Granada’s The Champions Set for Hollywood Remake

LONDON, November 9: Granada
International has announced that the British sci-fi action TV series The
Champions will be remade as a film by the
Hollywood studio United Artists.

Guillermo del Toro (Pan’s
Labyrinth, Hell Boy, Blade II) will
write, direct and produce the film remake for United Artists, the studio
revived through a new partnership between Tom Cruise, Paula Wagner and
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in November 2006. The film will
be produced by C/W Productions and executive-produced by Robert Green, formerly
of Granada International.

A part of the ITC library owned by Granada International,
the British TV series The Champions
first aired in 1968. The series is about three people who gain extraordinary
mystical powers, which are used to fight crime. It starred William Gaunt as
Richard Barrett, Alexandra Bastedo as Sharron Macready and Stuart Damon as
Craig Sterling. Guest stars on the original TV series include Steven Berkoff,
Jeremy Brett, Michael Gough, Donald Sutherland, Kate O' Mara, Adrienne Corri
and Julian Glover with directors that included Roy Ward Baker (A
Night to Remember) and Sam Wanamaker.

—By Irene Lew