The Hollywood Reporter is reporting that Jason Richman has been hired to pen the script for New Line's upcoming MacGyver movie

Richman wrote the action comedy “Bad Company” along with other movies "Bangkok Dangerous" and "Swing Vote" and also worked on a draft of “Beverly Hills Cop 4.” as well as uncredited work on “Black Hawk Down” and “Rush Hour 3”

Maybe the release of the MacGruber movie was the kick in the pants needed to get the real MacGyver movie up and running. Lets hope it’s a good one.

Read the Hollywood Reporter article here

Well, macgyver always did have a bit of humor in it, but I hope this doesn't mean the movie will turn into a starsky and hutch type movie

That's MacGruber already. Using Starsky and Hutch type movie on the actual film is making one bad mistake into a disaster.

Maybe he writes in style of Lincoln Kibbee... Nothing silly like Harry's Will but maybe High Control or Honest Abe. *Deep down: Humanity, Humanity* Bad Company seems like my type of film. From what I've seen from Rush Hour 3 didn't look bad at all. Can't remember much from Black Hawk Down and I am keeping my eyes open for Bevery Hills Cop 4.

These are mostly the better films of lately, I might give that guy a chance.

Of course we'd never know which way a writer goes, depending on the genre I think. But these are mostly action comedies. They're often not bad. If it's one liner humor it can't go bad. If done properly.

I think a MacGyver movie NEEDS to have comedy in it. Just like all of the Indiana Jones movies had comedy in them, and many of the MacGyver TV episodes had touches of comedy in them (I'm not talking about the totally comedic episodes like "Harry's Will" and "Faith Hope & Charity", I'm talking about the regular action episodes, which almost always had some comedy thrown in. Think Jack Dalton and Murdoc, for example. Or even Penny. All of those were comedic characters.)
I really don't want them to try and emulate one of the serious "social issue" episodes that came up later in the series.

So as long as the comedy is done in moderation (i.e. NOT a total spoof), then I think it's a good thing. It should be Action first, humor second.

I'm still not really optimistic about this movie, though. I'm expecting a low-budget disappointment, but I hope to be proven wrong.

Absolutely.

I actually only think the last two had comedy in them to make up for The Temple Of Doom. OK, there's the dinner scene with Willie passing out and other brief moments in that one and Raiders, but I don't think ripping out hearts and lowering in a hot pit is funny. It's plain fun and a sensation you hardly get in movies and I'd like to see Mac escaping out of the iron basket while being lowered (no way out as seen in The Temple of Doom). Doesn't matter, they all have great sense of humour indeed.

You've got funny and Mac trying to be funny. In many episodes he does succeed but lots of times I blame it on overacting and not being funny at all. This from many sides. Teri Hatcher from instance and on occassion even RDA. The A-Team is supposed to be comedic. Magnum's bickering with Higgins is supposed to be funny. But Mac is supposed to be a lot more serious despite good jokes with rare moments.

No, they don't. If it wasn't for a regular, I don't think Mac is funny. But more of a serious action series.

They really weren't. Jack maybe, like friends having fun or a great time, but far from comedic. Murdoc is not funny. That guy has a flame thrower and a rocket launcher. Penny was more like a pain in the neck than a comedic character. Sure, she's beautiful and dollish but freaks for the least that happens and can't help herself. The big brother thing again...

Of course, or maybe more character development... like JJ Abrams says: characters first than the explosions. You can still make them as big as you want them.

I understand the worry, but what more do you want? James Cameron are too high of a level for a Mac movie. If you're expecting low-budget think Joel Schumacher. Though I like his films, many of those are kept in the dark or direct-to-dvd. If it's not Joel Schumacher think like a one too many sequel in a horror series. I think with this writer we might get a chance we'd never get better. I'd give the writer a chance. If you go down his career he'd might have something solid. He's no David Koepp or any other big screenplay writer yet but I think this one can be better than nothing. Other's are either too advanced in screen writing or either too inexperienced. This one might be in between and I think we'd have a good chance of staying clear from the Indiana Jones genre and stay more on the actual MacGyver genre.

I couldn't disagree with you more MacGyverGod.

MacGyver was never intended to be serious drama. RDA has mentioned in a number of interviews that they always had their tongues firmly planted in their checks.

