The CW May Be Eyeing 'Little Women' for New Series
The CW is looking to produce a gritty version of Louisa May Alcott's classic novel, "Little Women," albeit with a twist.
In its quest to look at out-of-the-box ideas for its TV shows, broadcast television network, The CW, has decided on its next development project based on Louisa May Alcott's 1868 classic.
Stepping away from the trending fodder of comicbook adaptations, the TV network, which first bought the script for its 2015-16 season, intends to put a spin on the small screen version, with a darker adaptation based on the mid-19th century novel.
Alcott's book, which was both a commercial and critical success, follows the lives of four sisters during their passage from childhood to womanhood, loosely based on the author's own life with her three sisters.
Its television adaptation will be written by Alexis Jolly, in a version which will take Jo, Beth, Meg and Amy into an alternate reality with sinister plot involving the half-sisters living in the dystopian streets of Philadelphia who band together to uncover a far-reaching conspiracy while trying not to kill each other in the process.
The series is set to be executively produced by actor-director, Michael Weatherly, who plays Special Agent DiNozzo on CBS TV's NCIS.
Little Women has had several adaptations in the past, with the most popular one a 1994 movie starring Susan Sarandon, Winona Ryder, Kirsten Dunst, and Christian Bale. Sony Pictures is also reportedly working on another film project based on Alcott's novel with Sarah Polley of "Looking for Alaska" doing the screenplay.
ABC recently put the novel in development as a series starring Natascha McElhone, in a story about a military family with four daughters. The series didn't make it to the air, however.
The CW has yet to announce its cast line-up for Little Women, or when it plans to air the season premiere for its new series.