Yes, Ridley Scott and Tony Scott produced another remake/re-adaptation of the The Andromeda Strain, but this time in television miniseries form, and we have the first look trailer for this “two-night television event.” Watch the trailer below and tell me what you think in the comments.
Based on the bestselling book from Michael Crichton (Jurassic Park), and from executive producers Ridley Scott and Tony Scott comes a four-hour miniseries adaptation of The Andromeda Strain. The story follows a team of scientists investigating a deadly disease from an alien world that threatens to destroy mankind. Directed by two-time Academy Award® nominee Mikael Saloman (Cinematographer on Backdraft, The Abyss), and featuring a cast which includes: Benjamin Bratt (”Law & Order”), Christa Miller (”Scrubs”), Eric McCormack (”Will & Grace”), Ricky Schroder (”NYPD Blue”), Andrew Braugher (”Homicide: Life on the Streets”), Christa Miller (”Scrubs”), Daniel Dae Kim (”Lost”), and Viola Davis (”Traveler”).
The miniseries will premiere on A&E television on May 26th/27th and be released by Universal Home Video on June 3rd, 2008.
April 14th, 2008 at 6:40 pm
If there were any of Crichton’s works that needed to be remade, this is it. The original is a classic, but this looks like it could give that one a serious run for it’s money.
April 14th, 2008 at 6:42 pm
I loved both Crichton’s book and Robert Wise’s 1971 film. This looks interesting although it seems like they changed quite a bit (which was to be expected). I’ll be surprised if the ending even remotely resembles the one in the book. In the post-”Lost” era of television it would be considered anti-climatic. Still, it’s worth a look.
April 14th, 2008 at 6:43 pm
I’ve honestly never seen the movie from the 60’s? But I’ve read the book and its still one of my favorite sci-fi books. Sign me up for this, it looks amazing. I really do hope there is the small town type deal where the explore it in biohazard suits and find different people in different states of awkward deaths.
April 14th, 2008 at 6:44 pm
Also, in response to Will, I’d love to see a proper version of “Sphere.” It would be great as a miniseries.
April 14th, 2008 at 7:22 pm
I dunno I was bored watching that featurette.
April 14th, 2008 at 7:42 pm
Looks good to me.
April 14th, 2008 at 7:59 pm
That looked surprisingly good.
April 14th, 2008 at 8:02 pm
Fuck I hate featurettes where the actors talk about the story. Boring as bat shit. There are so many better ways to get me excited about a story. This was it. I’ll wait to watch this on TV. Oh, wait… zzzzzz
April 14th, 2008 at 8:03 pm
This *wasn’t* it. Duh.
April 14th, 2008 at 8:27 pm
Cant. Wait. Now if only they made Prey…
April 14th, 2008 at 8:33 pm
looks heaps good ….it has Jordan from scrubs how awesome
April 14th, 2008 at 10:00 pm
looks good but this sound in the titles is so annoying
April 14th, 2008 at 10:36 pm
@ cellchild;
I agree on the sound as the title/credits flash up onscreen. Its some kind of squishy sound or the sound when you step on a bug or something. Not sure what it has to do with the film.
April 15th, 2008 at 5:59 am
@ Jon
Prey was a pretty damn good book. Definitely one of my top 3 Crichton books.
April 15th, 2008 at 8:58 am
God, this is going to be great. Hopefully it’ll be closer to the book. Now they just need to remake Jurassic Park into a miniseries and my life will be complete…
April 16th, 2008 at 5:22 pm
I hope there is more to the miniseries than there is to the trailer. An everchanging/mutating virus killing all humans? Don’t get me wong but Yaaawn. Thre were so many Zombie/Virus films in the last years that I can’t stand them anymore.
Also, the squishy sound? Sounded like some zergs hatching.
April 16th, 2008 at 11:46 pm
They have some really big shoes to fill because the original movie was done so well but it looks like they’re taking it in a different enough direction it should be worth watching.
April 21st, 2008 at 7:56 am
Looks like its already aired via pdtv :)
April 21st, 2008 at 7:50 pm
The book and original movie are classics. Dated, yes. The trailer looks like any other sci-fi flick in the last 10 years. It’ll be gone and forgotten as fast as the virus. I’m sure the ’squishy’ sound is the virus mutating … yawn.
