Netflix is reportedly developing a movie reboot of William Shatner’s 1980s police TV series, but this time it won’t be a drama.

Shatner became a TV icon thanks to the role of Enterprise captain James T. Kirk. At the same time Kirk and his Star Trek shipmates were tackling the new frontier of movies, Shatner found himself pulling double-duty back on the small screen, and planet Earth, playing a tough-but-compᴀssionate big city cop in a five-season drama series.

Shatner’s more down-to-Earth post-Star Trek show debuted in 1982 and ran for five seasons, the first four on ABC, and the final one on CBS after a Star Trek-like revival, ultimately racking up 91 total episodes plus a two-part TV movie.

Netflix Is Rebooting Shatner’s T.J. Hooker As A Movie

When T.J. Hooker returns to screens this time around, it won’t be as a series, and it won’t be as a drama, as Netflix is planning a funny movie version of the 1980s TV hit. News of the reboot arrives 39 years after the show aired its final episode.

Netflix has tapped Jarrad Paul and Andy Mogel to write their T.J. Hooker movie, which is reported to be in development following the streamer’s acquisition of the rights (via Variety). The planned movie is said to be an action-comedy, which explains the hiring of Paul and Mogel, the writing team behind Jim Carrey’s Yes Man.

Our Take On T.J. Hooker Becoming A Comedy Movie

News that Netflix is developing a comedic take on T.J. Hooker arrives even as Liam Neeson is enjoying a hit theatrical run in a remake of the hilarious 1980s police movie send-up The Naked Gun. With a T.J. Hooker writing team that’s worked with the likes of Carrey, as well as Bert Kreischer, it seems Netflix wants their own Naked Gun.

T.J. Hooker may seem an unlikely property to revive as a comedy, given that it was produced as a one-hour drama. However, Hooker is exactly the kind of thing that was being lampooned by The Naked Gun and its progenitor show Police Squad.

The squareness of T.J. Hooker, a show that now seems unintentionally silly, makes it potentially ripe for retooling as a flat-out comedic property. Netflix has no problem spending the money to acquire big-name acting talent, so the movie’s cast will likely be loaded, with a major name taking on the role of Hooker.

Shatner himself could have easily pulled off a more comedy-leaning take on T.J. Hooker back in the day. In 2025, an actor like John Cena could be an ideal candidate to step into Shatner’s shoes. Indeed, Cena is set to star in Little Brother, a comedy penned by the writing team now tackling T.J. Hooker.

It’s yet to be seen if the 94-year-old Shatner will have any involvement in Netflix’s reboot of his 1980s cop show, but it’s almost certain he will have some kind of opinion about it, whether he’s in it or not.

Source: Variety