The Destroyer is the literary creation of author Warren Murphy, who teamed up with Richard Sapir to write a series of over 150 novels about the eponymous character. Hollywood has been trying to bring back The Destroyer to the big screen for years, but now it looks like the saga is headed to television. According to Deadline, Sony Pictures Television has optioned the rights to The Destroyer series and has set up a production team that includes Gordon Smith (Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul) and Adrian Askarieh (Hitman, Agent 47).
The Destroyer series follows Remo Williams as he takes down criminals who have slipped through the cracks of the justice system. His death is staged by the government so that he can be trained as an assassin for CURE, a covert organization established to safeguard the country by operating outside the law. In the original books, Remo's trainer and father figure is Chiun, the last master of a long-extinct Korean race of assassins known as the Sinanju. Murphy and Sapir's books are packed with action and adventure, so it'll be interesting to see how they translate that to the small screen.
Remo Williams' Previous Film Adaptations
Remo Williams has previously been adapted for the big screen. Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins is a 1985 American action-adventure film directed by Guy Hamilton for Orion Pictures. The movie is full of intense fight scenes, car chases, and suspenseful moments that keep you on the edge of your seat. In addition to the thrilling plot, the movie also features some great acting by the cast, which helps to bring the characters to life. The movie's cast is impressive, with the late Fred Ward playing the lead role of Remo Williams, Joel Gray as Chiun, and Wilford Brimley. The film was released on November 10, 1985.
They clearly intended to create an All-American blue-collar Bond, but that didn't quite materialize. In addition to bringing in Guy Hamilton, a James Bond filmmaker, to helm the movie, they also hired James Bond writer Christopher Wood to pen the script. Since then, various attempts have been made to bring Remo Williams back to the big and small screens. Shane Black, the director of Iron Man 3, attempted a reboot in 2014 but failed.
As of right now, there's no word on who will be starring in the series or a possible release date, but we'll be sure to keep you updated as more information becomes available.