Should there have been a Magnum reunion movie?

[Magnum4eva]

The loss of John Hillerman and the reboot killed the chance of there ever being a Magnum PI reunion film or special etc. But in the eighties and nineties the made for tv reunion movie was increasingly popular due to the major success of the Perry Mason reunion films, Return to Mayberry, The Rockford Files and Hart to Hart etc. It boggles the mind that Magnum, being one of the most successful and beloved tv series of all time never got one of these in the 1990's or even the 2000's. But... should there have been one? Just to see our favs back together again on a new adventure that could possibly lead to a series of films if successful. Or would that in some ways taint the original series since most of the time it's hard to get these things right?

[Pahonu]

The loss of John Hillerman and the reboot killed the chance of there ever being a Magnum PI reunion film or special etc. But in the eighties and nineties the made for tv reunion movie was increasingly popular due to the major success of the Perry Mason reunion films, Return to Mayberry, The Rockford Files and Hart to Hart etc. It boggles the mind that Magnum, being one of the most successful and beloved tv series of all time never got one of these in the 1990's or even the 2000's. But... should there have been one? Just to see our favs back together again on a new adventure that could possibly lead to a series of films if successful. Or would that in some ways taint the original series since most of the time it's hard to get these things right?

I watched the series from the beginning and in the years following it’s end, there would be occasional news stories about the topic. You’re right about the ubiquity of such reunion films in those years, but there was one significant reason it didn’t happen. In more than one interview when asked about it, Selleck expressed concern about how such reunion films were often poorly done and he didn’t want to participate in anything low quality. He pretty much insisted that if he was going to do it, it would need to be a feature film. He didn’t mean feature film quality, he meant a big budget action/adventure film. Tom Clancy even participated at some point on a potential script for such a film. In the end, Universal passed on funding a feature film, Selleck resisted doing a TV reunion, and time went on.

I have no evidence of this, but I have always thought that if Selleck had relented and done a TV version in the 90’s, the other cast would have done it, but it was ultimately his call. By the 2000’s, all momentum was lost, I feel.

[Magnum4eva]

The loss of John Hillerman and the reboot killed the chance of there ever being a Magnum PI reunion film or special etc. But in the eighties and nineties the made for tv reunion movie was increasingly popular due to the major success of the Perry Mason reunion films, Return to Mayberry, The Rockford Files and Hart to Hart etc. It boggles the mind that Magnum, being one of the most successful and beloved tv series of all time never got one of these in the 1990's or even the 2000's. But... should there have been one? Just to see our favs back together again on a new adventure that could possibly lead to a series of films if successful. Or would that in some ways taint the original series since most of the time it's hard to get these things right?

I watched the series from the beginning and in the years following it’s end, there would be occasional news stories about the topic. You’re right about the ubiquity of such reunion films in those years, but there was one significant reason it didn’t happen. In more than one interview when asked about it, Selleck expressed concern about how such reunion films were often poorly done and he didn’t want to participate in anything low quality. He pretty much insisted that if he was going to do it, it would need to be a feature film. He didn’t mean feature film quality, he meant a big budget action/adventure film. Tom Clancy even participated at some point on a potential script for such a film. In the end, Universal passed on funding a feature film, Selleck resisted doing a TV reunion, and time went on.

I have no evidence of this, but I have always thought that if Selleck had relented and done a TV version in the 90’s, the other cast would have done it, but it was ultimately his call. By the 2000’s, all momentum was lost, I feel.

Can't say I blame Tom. That just proves how dedicated he really was and is about that show and how much he cared about the quality of Magnum. I personally would've loved to have seen some type of reunion but I guess it just wasn't meant to be. Thank God for reruns and DVDs though.

[Pahonu]

The loss of John Hillerman and the reboot killed the chance of there ever being a Magnum PI reunion film or special etc. But in the eighties and nineties the made for tv reunion movie was increasingly popular due to the major success of the Perry Mason reunion films, Return to Mayberry, The Rockford Files and Hart to Hart etc. It boggles the mind that Magnum, being one of the most successful and beloved tv series of all time never got one of these in the 1990's or even the 2000's. But... should there have been one? Just to see our favs back together again on a new adventure that could possibly lead to a series of films if successful. Or would that in some ways taint the original series since most of the time it's hard to get these things right?

I watched the series from the beginning and in the years following it’s end, there would be occasional news stories about the topic. You’re right about the ubiquity of such reunion films in those years, but there was one significant reason it didn’t happen. In more than one interview when asked about it, Selleck expressed concern about how such reunion films were often poorly done and he didn’t want to participate in anything low quality. He pretty much insisted that if he was going to do it, it would need to be a feature film. He didn’t mean feature film quality, he meant a big budget action/adventure film. Tom Clancy even participated at some point on a potential script for such a film. In the end, Universal passed on funding a feature film, Selleck resisted doing a TV reunion, and time went on.