April 26th, 2008 at 8:15 pm
I’m sure that there’s some book that you can adapt as TV/Movie… Sphere is the perfect example, I hope that “The Andromeda Strain” is in this case…
April 26th, 2008 at 8:16 pm
I’m sure that there’s some book that you can adapt as TV/Movie… Sphere is the perfect example, I hope that “The Andromeda Strain” is in this case.
May 9th, 2008 at 6:54 pm
We were in Hedley, BC last summer when they were filming this. They transformed Hedley into Piedmont.
Can’t wait to see it.
May 15th, 2008 at 8:09 pm
I grew up in Hedley B.C. and my Dad still lives there. We were there last July when they were filming. Hoping to see Chevy the dog who everyone in Hedley knows and kept running onto the set!!
May 16th, 2008 at 10:36 pm
The book was one of my absolute favorites from Michael Crichton. The original movie did a great job at extrapolating the words to film, but of course this new version looks amazing. With the Scotts at the helm I am sure we will all be talking about it for the next while. Beautiful British Columbia! Sweet!
May 20th, 2008 at 12:14 pm
Well… first I heard about the miniseries, I thought “wow, it would be amazing to have a flick that follows the book closely” but unfortunately it’s not what they did. However, I’ll give it a try.
May 22nd, 2008 at 7:46 am
WATCHED THE FIRST PART TO THIS MINISERIES, WOW, NEVER READ THE BOOK OR SEEN THE ORIGINAL FILM HOWEVER I LOVE THIS. GOT SO CAUGHT UP IN THE STORY. THE CGI, ACTORS, SPOT ON AS FAR AS IN CONCERNED. CARNT WAIT TO WATCH THE FINAL PART 2NITE. DEFINATLY WORTH WATCHING.
May 22nd, 2008 at 8:06 am
Only if you promise the caps lock monster isn’t on there.
May 23rd, 2008 at 3:51 pm
Usually don’t watch trailers, but since this is IMO Crichton’s best book, and the original movie almost as good as the book, wanted to catch a few scenes. Good enough to give up a couple of nights watching it on A & E. Don’t understand that Hitchcok “Birds” scene, hope it works.
May 24th, 2008 at 4:40 am
I’m waiting for the movie version of Bill Clem’s “Microbe”. The novel has been compared to The Andromeda Strain, but I think it’s far better for my money. Definitely much more fast paced. It has to do with something an oil rig hits off the Atlantic coast near where an old Army base used to operate. I won’t give away too much in case you want to read it. Paramount Pictures has bought the movie rights, so it should be interesting to see what they do with it.
May 24th, 2008 at 4:44 am
I read that book Microbe. It is really good. I liked it better than Andromeda Strain and I really liked Andromeda Strain, so that says it all. Can’t wait to see the movie. I’ll watch A&E’s version of AS in the meantime. Bill Clem’s other books are also quite entertaining.
May 24th, 2008 at 6:26 am
I know we are drifting form Andromeda Strain, but does anyone have a site to get Microbe, in hardcover? I can find it in paperback, but prefer hardcover. Since it has been ranked up there with Andromeda Strain, that is the best recommendation I could hear. Any help appreciated.
May 26th, 2008 at 10:50 pm
Sorry to say the writers of A&E Series have brought in the old sub plot about
” the politician who risks his re-election” and a political aide character who is more intrested in re-election than the fact that the world is coming to an end. I was soooo hoping this series would be above this. It reminds me of 24.
The original movie is so much better.
May 27th, 2008 at 7:20 am
Just watched the 1st part last night. Changed many things from the orignal but am looking forward to the next part. We’ll see if it holds it own against the original
May 27th, 2008 at 11:24 am
I watched Part One last night. As a fan of the book and the original movie, I’m giving this version of 6. The CGI is nice and I enjoyed the security-cam video scenes. The blatant political statements were misdirected. The ‘reporter’ character was a joke. I liked the actor playing Dr Stone, he’s as close to Jeff Goldblum as one can get. Jeff would have been the ideal actor for the role. I will watch Part Two and perhaps my opinion will improve, but the script is just too watered down and PC for me.
