Magnum Mania!

So, I chose to write a piece about this on moviepilot.com for a contest and I thought where better discuss my ideas than here with all of you? I recast the show at the end of the article and I'm pretty proud of my choices. I thought long and hard about them. Tell me what you think? Do you like my ideas or would you pick other actors?
http://moviepilot.com/posts/2015/05/21/ ... nal,manual

Oh and if you do like it, check out the opening I made to go with it #ObsessedWithMagnumForever
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4TOrz3oics

Very fun. I must say I like Spader as Higgins. Somewhere on this post, someone mentioned the possibility of John Hannah from the Mummy as a choice for Higgins, and I will admit that Hannah currently remains my favored candidate for that role. I really like your pick for TC - not familiar with that actor, but I like the look. I'm not as enthusiastic for the choice of Rick. You know, Rick was pretty physical in those old episodes himself, and I feel that character needs to have a little more physicality as well.

Ah, Thomas Magnum. What an impossible casting job. I'm not real excited about Olyphant. Not sure why. Just not it for me, but casting a new Thomas Magnum is near impossible.

Some people are open to the possibility of a relaunched Magnum. Others are entirely against it (and I can't say I blame them). Myself, I am in the camp that would like to see the old gang, with the same actors (as unrealistic as that might be) introducing some younger new characters into Magnum's world to keep it going - for example, Thomas' daughter Lily really taking the reigns of show with Selleck as Magnum behind her. If you're interested in this concept, I've written up my own ideas for anew season of Magnum along with a pilot and two other episodes (I hope folks on this site aren't getting sick of me pushing that). Here the link to it if you're curious: http://magnum-mania.com/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=2875

But more than anything, I think Magnum PI would really take off now. I think so many of the show's themes would really resonate with today's viewers - I really, really do! I love seeing people imagining what a return to Robin's Nest might be like. Thanks for putting it all together!

Aloha HiggyBaby318, welcome to MM.

There is no "official" welcoming committee, and compared to some, I'm a relative newbie myself. I just feel like everyone should/likes to be acknowledged and responded to when posting, especially for the first time.

I enjoyed looking at your article and thought it was interesting and well written.

Your casting looks promising as well, especially Spader. Not real familiar with the rest of your choices, but they look/sound reasonable.

As to the reboot....that's always going to be subject for debate.

In my personal opinion, it would take very special people and circumstances to even come close to equaling the charisma that the original cast projected. It wasn't immediate even with them. It took a while for it take off and become the phenomenon that it was.

I too think that a launch utilizing as much of the original cast as possible to introduce the new crew would be the most effective and successful in the long run.

BWheelz54, and more than a few others have taken the time to write some very good, entertaining and workable scripts/stories that could be used very well for future episodes, so the writing doesn't seem to be a problem. I'd venture a guess that among the members of just this forum, there are enough capable, knowledgeable people to put together a team to produce the show, just no financial resources exist, not to mention generating enough interest in the circles that could get it rolling.

Maybe enough pieces like you've put together being seen in the right places by the right people could be the impetus needed. Good on you!

At any rate, glad to see you here and add another supporter of what you've done already and more importantly, what you'd like to see happen....you're not alone!

Mahalo & aloha

My guess is it doesn't have much of a chance of happening with the Hawaii 5-0 reboot currently enjoying immense popularity. It would look like too much of a "me-too", having WAY too similar a concept - ex-navy seal in Honolulu.

As for cast, I don't think it is necessary to play so close to the original in casting, look at the aforementioned 5-0: today's Chin-Ho is younger and cooler than yesteryear's, and today's Kono is a superhot badass babe instead of a pudgy guy. Scott Caan is an inspired choice as a cynical streetwise Danno trying to reign in and bickering with a loose cannon McGarrett, instead of the original version of Danno being a subordinate Robin Boy Wonder to Jack Lord's uptight by-the-book McGarrett.

My suggestions:

Magnum: Christopher Meloni (maybe too old), Marc Blucas, Richard Burgi (maybe too old), Michael Weatherly, Chris Pine. Although recasting Thomas Magnum is like recasting Indiana Jones, no one will fill the shoes as well.

TC: Depending on whether you would go more comedic or more action-drama, maybe Kenan Thompson, Dennis Hasybert

Rick: Thomas Lennon (from Reno 911!), Charlie Day,

Higgins: I think James Spader would be too much for the role, like putting Kevin Spacey in it would, even though in a way they'd both be great. If making a feature film, yes, either of these guys, but for a series, no. I like the John Hannah suggestion. I would certainly go with the new Higgins being less of an uptight prig and more of a slyly sardonic character. Or Thomas Lennon could be good in this role too. I think not only does the actor not need to be English (since Hillerman wasn't) but the character doesn't necessarily need to be English either. Or Xander Berkeley could take it in another direction

Mac (you have to have and keep Mac): Justin Bartha (from National Treasure, The Hangover movies). I could see that actor being able to carry the humor of haplessly being used and manipulated by Magnum.

I love all y'alls suggestions. Thanks for jumping on to my board. It's a show I never wanted to recast either but the opportunity to play with it was really fun. I agree about my choice for Rick, that he needs to be different. But watch one episode of Undateable and you'll see personality wise why I chose him.