THE PROFESSIONALS being made for the big screen by Lionsgate UK

The Professionals, the cult-classic British TV series, is getting a big-budget feature film remake from Lionsgate UK. Production is scheduled to begin this fall on the action series about secret agents created by Brian Clemens (The Avengers). The show never made it to the US audiences, but helped make local stars of actors Martin Shaw and Lewis Collins, who played the agents.

The film's producer, Richard Whelan , is currently looking for a director. Tom Hardy, Gerard Butler and Jason Statham are being courted by Lonsgate UK to play secret agents Bodie and Doyle, with Liam Neeson and Gary Oldman on their list to play their boss. The film will serve as an origin story, "showing how ex-Spec Ops mercenary Bodie and counter-terrorism detective Doyle unite to work for covert UK security unit CI5."

Callum McDougall is serving as co-producer and was executive producer on the last two James Bond films and is shooting the Clash of the Titans sequel. Whelan was associate producer on Captain America for Marvel. The Professionals will be the third production for Lionsgate UK, after Salmon Fishing in Yemen, currently in post, and the Statham thriller Blitz, due to be released in the UK on May 20. 

I am not familiar with the TV series, but that cast sounds amazing. What are your thoughts on this news?