Fantasy Island Remake In The Works

Sony TV is rebooting the 1970s drama Fantasy Isalnd for ABC, Deadline reports.

Written by Sheldon Turner, the remake will take some liberties with the original concept, which followed people from all walks of life as they visited a mysterious island where they could live out their fantasies. Most notably, there isn’t an actual island. Instead, “Fantasy Island” will be the name of a company that designs fantasies for clients. Think of it as a for-profit version of the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

In another twist, the enigmatic island owner, Mr. Roarke (played by Ricardo Montalban in the original series, and Malcom McDowell in the 1998 remake), will be a woman. Described as “brilliant, dynamic and sexy,” she will run the San Francisco-bade Fantasy Island company.

In keeping with the original’s format, the new series will feature two fantasies per episode, and a serialized arc delving into Ms. Roarke’s personal life.

Fantasy Island was created by Gene Levitt, and ran on ABC from 1977-84.