I have no evidence of this, but I have always thought that if Selleck had relented and done a TV version in the 90’s, the other cast would have done it, but it was ultimately his call. By the 2000’s, all momentum was lost, I feel.

Can't say I blame Tom. That just proves how dedicated he really was and is about that show and how much he cared about the quality of Magnum. I personally would've loved to have seen some type of reunion but I guess it just wasn't meant to be. Thank God for reruns and DVDs though.

I don’t blame him either. He was very dedicated to the quality of the show and the character. He often spoke about the rarity of TV series ending by creative decision rather than being cancelled. MPI was in that small group. In fact, he wanted to end it a year earlier, but considered the other cast and crew losing work from his decision. The network offered a LOT of money and he agreed to a shortened final season.

The part I find most interesting is that there used to be a significant difference in budgets for feature films and TV movies, like 20-1. That’s far less true now. Many cable networks and other content providers put up major budgets for TV projects. I think that today both the budget available for a high quality TV movie would be available, and Selleck would likely be satisfied with the higher production values. In other words, it likely would have happened if the series only ended 10 years ago, not almost 35.

[emenius]

It would have been interesting if they could have done a Magnum feature film. I would have watched it, was there any reason Universal didn't think it could work?

Ed

[Pahonu]

It would have been interesting if they could have done a Magnum feature film. I would have watched it, was there any reason Universal didn't think it could work?

Ed

I don’t know any specific details but generally speaking, it all revolves around budget versus potential revenue. As much as we all love the series, I can’t honestly say it would have drawn a large enough audience to justify the costs associated with an action-adventure feature film.

[Magnum4eva]

It would have been interesting if they could have done a Magnum feature film. I would have watched it, was there any reason Universal didn't think it could work?

Ed

I don’t know any specific details but generally speaking, it all revolves around budget versus potential revenue. As much as we all love the series, I can’t honestly say it would have drawn a large enough audience to justify the costs associated with an action-adventure feature film.

I don't know about that. At its peak Magnum was the number 1 show on its slot, watched by millions upon millions of people around the world and its series finale is in the top 5 most watched television programs\events of all time. I think it would definitely have had a big enough audience draw to justify the cost, though sadly we'll never know for sure now.

[Pahonu]

It would have been interesting if they could have done a Magnum feature film. I would have watched it, was there any reason Universal didn't think it could work?

Ed

I don’t know any specific details but generally speaking, it all revolves around budget versus potential revenue. As much as we all love the series, I can’t honestly say it would have drawn a large enough audience to justify the costs associated with an action-adventure feature film.

I don't know about that. At its peak Magnum was the number 1 show on its slot, watched by millions upon millions of people around the world and its series finale is in the top 5 most watched television programs\events of all time. I think it would definitely have had a big enough audience draw to justify the cost, though sadly we'll never know for sure now.

There’s no way of knowing of course, and everything you wrote is correct, but there was a much bigger divide in that era between TV and film budgets. There was, right or wrong, also still a very real mental divide, if you will, between the two that has largely disappeared today. By that I mean, studios still drew a big distinction between successful TV actors and film actors capable of drawing an audience. Many big TV actors with multiple successful series like Robert Conrad or David Janssen, never became big box office draws.

In previous decades, very few film actors would do television. Their agents almost forbid it to protect their film careers. They also didn’t do commercials except for overseas products that American would never see. James Garner was one of the first to move back and forth between the two with great success, and also had the popular Polaroid series of commercials with Marriette Hartley.

Very popular TV actors like Selleck were often promoted by the studios as they tried to make the jump to film. For many there was never success. Selleck’s first attempts didn’t do well either. It wasn’t until near the end of the series that Selleck finally had a big hit, and then it was in a comedic role in Three Men and a Baby, with his action films largely considered disappointments. He also had some real stinkers in the 90’s. I was a fan and followed his career from the beginning of MPI. His lack of success on the big screen as compared to the small screen is pretty well documented.

Given all that, the number crunchers weren’t confident Selleck would have the box office draw for a big budget action adventure film based on the series. As the 90’s drew on, Selleck had some limited box office success, but even some of his quality work like Quigley Down Under or An Innocent Man weren’t big hits. Three Men and a Baby remains his biggest box office hit and much of his best work beyond MPI was on television.

[emenius]

It would have been interesting if they could have done a Magnum feature film. I would have watched it, was there any reason Universal didn't think it could work?