A lot of the humor was quite subtle and may well have been lost in translation but it was certainly and I would suggest you would be hard pressed to find a single episode that didn't have some touch of lightheartedness in it somewhere, and that's the key, humor doesn't have to be laugh out load funny, it can be just something that makes you give a little chuckle or even just a smile to yourself, or even more lighter than that it can be something that just lifts the tension and lets us know that it's not the end of the world (yet).

I think it was. But of course having a chuckle or smile here or there, sounds more like real life to me. If you can't laugh, what's the point of life? Say comedy to me, I think of slap stick or anything lighthearted. Nothing downbeat, just happy fun stuff. When I think of Mac, I actually do think about serious drama and action. People are getting killed and Mac really let it gets to him if he couldn't save someone he liked. With Mac-humor, I like to think more of making people feel better and not to lose hope in their situation: A new morning, a whole fresh set of possibilities. There are moments like even in Passages he says: 'We've been in tighter spots than this.' I mean the guy was dead at the time and he makes a remark of: been through this so many times before. To me, that means, let's not lose hope or give up yet. In Humanity Victor makes a remark about reflexes near the end. Maybe a small time joke about understanding what Mac was talking about earlier. In episodes like Lesson in Evil or Stricktly Business I find it hard to see the humour in it. Mac-humour means to me about not giving up or losing hope not cracking jokes the whole time about situations (serious or not). I get the point though.

And that light-heartedness needs to be in the film as well. So I hope Jason Richman is reading this.

Definitely. I got a good feeling about this but let's not expect too much too soon.

I can't help thinking this was a bit of a planned move on their part. Judging by the amount of attention the MacGyver movie has suddenly got with nearly every news blog on the net running the news of Jason Richman being the writer and speculating about MacGrubers impact on the MacGyver movie, I'd say the move has probably paid off for them.

Suddenly the net is alive with news about "MacGruber is ok for a toilet humor spoof, but the real MacGyver is on his way."

They couldn't have gotten better publicity I don't think.

I think there was a lot of humor in the old mac series. Some of it was intentional, like Mac playing as Dexter. There was also scenes I thought were funny that I don't think were supposed to be funny. Mac just getting hit on the head and such, Mac poking his head out from around cover either looking around or looking to see why his homemade bomb is taking so long. I thought that was always funny. His constant aww man was pretty comical at times too. In the one episode he is in a toy store and has his hand in a sock puppet. The bad guy walks past and looks at it. He moves the sock puppets mouth like it's talking and than punches the guy out. That was great humor. As long as the movie doesn't turn completely into a comedy I will be happy. In order to keep with the old Mac, it needs to address some serious issues and scenarios but have some Mac humor thrown in.

weel, seems like we are just waiting for a decent script, i personaly think that without RDA, the movie won´t be a success no matter how magnificent is the writer. But fun with action and intelligence, it`s a nice combination.

The average punter out there only remembers the character, not the actor, not did they watch the show because of the actor, so I honestly don't think it matters of RDA plays it or not.

Would be nice to have him in the movie somewhere though.

I never got the point of cameos by the orginal actors. Why not ask him to be part of it? What's the use of cameos if nobody knows the guy anyway. I mean we do, we can pinpoint him out of it but the newer generation can't. It doesn't mean anything for them. If you would like them to give at least some portion on how it was in the old days, ask the original actor to play his once famous role.

There were some serious episodes, yes, but MANY episodes were laced with humor. Sometimes subtle, sometimes blatant. I'm not saying it was a flat-out comedy series, but it often didn't take itself too seriously, unless it was pressing a social issue.

Really? He cracks me up. My girlfriend finds him downright hilarious, and has frequently told me, "I'm sorry, but if Murdoc asked me to marry him, I'd leave you without a moment's thought."

That was only in one episode. Since then, they softened him up a LOT and turned him more into a wise-cracking version of Wyle E Coyote. It's kind of like Freddy Krueger-- started out scary, but then became the funny guy you root for. I mean, really, Murdoc is a lot more entertaining than Mac himself.

The humor was in how Mac reacts to her. I'm not saying it was always laugh-out-loud funny, but it was clearly intended to be humorous, watching Mac get that exasperated look on his face whenever she was around.

Yeah, really. But that doesn't mean he's not cool.

