The 'Burbs TV Series: Cast, Story & Everything We Know
The cult classic horror comedy The ‘Burbs is getting remade in an all-new small screen adaptation by comedy maven Seth MacFarlane, and there are already a ton of updates. Released in 1989 to little fanfare, the original movie stars Tom Hanks as an average suburbanite whose stay at home vacation turns into a nightmare when he begins to suspect his new neighbors might be murderers. Playfully lambasting the urban paranoia that typified the Reagan Era in the United States, director Joe Dante’s deviously funny concept was way ahead of its time.
As is the case with many underrated comedy movies from the ’80s, The ‘Burbs has always been a high priority to get a modern re-do. Now, TV comedy legend Seth MacFarlane has stepped up to the plate, and plans to modernize the horror comedy as a TV series. Though a lot of the new remake is being kept under wraps for now, Keke Palmer has already been tapped to lead the show. As the project continues to take shape, it begins to look more and more like the new take on The ‘Burbs can help the original get the attention it deserves.
The ‘Burbs TV Reboot Is Confirmed
A Remake Of The ‘Burbs Is Coming Soon
Continuing the trend of ’80s and ’90s remakes that have been so popular lately, it has now been confirmed that a TV remake of The ‘Burbs is currently in the works. Coming 35 years after the Tom Hanks and Carrie Fisher cult classic hit theaters, executive producer Seth MacFarlane is helping to oversee a modernization of the black comedy that has already tapped Keke Palmer to star. The series will be lead by executive producer Brian Grazer and Imagine Entertainment, the company that delivered the original film.
The series is being penned by Celeste Hughey (Palm Royale, Dead to Me) who will also serve as one of the producers. No other names are attached to the series on either side of the camera yet, but Peacock will host the new take on The ‘Burbs. Many story details remain elusive, and it’s currently unclear how far along the series is in its development phase. As such, a release date won’t be revealed for quite some time.
Dana Olsen wrote the script for the original film.
The ‘Burbs TV Reboot Cast
Keke Palmer Is Set To Star
Though much about the TV remake of The ‘Burbs remains unknown, the show has already landed its lead actor. Keke Palmer (Nope) has been tapped to star, though exact details about her character haven’t been announced yet. It’s likely that Palmer’s new character will be an approximation of Tom Hank’s original character, an affable suburbanite who grows increasingly paranoid and suspicious of his new neighbors. The cast will need to add a slew of supporting roles as well, but it’s unclear exactly who those will be at this time.
The ‘Burbs TV Reboot Story Details
A Modern Take On The Cult Classic
The ‘Burbs
will need to take the basic framework from the film and apply modern issues to the structure for hilarious results.
While it may be unclear exactly how the new Peacock series will achieve the modernization, it’s clear that the remake of The ‘Burbs will look to update certain details from the original. Though there’s nothing inherently problematic with the original, it is still very much a product of the late 1980s, and the exact same tone wouldn’t work in the modern day quite as well. Therefore, The ‘Burbs will need to take the basic framework from the film and apply modern issues to the structure for hilarious results.
Ideas like urban paranoia still work well, but the TV remake has the opportunity to add in issues like race and class which were largely left off the table originally. Without being too heavy-handed, the reboot of The ‘Burbs can explore real-life issues like gentrification, white flight, and blockbusting to tell a humorous and horrific story set within an unassuming suburb. However, until more details surface about the new vision, the story of the reboot of The ‘Burbs can only be speculated on.