Ed

I don’t know any specific details but generally speaking, it all revolves around budget versus potential revenue. As much as we all love the series, I can’t honestly say it would have drawn a large enough audience to justify the costs associated with an action-adventure feature film.

True, considering Tom Selleck's movie career never really took off was another negative to green light a movie version of Magnum.

[ZelenskyTheValiant (Ivan)]

It would have been interesting if they could have done a Magnum feature film. I would have watched it, was there any reason Universal didn't think it could work?

Ed

I don’t know any specific details but generally speaking, it all revolves around budget versus potential revenue. As much as we all love the series, I can’t honestly say it would have drawn a large enough audience to justify the costs associated with an action-adventure feature film.

I don't know about that. At its peak Magnum was the number 1 show on its slot, watched by millions upon millions of people around the world and its series finale is in the top 5 most watched television programs\events of all time. I think it would definitely have had a big enough audience draw to justify the cost, though sadly we'll never know for sure now.

There’s no way of knowing of course, and everything you wrote is correct, but there was a much bigger divide in that era between TV and film budgets. There was, right or wrong, also still a very real mental divide, if you will, between the two that has largely disappeared today. By that I mean, studios still drew a big distinction between successful TV actors and film actors capable of drawing an audience. Many big TV actors with multiple successful series like Robert Conrad or David Janssen, never became big box office draws.

In previous decades, very few film actors would do television. Their agents almost forbid it to protect their film careers. They also didn’t do commercials except for overseas products that American would never see. James Garner was one of the first to move back and forth between the two with great success, and also had the popular Polaroid series of commercials with Marriette Hartley.

Very popular TV actors like Selleck were often promoted by the studios as they tried to make the jump to film. For many there was never success. Selleck’s first attempts didn’t do well either. It wasn’t until near the end of the series that Selleck finally had a big hit, and then it was in a comedic role in Three Men and a Baby, with his action films largely considered disappointments. He also had some real stinkers in the 90’s. I was a fan and followed his career from the beginning of MPI. His lack of success on the big screen as compared to the small screen is pretty well documented.

Given all that, the number crunchers weren’t confident Selleck would have the box office draw for a big budget action adventure film based on the series. As the 90’s drew on, Selleck had some limited box office success, but even some of his quality work like Quigley Down Under or An Innocent Man weren’t big hits. Three Men and a Baby remains his biggest box office hit and much of his best work beyond MPI was on television.

Yep, I agree with all this. As much as I enjoyed some of Selleck's films (Runaway, Three Men and a Baby, and especially An Innocent Man and Quigley Down Under) he just wasn't a big box office draw. Most still saw him as Magnum. Now, you might say that would have been a perfect reason to do a movie - basically Magnum on the Big Screen. But even if he did it shortly after the series ended and his Magnum character was still popular, just look at who his competition would have been at that time on the big screen, especially in the action-adventure genre. You had Bruce Willis flying high with his DIE HARD success, with a sequel 2 years later. Mel Gibson was a superstar with his LETHAL WEAPONs. Harrison Ford was doing his 3rd Indy film. Tim Burton's BATMAN was coming out. You had Schwarzenegger and Stallone. Directors like James Cameron and John McTiernan were redefining action pictures, etc. I just don't see MPI on the big screen being able to compete with those big boys. Unless, I don't know, they got Cameron or McTiernan or maybe Richard Donner to direct. Not some second-rate director. Unless I'm thinking too much about the film being in the action genre here. My mistake then. But even if the film was a light-hearted affair like the series I still don't know if it would have been a big hit. You don't want it to look like a TV episode on the big screen. You really want to put on a show if you're putting it on the big screen! That's why I'm thinking more in terms of a big-budget action picture.

[Chris109]

It would have been interesting if they could have done a Magnum feature film. I would have watched it, was there any reason Universal didn't think it could work?

Ed

I don’t know any specific details but generally speaking, it all revolves around budget versus potential revenue. As much as we all love the series, I can’t honestly say it would have drawn a large enough audience to justify the costs associated with an action-adventure feature film.

I don't know about that. At its peak Magnum was the number 1 show on its slot, watched by millions upon millions of people around the world and its series finale is in the top 5 most watched television programs\events of all time. I think it would definitely have had a big enough audience draw to justify the cost, though sadly we'll never know for sure now.

There’s no way of knowing of course, and everything you wrote is correct, but there was a much bigger divide in that era between TV and film budgets. There was, right or wrong, also still a very real mental divide, if you will, between the two that has largely disappeared today. By that I mean, studios still drew a big distinction between successful TV actors and film actors capable of drawing an audience. Many big TV actors with multiple successful series like Robert Conrad or David Janssen, never became big box office draws.