May 27th, 2008 at 5:09 pm
This movie sucked! Science fiction, once a great form of fun escapism has been hi-jacked by political hacks looking for another soapbox from which to peddle their petty agendas, and this is no exception. It has every anti-American cliché known to modern media from conspiracies about the gulf war to government hit men. The number of technical mistakes is far too numerous to mention them all in short bulletin board post, but here are just a few. When the scientists arrive at the town to remove the satellite they make a big show about how heavy it is, but it made almost no crater when it landed. I guess the laws of inertia don’t apply in that part of the country. The F-16 fighter has only one way to deliver a nuclear device, and it is NOT a missile. The F-16 Block 50/52, which the nuclear capable variant, could only deliver a nuclear device via the B61 bomb which looks nothing like the weapon that was wheeled past the waiting pilot, a weapon more like a hellfire missile (it clearly had a camera in it’s nose). And where were the great 3-D views of the plane in flight coming from? It was a single with no wingman. One last thing about the plane - no way it flies low and slow enough to parallel a low flying chopper – it would stall and crash. Not to mention the geometry of the satellite itself – completely wrong for anything designed for flight in space; or the whole idea of a singularity opening, remaining for years and then closing within the confines of solar system without disrupting the orbital paths of any planets. Everyone associated with this project should be ashamed. This was nothing more than agenda-drive tripe clinging to the coat tails of a great story and masquerading as science fiction. The science has more in common with the Greek mythology and the fiction just a vehicle to peddle a jaded view of the U.S. I will not be watching the second half and will tell everyone who will listen not to watch either. Trash, the whole thing was nothing but trash!
May 27th, 2008 at 11:36 pm
This remake is a shame….
If you want to see a good movie rent the original.
Yes, the computer graphics are dated but the drama and plot more
real.
This new version is 4 hours of crap… sorry 2 hours of crap..
the other two hours is commercials.
If you missed his tv event consider yourself blessed.
Don’t buy the dvd… or if you must wait a week it will be in the $5,00 bin.
May 28th, 2008 at 12:10 am
Absolute garbage with a childish finally.
May 28th, 2008 at 3:41 am
I watched both parts 1 & 2 together last night. While the new technology was terrific, I am baffled by the ending ( I felt like we had switched over to 2001: Space Odysey ? sp ). Over-all, I would take the original and probably will have to re-read the book. the special effects, really good, the acting also good, but the political stuff could have been left out with no impact on the movie.
A good watch but not worth buying.
May 28th, 2008 at 5:13 am
I happen to live in Hedley. Was able to observe much of the filming from my front porch each night, as i live directly across the street from the library which was transformed into the gas station, many scenes were filmed within a block from my home, a few cold beers, front row seat, dosen’t get any better. Apart from being a little smokey at times, we “headlights” had a sweet time. A few friends were chosen as “extras”, Fred and Jed as cops, “Linda” you looked great as a cadaver, ha ha!! I never read the book, or viewed the original movie, without prejudice, I enjoyed the movie. Rock on Hedley.
May 28th, 2008 at 10:29 am
Crap. Just an excuse for a series of obvious and empty-headed political statements. Ooh, we’d better stop raping the planet because you never know when a singularity will open up and our future selves will send a killer virus back in time with a mysteriously coded message, and we will all die if we happened to kill off the one thing on the planet that will save us all. What a complete load of insulting horsecrap. The people who believe this rubbish will somehow help to further their extreme political agendas are either desperate or moronic.
May 28th, 2008 at 11:07 am
What a train wreck!!! I would say it’s not even close to the original but that would be an insult to the original. The dialogue was ridiculous at times and then got worse. More cliches than any movie I can remember, some original dialogue would have been nice. I didn’t pick up on who wrote the screenplay but this should be their last job. I kept waiting for the show to imporve but it actually got worse, I can’t believe I sat through the whole thing, I must be an idiot. With some minor changes this actually could be a pretty good comedy, I actually did laugh a few times as it is. I thought the part where the guy cut his head off with a chainsaw was hilarious. The whole scene with the female ace pilot was pretty funny as well, didn’t see that coming. Maybe that’s it! Now I get it, and I thought this was supposed to be a drama, I am an idiot!
