There are inherent challenges in adapting a feature film for the small screen. How do you effectively bring a world conceived with the help of $100 million to life on a television budget? How do you recapture the magic of the original while also forging a unique path? And, most importantly, how do you make up for the lack of the big name stars that might have drawn audiences to the film in the first place? The solution to that could be to bring those celebs back for cameo roles, of course. So, will Tom Cruise be popping up in a similar capacity on FOX's new show Minority Report ? And, will any other characters from Minority Report the movie return for the show?
It's not unheard of for a blockbuster film to bring its stars to TV. CBS show Limitless has Bradley Cooper as an executive producer — a role which involves the three-time Academy Award nominee occasionally appearing on the show as his character from the 2011 film. For Minority Report, I wouldn't necessarily count out a "break-the-internet" cameo for Cruise. (Even though the superstar isn't a producer on Minority Report like Cooper is on Limitless, original director Steven Spielberg is and could conceivably be able to talk his former leading man into making an appearance. Never say never.)
For now, however, viewers of FOX's sci-fi action series shouldn't be holding their breath every week for a glimpse of Cruise's John Anderton. But, that doesn't mean none of the characters made the jump to TV. The FOX show will focus on the Precogs — the three mutant humans whose ability to foresee the future led to the establishment of Precrime Division in the original film. On the small screen, Minority Report will focus mostly on one of the male Precogs, Dash, played by Stark Sands (Generation Kill).
The movie mostly paid attention to the sole female Precog, Agatha, rather than her brothers Dash and Arthur. When the trio predicted that Precrime captain John Anderton would commit a murder, he kidnapped Agatha, assuming that she must be in possession of a "minority report" that would clear his name. A large part of the movie centered around the pair on the run from the jet-packed authorities. While the series will focus less on Agatha in favor of Dash, she will still be very much a presence — only don't be surprised when she looks unfamiliar. Two-time Oscar nominee Samantha Morton has been recast with Laura Regan, who you may recognize as Harry Crane's wife Jennifer from Mad Men.
But Dash, Arthur, and Agatha won't be the only characters from the 2002 movie returning for this new adaptation. Their skittish handler Wally will also be making the leap — and he's also the only returning character actually played by its original portrayer. Daniel London, who was simultaneously tender and creepy as the Precogs' possessive caretaker, will appear in his role on the FOX series. The Minority Report promos reveal that Dash will return to Wally for help accessing his diminished powers, since the Precogs only work best when working together.
Perhaps as the series go on, viewers will be treated to appearances by other members of the original Minority Report cast — Neal McDonough as Precrime enforcer Gordon Fletcher, Peter Stormare as black market transplant doctor Eddie Solomon, and Tim Blake Nelson as cryo-prison warden Gideon all seem like prime candidates for surprise cameos. Just don't count on seeing True Detective's Colin Farrell as Precrime auditor Danny Witwer, since he was [spoiler alert!] unceremoniously shot and killed by Max von Sydow's nefarious villain in the film.
Minority Report premieres on FOX Sept. 21.
Images: Bruce MacCauley (2), Michael Becker (3)/FOX; Giphy
