US comedian Jack Black and his production company Electric Dynamite has been given the task of developing an American version of Icelandic hit television series Night Shift (original title: Naeturvaktin) on behalf of the Icelandic production company Saga Film and the American Reveille, which holds the US rights to the series’ remake.
Screenplay writer Michael Diliberti, who is the man behind 30 Minutes or Less, has been hired to create a new screenplay for the series. “It sounds really good,” Ragnar Bragason, the director of the Night Shift’s original version, told Fréttabladid of the news.
“We have often joked that if a Hollywood star would play Pétur Jóhann it would be Jack Black,” the director added in reference to one of the main Icelandic actors who portrays the misfortunate gas station worker Ólafur Ragnar.
One and a half years ago it was reported that Fox had bought the broadcasting rights to the American remake of Night Shift and that screenplay writer Adam Barr had written a pilot for the show, which ended up not being used.
Jack Black made an agreement with Reveille in April last year that he would bring ideas for comedy, reality and animation shows for television and the actor appears to have taken a liking to the Icelandic humor on Night Shift.
Click here to read more about the series.