May 28th, 2008 at 11:13 am
Turned out pretty good i was one of Dr. Charlene Barton’s sons in the second part series. It was nice working with all those actors.
May 28th, 2008 at 7:11 pm
Randy:
Microbe was never released in hardcover. But it’s a nice trade paperback.
Hope this helps.
John
May 29th, 2008 at 3:34 am
Thank you, then paperback it is!
May 29th, 2008 at 8:40 am
Andromeda Strain Comments
Yuck.
What is “Artful” and “Entertaining” about a man cutting his head off, another shooting himself in the head, dead burning bodies in the street…etc. And, let’s not forget drug use.
This wasn’t a remake of a good/thoughtful SciFi movie of old. It was a disjoint mish-mash of scenes clipped from other movies: Indiana Jones, The Birds, Contact, Forbidden Planet, The Bourne Trilogy, Star Trek, and others too numerous to mention.
At best your remake was disappointing, laughable, and disgusting.
I’ll be looking elsewhere in the future to satisfy my need for Arts and Entertainment.
–
R
May 29th, 2008 at 9:14 pm
Well, after watching both parts of the remake, I’m downgrading my earlier rating of a 6 to a 3. The whole journalist character was a complete waist of film. As was the romantic subplot of Dr Stone. I agree with jack’s assessment of the use of the F-16. For such a low yield device, and such a risky area, some sort of UAV would have been used. Another sad vehicle to promote a political agenda as opposed to telling a good yarn.
June 1st, 2008 at 12:33 pm
Liberal Rubbish. Crichton youve noticed had nothing to do with this film. Good move MC.
The 71 movie wit Arthur Hill was superb. SCIENCE FICTION. NOT POLITICAL SCIENCE FICTION…. and WHY bring in a damn BLACK HOLE? COULD NOT THE WRITERS HAVE STUCK TO THE SCRIPT.
June 1st, 2008 at 10:30 pm
How on earth can the producers think people won’t notice they’re being fed 4 hours environmental & left-wing propaganda. It was complete and utter shite.
June 6th, 2008 at 9:40 pm
Hi,
I didn’t saw the original or read the book. But honestly i like this film, it got me cativated and didn’t want to move from my seat. I didn’t watched it on A&E ( I didn’t know when is memorial day) am from Jamaica.
So i downloaded it off the internet and watch the whole thing (commercial free). The ending is a little puzzling. Who made the virus? Obviously not aliens . Also who put the virus back in the vial in the shuttle? Who was responsible for the killing of the general?
Well I did enjoyed it so that’s that.
Omar Marshall
aka Venom
June 7th, 2008 at 8:56 pm
Definitely a 1 on a 10 sale. A truly bad movie in any genre. How could any executive at A&E approve this? I’ll never watch a first run movie on A&E again until I get feed back from others.
June 7th, 2008 at 9:24 pm
Really bad. More violence, more explosions, more subplots but less substance. Really disappointing as I loved the book and the first movie. The whole “worm-hole” virus being sent back as a message/ warning to preserve the environment was total crap.
The vent shaft thing with the thumb was cheesy as well.
June 21st, 2008 at 2:39 pm
I am a huge fan of crichton. this is upsetting. changed way too much and has nothing to do with the book. there was no virus. there was no alien that is trying to attack us. it tries to make this into an action-thriller film while the book was sci-fi with barely any action until the end. esp did not involve any shooting AT ALL except a minor story telling of the cop shotting bunch of people in the diner. too much change. changed everything that was crucial in what Crichton was trying to say, which was biology, not physics, might be the key to communication with other life forms in our galaxy. too drama. trying to impress everyone with stupid love story and adding unnecessary characters.
its an embarassment to the classics, the book as well as the original film. They shouldnt have called in the Andromeda Strain. Should’ve been something entirely different. Crichton should sue.
June 21st, 2008 at 2:42 pm
oh one more thing. if nobody has seen the original or read the book, might enjoy this film. If this film was called something else, entirely different from the andromeda strain and said it was adapted VERY LITTLE by the novel, then maybe i’d enjoy it.
everyone who comments that he or she likes the film probably didnt read the book. which is okay. I just wished the A&E didn’t call it the Andromeda Strain so that the real CRICHTON fans don’t anticipate is so much and get crushed by such a stupid change.