Get ready: Roots is being remade.
The History Channel has acquired the rights to the historical mini-series that told the story of author Alex Haley’s family line – detailing Kunta Kinte’s enslavement, as well as his descendants’ eventual freedom.
The original 1977 mini-series was 12 hours long, but according to The Hollywood Reporter, the newer version will be much shorter – 8 hours to be exact – and will feature a more contemporary account.
The site reports:
“The cable network is developing an eight-hour mini based on the 1977 entry, The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed. History has acquired rights to the 12-hour original from Mark Wolper, the son of late Roots exec producer David L. Wolper, as well as the book on which the mini was based, Roots: the Saga of an American Family, from the estate of author Alex Haley.”
History seems to be taking over the mini-series world, as they are also developing a four-hour Houdini series starring Adrien Brody. We’re looking forward to the Roots remake and hope it’s as epic as the first, which if you didn’t know, earned 37 Emmy nominations and took home nine.
Stay tuned.
SOURCE: TheHollywoodReporter | PHOTO CREDIT: Tumblr
