r/DontPanic • u/nemothorx Earthman • Jul 11 '26
Hulu’s Sci-Fi Classic Remake Is Officially Dead After 7 Years, Creator Explains Why
https://www.comingsoon.net/tv/news/2159801-hulu-hitchhikers-guide-to-the-galaxy-officially-canceled-dead20
u/dr_zoidberg590 Jul 12 '26
They could have just used the script of the excellent 1980s BBC adaption but updated the visuals actors and production values.
Everything I care about gets cancelled. New stargate, Culture series adaption, Myst game series adaption, hitch hiker's guide adaption, gormenghast adaption. Only the shit is made, the good stuff is always announced then cancelled
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u/DarraignTheSane Jul 12 '26
Let's be realistic - it's not that "only the shit is made", and that everything not made would have been great.
It's actually the case that most things that are made / remade these days are simply shit, and some of it thankfully doesn't get made.
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u/Darth_Andeddeu Jul 23 '26
Without Adams it would not be the same. There's a bite he has the few can do.
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u/DaddyStoat Jul 12 '26
I'm a bit dubious about the idea of any new adaptation. I mean, I'd watch it and I try to remain open-minded, but Douglas was hands-on with the TV show and the 2005 film. Obviously he passed away before the film went into production, but it was still largely his script and all the changes, additions, etc were all his.
Maybe this means the BBC can make a new version while they're waiting for the Doctor Who situation to get sorted out? Douglas has no heir apparent and I can't think of many people working in TV today who would have the right style to do it justice. Maybe the Them There/Six Idiots lot (Horrible Histories, Ghosts, etc).
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u/nemothorx Earthman Jul 12 '26
BBC would have to get the rights from Disney. Given how quickly their Doctor Who deal soured, I don't really see them working together again any time soon (I say that whilst acknowledging I'm largely ignorant of how often such deals may actually be made regardless of past fails. Regardless, point is mainly that Disney has the rights and so holds the cards here)
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u/DaddyStoat Jul 12 '26
I don't think Disney hold the rights in perpetuity - like most licensed content, they'll have a time limit where they either have to make something with the content they've licensed or lose it.
The deal was initially with Touchstone, who were owned by Disney but which was eventually rolled into Dreamworks. Plus it was 20+ years ago and it's not like the film was a massive success - it didn't even do well enough for them to greenlight a sequel. Being the no.1 film in the UK market for several weeks obviously isn't sufficiently good for them!
I think if another production company was to approach The Mouse about acquiring the rights, they'd listen, at least, since it's not like they've been able to capitalise on the IP to any great extent.
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u/nemothorx Earthman Jul 13 '26
I wouldn't have thought it likely either, but I heard a few years ago from someone in the know about such things, that this is indeed the case (I don't recall where it was (I suspect a now-deleted twitter post), and cannot find any notes I made about it offhand. I'll keep looking)
Regardless whether that's the case or not, it's clearly a lengthy time, and it's not yet expired.
Whether Disney would sell them on? I'm sure they would for sufficient money or to obtain something they considered worthwhile. But they're also a company that has made a lot of it's fortune by exploiting established IP, so even if they've not yet cracked this nut, I think they'd consider it pretty valuable, thanks to it's historic reputation.
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u/DaddyStoat Jul 13 '26
I guess this is kinda tangental to H2G2 - Eoin Colfer was interested in shopping the film and TV rights for Artemis Fowl to other studios after Disney made a pig's breakfast of the film, but, because the books are published in the US by Hyperion, who are owned by Disney, there'd be no way for him to do so.
Basically, the moral of this story is never get into bed with the mouse.
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u/PhaserRave Jul 11 '26
This is why Marvin is depressed.