New Line has hired "Swing Vote" co-writer Jason Richman to write the script for "MacGyver," a big-screen adaptation of the popular adventure series that starred Richard Dean Anderson, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
From 1985-1992, the ABC series followed a crafty secret agent who used clever, science-inspired tricks to escape danger in the nick of time. The inherent problem with a "MacGyver" movie is that the audience knows that the main character will always find his way out of trouble, but I suppose the fun lies not in what MacGyver does, but how he does it.
The news arrives the very same day that Universal releases Relativity's "MacGyver" parody "MacGruber" in theaters, based on the often hilarious "Saturday Night Live" sketch starring Will Forte and Kristen Wiig.
Richman previously wrote "Bad Company" and the English-language remake of "Bangkok Dangerous." He also did uncredited work on New Line's "Rush Hour 3" and worked on a draft of "Beverly Hills Cop 4" for Paramount, so he's well-versed in writing fun action movies with an emphasis on comedy.
Raffaella De Laurentiis is producing "MacGyver" through her Raffaella Productions along with Martha De Laurentiis and series creator Lee Zlotoff. Dino De Laurentiis will exec produce.