Is that before or after he tears off his face?

The Widowmaker and Stricktly Business are his toughest episodes. In Obsessed he does have that arrogance of being all he could be. That's indeed funny.

I agree. But even in Strictly Business, he has some pretty comedic moments, like the dinner scene on the houseboat. He never gets quite as dark/evil/crazy as he was in The Widowmaker. It's always balanced with touches of humor.

In Stricktly Business for the first time since The Widowmaker he was dark/evil. But of course nothing beats the look at Mac and the phrase: 'What's the matter, MacGyver, you don't look to happy to see me.' And the moves he makes while eating that whatever it was when he was explaining about making a fresh start and getting back to business.

YEAH!
a REAL MacGyver Movie....
in the works...???
gee can I sleep at night?
LOL

This post has been edited by cybersherrie on 1 June 2010 - 09:34 PM

One thing I'm wondering is what demographic the movie will be aimed at. The TV show, I'd say, was aimed at kids from about 10 - 17 years old. So will the movie also be aimed at such a young age, or will they try to cater to those of us who grew up watching Mac and are now much older than that? Of course, personally, I hope they aim the movie at an older demographic since I'm in my 30s now.

You mean in what time to movie should be set in? Than we're back at the point about updating the franchise. Might seem strange now but even back than there was plenty of then new technology set in the show. Look at the Pilot and various other episodes containing scientific equipment, computers, tracking devices, lights flashing in a particular order, laserbeams... Only than we didn't grew up with technology.

We live in an era where in flatscreens, laptops, cellphones and dvd is very common. Back than it was way different.

Though it's quite obvious I think which way it's gonna go. Present times and not 80's. But I think it would be interesting to see a movie set in the 80's, like there are many others made in other decades. Back to the times where cellphones were actually brick phones with an antennae, dvd were videos, flatscreens were boxes and Nintendo DS was still Game Boy.

If not well... I don't know if I would mind the update as long there are plenty of good MacGyverisms and good old fashioned 80's action.

If they aim at older audiences, the younger generation may not like it, if it's reversed we might not like it. Of course I'm nostalgic so I prefer the older demographic as well.

I wasn't referring to the time period of the movie, but rather the age group that the movie will be aimed at. The TV show was clearly aimed primarily at kids, but a lot of us who were kids in the 80s while this show was on the air have grown up now, and so it would be nice for us if they made the movie aimed at an older audience. I'm not saying it should have excessive cursing and nudity (to me, that's not an indication of maturity anyway), but the overall tone could feel less child-like if they want to make it appeal to those of us who were kids when the show aired, and are adults now.

The rating thing, huh. Giving it an R-rating would be foolish if it doesn't have the R-rating elements. I think it would be a PG or a PG-13. I'd say PG-13. However, I don't know how it's pointed out in the US but on my dvd-boxes it says suited for the age of 6. Same goes for Magnum. But I think there are plenty of movies out there meant for adults but that are PG-13. You can still make films like things set on political matters that wouldn't interest children but adults and set it PG-13. Movies like maybe the Jack Ryan films or others like Valkyrie, The Interpreter... I'd say if they can make it up to the level like Mission Impossible III and Casino Royale, it would be worth a lot.

Yeah, I wasn't saying it should be rated R. Plenty of movies aimed at older audiences aren't rated R (example: I was watching "Ragtime" this weekend, which is clearly not aimed at children, yet it's rated PG.) Like I said, it doesn't need to have excessive vulgarity, nudity, violence, etc.

Exactly. And that's what I'd like them to do with the MacGyver movie-- give it a more adult tone than the tv show, without going into the excess that would require an R rating.

this sounds like a great Movie, i can't wait to see it.

It does? What have you heard about it? Please share!
All I've heard, so far, is that it's being written by Jason Richman. If you have other details, please let us know.

I think he means that your view on the movie sounds interesting. Not that he has information we don't know yet.

any info???

thanks

No other information has been released yet. As we know the wheels of the particular machine turn very slowly.

Lets hope it's worth the wait.

Gosh, I never considered MacGyver as a show aimed at kids. Hubby and I always watched along with my daughter when she was old enough. And I think the dash of hunmor was what made it great.

I'm not familiar with this guy who's going to be writing the script. What has he done before?