Warner Bros. announced today that they have given a green light for a movie adaptation of HBO’s Entourage. The hit TV series debuted in 2004 and ran for eight seasons before finishing with their eighth season in 2011. The script was written by the series’ creator, Doug Ellin, who will also direct the film. Co-producers Mark Wahlberg and Stephen Levinson are also returning to the project, and the cast are currently negotiating to reprise their roles.
When Entourage ended in 2011 with an abbreviated season of eight episodes, many wondered why one of HBO’s most popular series was ending so abruptly. Kevin Connolly ( Eric ‘E’ Murphy on the show) later confirmed that they were cancelled on an interview for the Today Show. The show garnered twenty-four Emmy nominations throughout its run, and it won six. Three of those six ended going to Jeremy Piven for his now-iconic role as Ari Gold, Vince’s determined, foul-mouthed, neurotic, but brilliant agent.
As a huge Entourage fan myself, I’m a bit conflicted on this bit of news. On the one hand, it is one of my favorite shows, and I absolutely adore the cast. Over the past two years, I’ve really missed Ari, Johnny Drama, Turtle and the rest of the gang. The show is extremely watchable and a viewer could finish a season within a few hours, and maybe the whole series within a week. You’d be hard pressed to find a show that’s quite so fun to watch.
On the other hand, I do have to admit that the last two or three seasons of the show weren’t quite as good as the first few. It seemed like they were really running out of steam, and I wonder just how many ideas they could have left for a big screen adaptation. That being said, the finale, while serving as a very fitting ending to the series, did leave a few doors open for more stories. Specifically with Vincent’s upcoming marriage, Eric and Sloan’s baby, and Ari being offered the job of a lifetime. Each of those could provide some good material for a two-hour film. We’d just have to hope that the unique sense of fun and friendship that the series had won’t get lost in translation to the silver screen.
With the news that we haven’t seen the last of Vince, E, Drama, Turtle and Ari, what do you think we’ll end up with? Do you think that this movie will end up as successful as the series? Or will it go down in history with “Sex and the City 2?” Please be sure to sound off in the comments below!
Source: Deadline