A new ‘Friday Night Lights’ movie is in the works

H.G. Bissinger’s 1990 book “Friday Night Lights: A Town, a Team, and a Dream”—about the 1988 Permian High School Panthers football team from Odessa, Texas—has spawned both a film and a TV series. Now, the nonfiction New York Times best-seller is being adapted again for the big screen.

The new film is not a sequel to the first, nor is it affiliated with the television show. Rather, the new movie—from Universal, and to be directed by David Gordon Green (“Stronger,” “Pineapple Express”)—will feature a brand new story and characters. The “reimagining,” however, will still focus on high school life in Texas and how it affects the surrounding community.

The film will be produced by Brian Grazer for Imagine Entertainment, who also produced the original 2004 film. The script was written by Robert Schenkkan (“Hacksaw Ridge”).

Whether or not you’re already a major fan of all things “Friday Night Lights,” the news of the new film comes on the heels of the addition of the TV series to Hulu, meaning you can binge it before the movie comes out.

The series, which ran for five seasons from 2006–2011, first on NBC and later on DirecTV’s 101 Network, starred Kyle Chandler, Connie Britton, Adrianne Palicki, Michael B. Jordan, Minka Kelly, Jesse Plemons and Gaius Charles. The series earned three Emmy Awards and was nominated for several more. Although never a ratings juggernaut, the show was critically acclaimed, and was credited with launching the careers of several of its stars.

It has not yet been announced when the new film will go into production, and there is no word on any casting decisions. Given the success of the book, the first film and the TV series, the latest reboot is poised to be a hit as well.

Will you watch the latest take on “Friday Night Lights”?