John Cusack's HIGH FIDELITY is Being Adapted into a TV Series By Disney with a Female Lead
I'm a fan of John Cusack's 2000 feature film adaptation of Nick Hornby's 1995 novel High Fidelity. The main character in the story reminded me a lot of myself, but with a passion for movies instead of music.
That story is now being adapted into a romantic comedy TV series that will be released on Disney's upcoming streaming service. There's one big change to the story though. The lead will now be a woman.
The gender-swapped take on the story will be developed by writers Veronica West and Sarah Kucserka (Bull, Ugly Betty). The co-writer of the feature film Scott Rosenberg will also serve as a producer on the series.
Deadline says that the series will be a departure from the book and the movie "while still capturing the romantic comedy and authentic spirit of the original source materials." They go on to say that the story "centers on a record store owner — a female take on the character played in the movie by Cusack — talking straight to the camera as she chronicles past relationships."
While the film was rated R, this series is being developed with PG-13 content and is said to be a "optimistic-in-tone mixtape/diary rom-com" that is "intended for family co-viewing, consistent with Disney’s plans for a family-friendly OTT service that is not expected not feature R-rated movies or series."
This is a series that will certainly broaden the scope of the kind of shows that the Disney streaming service will offer. But, to be honest, I'm not sure how I feel about it. However, like all projects that have potential, I hope that it turns out good. If it's not, the movie will always be great.
Here's the trailer for the original film: