Peacock says 'as if' to Clueless reboot as the network passes on TV series
The streaming service's planned "baby pink and bisexual blue-tinted" revival of the Alicia Silverstone movie classic is not moving forward, but may be redeveloped.
By
Joey Nolfi
May 14, 2021 at 12:12 PM EDT
It's an "as if" for the
Clueless reboot over at
Peacock.
EW has confirmed the streaming service is totally buggin' on the
planned mystery-themed revival of the classic 1995 movie, and will not movie forward with developing the project into a TV series with CBS Television Studios.
Initially billed as "a baby pink and bisexual blue-tinted, tiny sunglasses-wearing, oat milk latté, and Adderall-fueled look" at the lives of several California teens as they navigate the rise of a new leader, Dionne (played by
Stacey Dash in the Amy Heckerling-directed film), in the wake of the disappearance of their high school's former queen bee, Cher (a role originated by
Alicia Silverstone).
CBS Studios is reportedly looking at new ways to approach the material in the future, though nothing has been confirmed at this point.
Jordan Reddout and Gus Hickey (Will & Grace, Man With a Plan) penned the script for the most recent revival, and produced alongside
Jane the Virgin's Corinne Brinkerhoff. Sources told
The Hollywood Reporter, which first broke the news Friday, that Peacock overseers Frances Berwick and Susan Rovner nixed the project after reviewing a slew of in-development projects.
Following the original film's overwhelming success as an enduring pop culture phenomenon (often regarded as one of the best teen movies of all time), CBS Studios attempted a prior TV series based on the project in 1996, with Rachel Blanchard stepping in for Silverstone and Dash reprising her role as Dionne from the movie. That series ran for one season on ABC before jumping to UPN for seasons 2 and 3, and was canceled in 1999.
Upon its release,
Clueless — based on Jane Austen's beloved
Emma with its tale of an affluent teen navigating life and love in Los Angeles — grossed nearly $57 million at the box office and became a steadfast favorite among younger audiences, further boosting the careers of Silverstone and particularly costars
Brittany Murphy,
Paul Rudd, and Donald Faison.
Dash would go on to secure several acting roles before becoming a polarizing political figure for her outspoken support of conservatism and former president Donald Trump.
"There are things that I am sorry for, things that I did say, that I should not have said them the way I said them,"
Dash said in a Daily Mail interview in March. "They were very arrogant and prideful and angry. And that's who Stacey was, but that's not who Stacey is now. Stacey's someone who has compassion and empathy."
Peacock's planned 'Clueless' TV series reboot of the classic Alicia Silverstone movie will not move forward.
ew.com
