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'Harry Potter' franchise -

A live-action Harry Potter TV series is in the works and is due to hit Max in 2026. It will reportedly be based on all seven Harry Potter books, just like the movies were. The series will feature an entirely new cast to play the beloved characters. Producers have described it as a “decade-long series produced with the same epic craft, love and care this global franchise is known for.”

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'Legally Blonde' -

Reese Witherspoon's production company Hello Sunshine is teaming up with 'Gossip Girl' producers Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage to create what can only be a masterpiece: a prequel series based on the 'Legally Blonde' movies.

The spin-off is in development at Amazon MGM and Witherspoon finally revealed the premise in a teaser on Instagram on May 14. She appeared in her iconic pink suit to give fans the backstage tour, and revealed that the series will follow Elle Woods in the lead-up to her Harvard days. “Before she became the most famous Gemini vegetarian to graduate from Harvard Law, she was just a regular ‘90s high school girl. And all of you are going to get to know her, next year on @primevideo. I’M SO EXCITED!” the caption read. The series will be released on Amazon Prime but no date has been revealed yet. 

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'8 Mile' -

It's hard to believe '8 Mile' came out over two decades ago, but the film that rocketed Eminem to fame is getting the TV treatment, and by a fellow rapper. 50 Cent announced the news in 2023, saying that a TV show based on the 2002 semi-autographical take on Eminem's life is "in motion."

"I'm gonna bring his 8 Mile to television," 50 Cent revealed, adding that Eminem will assist with the show's production. 

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'Ted' -

Seth McFarland's foul-mouthed Bostonian bear jumped from the big screen to the small screen in 2024. The TV series is a prequel to the 2012 movie 'Ted,' starring McFarland as Ted, of course, with several other famous faces joining the cast such as Scott Grimes and Giorgia Whigham. 

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'Sixteen Candles' -

John Hughes’ beloved 1984 coming-of-age film 'Sixteen Candles' is getting the TV treatment, and none other than Selena Gomez is backing it. Gomez is teaming up with Tanya Saracho and Gabriela Revilla Lugo for a half-hour comedy series called '15 Candles' which will follow four young Latinas in high school as they, like Molly Ringwald's character, struggle with feeling invisible, but this time it will center around leaving childhood as their quinceañeras approach, Variety reports. The series will air on Peacock, though no date has been announced yet. 

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'Grease' -

The immense success of the 1978 movie musical 'Grease' hasn't lost its appeal, and over four decades later it got the prequel treatment.  'Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies' was released in 2023. It "takes place four years before the original Grease: In 1954 before rock ‘n' roll ruled, before the T-Birds were the coolest in the school, four fed-up, outcasts dare to have fun on their own terms, sparking a moral panic that will change Rydell High forever." It stars Madison Thompson (known for playing Erin Pierce in 'Ozark'), Jackie Hoffman (most recently known for playing Uma Heller in 'Only Murders in the Building'), along with Marisa Davila, Tricia Fukuhara, Cheyenne Isabel Wells, and Ari Notartomaso, E! News reports.  

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'Pitch Perfect' -

The streaming platform Peacock is really making a niche out of transforming hit movies into TV shows. In 2022 they released a series called 'Pitch Perfect: Bumper in Berlin' franchise. The show follows Bumper, played by Adam Devine, several years later as moves to Germany and tries to revive his career.

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'A League of Their Own' -

A 'League of Their Own' series came to Amazon in 2022, starring D'Arcy Carden ('The Good Place') and Abbi Jacobson ('Broad City'). Jacobson is also writing and executive producing the comedy, which, according to The Hollywood Reporter, has "the spirit of Penny Marshall's beloved movie while expanding its lens to explore race and sexuality as the series follows a new ensemble of women carving out their own paths in the league and outside of it."

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'The Karate Kid' - Thirty-four years later, Daniel LaRusso and archrival Johnny Lawrence make a comeback in the series 'Cobra Kai.'

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'Terminator' - 'Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles' debuted in 2008 and the story is set after 'Terminator 2: Judgment Day.'

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Star Wars: Episode V–The Empire Strikes Back (1980) -

George Lucas' saga gave birth to a number of animations, including 'Star Wars: Droids,' 'Ewoks,' 'Star Wars: Clone Wars,' 'Star Wars: The Clone Wars (CG series),' and 'Star Wars Rebels.'

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'Police Academy' - The '80s comedy classic inspired both an animated and a live-action series. The latter aired in 1997 and it was called 'Police Academy: The Series.'

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'The Exorcist' - The 1973 horror classic inspired a sequel series with the same name in 2016.

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'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' - The TV series was actually more successful than the movie starring Kristy Swanson and the late Luke Perry. There was also a spin-off called 'Angel.'

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'Robocop' - In addition to a number of animations, the 1987 movie also inspired a number of live-action series, including the Canadian TV shows 'RoboCop: Prime Directives,' and 'RoboCop: The Series.'

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'Indiana Jones' -

A prequel to the films, called 'The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles,' aired in 1992.

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'Planet of the Apes' -

This 1968 movie was the inspiration for a TV show with the same name that debuted in 1974.

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'Taken' -

A TV show with the same name was released in 2017 as a prequel to the 'Taken' films. 

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'Psycho' - Alfred Hitchcock's classic 1960 film inspired a prequel TV show called 'Bates Motel,' which was aired from 2013 to 2017.

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'The Crow' -

The 1994 film starring Brandon Lee inspired  Canadian supernatural drama TV show 'The Crow: Stairway to Heaven.'

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'My Big Fat Greek Wedding' - Sitcom 'My Big Fat Greek Life,' debuted one year after the original movie, in 2003.

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'From Dusk till Dawn' -

The cult movie directed by Robert Rodriguez and written by Quentin Tarantino also inspired 'From Dusk till Dawn: The Series'.

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'The Omen' - In 2016, the series 'Damien' debuted on TV.

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'Blade' -

The 1998 film starring Wesley Snipes inspired the 2006 TV show 'Blade: The Series.' The show is a sequel to the movie 'Blade: Trinity.'

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'Fargo' - The 1996 Coen brothers' movie also inspired a series with the same name. It was released in 2014.

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'Honey, I Shrunk the Kids' -

Based on the original movie, 'Honey, I Shrunk the Kids: The TV Show' was also a success.

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'Shaft' - The classic 1971 blaxploitation movie was turned into a series in 1973.

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'Serpico' - The 1973 movie starring Al Pacino inspired a TV show that aired a few years later, in 1976.

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'Highlander' - The 1986 movie inspired a couple of TV shows, namely 'Highlander: The Series,' and 'Highlander: The Raven.'

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'Stargate' - The 1994 science-fiction movie inspired a number of TV shows, namely Stargate SG-1,' 'Stargate Atlantis,' 'Stargate Universe,' and 'Stargate Infinity.'

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'Mortal Kombat' -

The original movie, released in 1995, was inspired in a video game. In 1998, 'Mortal Kombat: Konquest' debuted on TV.

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'Casablanca' - The TV show with the same name was set one year after the classic film.

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'Alien Nation' -

The 1988 movie turned into a TV show with the same name, one year later.

See also: Movie stars who made their name in television

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