'True Lies' TV Series In The Works At CBS

A True Lies series reboot is on its way. The latest film-to-TV series adaptation has just been picked up to pilot by CBS, with Burn Notice creator Matt Nix crafting a new take on the 1994 Arnold Schwarzenegger-Jamie Lee Curtis action film True Lies.

Variety reports that CBS has ordered a pilot for a True Lies TV series, based on the 1994 film of the same name. The CBS pilot will be written by Matt Nix, the creator of the USA Network series Burn Notice, a glossy procedural series about a former spy working as a private investigator in Miami. The pilot will be directed by McG, the action filmmaker behind such films as The Babysitter and Charlie's Angels.

Here's the series logline per Variety:

Like the film of the same, an unfulfilled suburban housewife is shocked to discover that her bland and unremarkable computer consultant husband is a skilled international spy. She is propelled into a life of danger and adventure when she's recruited to work alongside him to save the world as they try to revitalize their passionless marriage.

The combo of Nix and McG suggests that the True Lies TV series will be a glossy, high-octane action series, which would certainly fit a modern reimagining of the 1994 film directed by James Cameron. The original film, which starred Schwarzenegger as a dull salesman who discovered to be a secret spy by his wife (Jamie Lee Curtis), was hailed as a gonzo action-comedy that managed to combine domestic comedy with explosive thrills.

This is actually the second attempt at adapting True Lies into a series. Fox previously began developing a TV series take on the story, even putting a pilot commitment back in 2017. But Cameron's True Lies, which was a major box office hit in 1994, grossing over $378 million worldwide, proved too hard for TV networks to resist.

In addition to writing the CBS pilot, Nix will be executive producing the True Lies series reboot via Flying Glass of Milk Productions. McG will also executive produce via Wonderland Sound and Vision. The original film director Cameron will also executive produce through Lightstorm Entertainment alongside Rae Sanchini. Mary Viola of Wonderland will also executive produce, with Josh Levy of Flying Glass of Milk and Corey Marsh of Wonderland co-executive producing. 20th Television will produce.

True Lies marks CBS' first formal pilot order of the 2021-2022 season, which got off to a late start due to the production shutdown caused by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The network is also still considering pilots from last season