ROTTEN TOMATOES: "Thief" Leaps from Old-School TV to Big-Budget Movie

"Thief" Leaps from Old-School TV to Big-Budget Movie

by Scott Weinberg | March 22, 2006

Universal Pictures and superstar Will Smith will combine their efforts on the action thriller "It Takes a Thief," which is based on a TV series that you've probably never seen. It ran from 1968 to 1970, and apparently it doesn't pop up on syndication very often.

According to Variety, "Universal Pictures has attached Will Smith to star in a feature adaptation of the TV series "It Takes a Thief."

The Roland Kibbee-created series, which starred Robert Wagner, ran 1968-70.

Smith will play a charming rogue who is blackmailed by the government into doing covert larceny for the good of his country. Pic will put the professional thief in the employ of the CIA.

Davis and Singer set up the project at Universal nearly a decade ago, when it was envisioned as a potential starring vehicle for Michael Douglas. Studio has had Smith in its sights for several years, but the project just recently gained forward motion with a fresh take and new writers."

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Will Smith's last TV adaptation was "Wild Wild West."

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(1-18 of 18 posts) | Reply

dracus writes:
on Mar 22 2006 09:19 AM

"Its Takes A Thief" An appropriate title for stealing yet another old television show. How long before Mannix and Ironside are turned into movies?

(Reply to this)

CrazyGhost78 writes:
on Mar 22 2006 01:21 PM

With Wild Wild West as his reference, what can go wrong?[/sarcasam]

(Reply to this)

Spike1967 writes:
on Mar 22 2006 06:01 PM

I wonder if Will Smith will be playing Will Smith like he does in most of his films?

(Reply to this)

cgcbooks writes:
on Mar 23 2006 08:09 AM

[b]Sick and tired of it[/b]
Why do they keep on casting black actors in what originally was a white actor's role? Why not reverse this terrible trend and cast white actors in the Sanford and Son remake! I nominate Andy Griffith for Fred and Ron Howard for Lamont.

(Reply to this)

whiteyboyprince writes:
on Mar 23 2006 08:19 AM

[b]To cgcbooks[/b]
Stop complaining you racist piece of trash!!!

(Reply to this)

cgcbooks writes:
on Mar 23 2006 09:47 AM

In reply to this comment (#832566)
[b]Just stating my own personal opinion[/b]
If anyone should be accused of being racist it should be the people working in the entertainment field. I can't think of one instance when a black performer from TV or the movies or books was portrayed by a white person in a remake. But on the other hand there have been plenty of white actor's being portrayed by blacks in several TV shows and movies. Why can't they be more fair with this.

(Reply to this)

whiteyboyprince writes:
on Mar 23 2006 11:59 AM

[b]>cgcbooks[/b]
White folks have played "othello"
Elizabeth Taylor portrayed Cleopatra (Cleopatra she was not white)
Charlton Heston played Moses (Moses was not white)
Every White Man has played Jesus (Jesus was not white)
Just think of all the other historically innaccurate casting.

(Reply to this)

cgcbooks writes:
on Mar 23 2006 01:36 PM

In reply to this comment (#832568)
How do you know for a "fact" that Moses or Jesus, if in fact they were real people, were not white?

(Reply to this)

shinzon writes:
on Mar 23 2006 02:00 PM

The black character from the original "Battlestar Galactica" TV series is played by a white guy in the remake. And the other black character is played by an Asian woman. I think it all comes down to who's better for the role, or in Hollywood-speak- who's more bankable. I really wouldn't call Hollywood racist, because the only color they seem to care about is green.

Now good taste on the other hand- that they care little about.

(Reply to this)

whiteyboyprince writes:
on Mar 23 2006 02:49 PM

[b]Ha![/b]
I see you seem to ignore the othello and cleopatra references, but I digress. Fact: Egypt is in Africa where Moses was and Jesus' homeland was not in Europe.

(Reply to this)

cgcbooks writes:
on Mar 23 2006 02:52 PM

In reply to this comment (#832570)
That was a very good response. I should really think more before I make stupid comments. Even my wife told me I made a racist statement. I apologize. I do remember that Robert Wagner was very good in the part of Alexander Mundy, and I really believe that Will Smith is just as "cool" as Robert Wagner.

(Reply to this)

cgcbooks writes:
on Mar 23 2006 02:54 PM

In reply to this comment (#832571)
I apologize for my stupid comments. I'll be more careful the next time.

(Reply to this)

whiteyboyprince writes:
on Mar 23 2006 03:00 PM

[b]To cgcbooks[/b]
hey no problem I always say things that i have to rethink :)

(Reply to this)

RoadDogXVIII writes:
on Mar 23 2006 04:06 PM

Man, I wish you guys stop complaining about remakes. It ain't the fact that it's an unnecessary remake. They suck because they're handed to incompetent directors ("The Fog" was remade by Rupert Wainwright, who did "Stigmata"; "The Honeymooners" was directed by John Schultz, who directed "Drive Me Crazy").

Here's my opinion: If you want to remake a show, get a better director. That's why the remakes of "King Kong" and "War of the Worlds" did so well at theaters. Because they were directed by Peter Jackson and Steven Spielberg, respectively. I know "WOTW" wasn't that good a movie - that's probably what y'all think - but would you rather have Uwe Boll remake it? I think I made my point. Ciao.

(Reply to this)

dracus writes:
on Mar 24 2006 08:23 AM

I thought that both the War of the Worlds and King Kong were solid, enjoyable remakes, but they were remade from great movies. I have no problem with a remake if they can improve, equal, or put a new spin on the original. Let's face it, how could they possibly improve on a mediocre movie like The Fog in the first place? The upcoming remake that I'm dreading the most is The Omen and last night I heard that someone is actually considering a remake of To Kill a Mockingbird! What's next, The Godfather?

(Reply to this)

RoadDogXVIII writes:
on Mar 27 2006 03:36 PM

Oh, they would never remake "The Godfather". That was one of the best movies EVER. Unless they get a high-profile director (Martin Scorcese), it would just be a waste of time and money.

(Reply to this)

Ashron writes:
on Mar 29 2006 03:08 PM

In reply to this comment (#832576)
You seem to be contradicting yourself there, Dracus. Seems that The Fog would be a perfect candidate for a remake simply becasue it is mediocre therefore there is plenty of room for improvement and a chance to take it in a new (better) direction. WOTW and KK didn't really need to be remade because they were both excellent the first time. (That being said, I enjoyed both remakes)

(Reply to this)

Chad T. writes:
on Nov 24 2009 02:25 AM

In reply to this comment (#832571)
Whiteyboyprince, the last remake of Othello starred Laurence Fishburne, but you don't know your History. Cleopatra was a Greek, she was a descendent of Ptolemy one of Alexander the Great's generals who ruled over Egypt after Alexander's death. Moses and Jesus are Jewish and I believe Jews are considered part of what's referred to as the Caucasian race (which is really more of a division than a race). Africa by the way is a continent and there are a lot of folks of different colors that have lived and still live on that continent.

(Reply to this)

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