwartz revealed that he and his son, Lloyd, had been negotiating with a major studio to make a movie, and that a deal had been struck less than two days before. He noted that he had trouble containing his excitement. It was then that he declared that Michael Cera should play the eponymous character. At the time, Cera was best known for his role on "Arrested Development," and one can see a similar bumbling energy in Cera's performance to Bob Denver's on "Gilligan's Island." Cera was also recognized for his performances in films like "Juno," "Superbad," and "Nick and Nora's Infinite Playlist." He was an up-and-coming star, and Schwartz liked him.

Beyoncé seems more like a pipe dream, as the massively popular pop star would have likely commanded the bulk of the new film's budget. Also, despite having appeared in films like "Obsessed," "Dreamgirls," "The Fighting Temptations," and "Austin Powers in Goldmember," Beyoncé was still better known as a singer than an actor. Since "Obsessed" in 2009, Beyoncé has only acted in voice roles or appeared in musical films (like "Lemonade" and "Black is King," both of which she also directed).

It's unclear as to why the project dried up. There has been no news about scheduling conflicts, budget issues, or anything else, so it seems it was one of many Hollywood projects that merely didn't make its way out of pre-production. No actors officially signed on.

One might be tempted to say that "Gilligan's Island" is cursed. Not only did the 2009 film fall apart, but an effort in 2013 to adapt the series to the big screen also led to a mess of legal troubles. Warner Bros. was gearing up to make a "Gilligan's" film with actor Josh Gad, but a screenwriter named Travis Dunson noticed that the new film was very, very similar to a spec script he wrote in 1999 called "7 Stranded Castaways from the Hood." Dunson sued Warner Bros. over the matter and the 2013 film was eventually shut down. It's unclear if Dunson's case had anything to do with the closure of the Gad film, however. It's more likely Warner Bros. simply lost interest in it. 

Some might also recall rumors in the late 1990s that Jamie Kennedy was going to play Gilligan in a new feature film. That film, the rumors went, was going to be am edgy, extra-raunchy, R-rated version of "Gilligan's Island." There is, however, no substantial information about Kennedy-related project, so it must remain in the realm of speculation. Other rumors said that, of all people, convicted felon Donald Trump would have played Mr. Howell. 

It's difficult to gauge the current cultural cache of "Gilligan's Island." While kids of the 1960s watched the show, and kids of the '80s were raised on reruns, Generation Alpha doesn't seem to be plugged into 1960s sitcoms. A "Gilligan's Island" movie in 2024 would require the studio to re-familiarize audiences with the concept and assure them that, yes, it was once one of the most popular sitcoms on television.

Whom would you cast as the seven stranded castaways?