In previous decades, very few film actors would do television. Their agents almost forbid it to protect their film careers. They also didn’t do commercials except for overseas products that American would never see. James Garner was one of the first to move back and forth between the two with great success, and also had the popular Polaroid series of commercials with Marriette Hartley.

Very popular TV actors like Selleck were often promoted by the studios as they tried to make the jump to film. For many there was never success. Selleck’s first attempts didn’t do well either. It wasn’t until near the end of the series that Selleck finally had a big hit, and then it was in a comedic role in Three Men and a Baby, with his action films largely considered disappointments. He also had some real stinkers in the 90’s. I was a fan and followed his career from the beginning of MPI. His lack of success on the big screen as compared to the small screen is pretty well documented.

Given all that, the number crunchers weren’t confident Selleck would have the box office draw for a big budget action adventure film based on the series. As the 90’s drew on, Selleck had some limited box office success, but even some of his quality work like Quigley Down Under or An Innocent Man weren’t big hits. Three Men and a Baby remains his biggest box office hit and much of his best work beyond MPI was on television.

Yep, I agree with all this. As much as I enjoyed some of Selleck's films (Runaway, Three Men and a Baby, and especially An Innocent Man and Quigley Down Under) he just wasn't a big box office draw. Most still saw him as Magnum. Now, you might say that would have been a perfect reason to do a movie - basically Magnum on the Big Screen. But even if he did it shortly after the series ended and his Magnum character was still popular, just look at who his competition would have been at that time on the big screen, especially in the action-adventure genre. You had Bruce Willis flying high with his DIE HARD success, with a sequel 2 years later. Mel Gibson was a superstar with his LETHAL WEAPONs. Harrison Ford was doing his 3rd Indy film. Tim Burton's BATMAN was coming out. You had Schwarzenegger and Stallone. Directors like James Cameron and John McTiernan were redefining action pictures, etc. I just don't see MPI on the big screen being able to compete with those big boys. Unless, I don't know, they got Cameron or McTiernan or maybe Richard Donner to direct. Not some second-rate director. Unless I'm thinking too much about the film being in the action genre here. My mistake then. But even if the film was a light-hearted affair like the series I still don't know if it would have been a big hit. You don't want it to look like a TV episode on the big screen. You really want to put on a show if you're putting it on the big screen! That's why I'm thinking more in terms of a big-budget action picture.

You left out 'In and Out' where Selleck shaved his 'stache and used his character's gaydar to inform Kevin Kline's character that he was gay and using the old smooch-a-roo.

[emenius]

I liked In and Out, thought it was pretty funny. I believe it did well in the box office.

Ed

[Pahonu]

I liked In and Out, thought it was pretty funny. I believe it did well in the box office.

Ed

It actually was a modest box office success. Selleck had more success with his feature comedies than other genres. He was also very funny on Friends.

[T.Q.]

Should have been a movie.

Have Higgins abducted by some foreign government seeking revenge for his past or something.

The boys go all "Taken" on them.

[ZelenskyTheValiant (Ivan)]

I don’t know any specific details but generally speaking, it all revolves around budget versus potential revenue. As much as we all love the series, I can’t honestly say it would have drawn a large enough audience to justify the costs associated with an action-adventure feature film.

I don't know about that. At its peak Magnum was the number 1 show on its slot, watched by millions upon millions of people around the world and its series finale is in the top 5 most watched television programs\events of all time. I think it would definitely have had a big enough audience draw to justify the cost, though sadly we'll never know for sure now.

There’s no way of knowing of course, and everything you wrote is correct, but there was a much bigger divide in that era between TV and film budgets. There was, right or wrong, also still a very real mental divide, if you will, between the two that has largely disappeared today. By that I mean, studios still drew a big distinction between successful TV actors and film actors capable of drawing an audience. Many big TV actors with multiple successful series like Robert Conrad or David Janssen, never became big box office draws.

In previous decades, very few film actors would do television. Their agents almost forbid it to protect their film careers. They also didn’t do commercials except for overseas products that American would never see. James Garner was one of the first to move back and forth between the two with great success, and also had the popular Polaroid series of commercials with Marriette Hartley.

Very popular TV actors like Selleck were often promoted by the studios as they tried to make the jump to film. For many there was never success. Selleck’s first attempts didn’t do well either. It wasn’t until near the end of the series that Selleck finally had a big hit, and then it was in a comedic role in Three Men and a Baby, with his action films largely considered disappointments. He also had some real stinkers in the 90’s. I was a fan and followed his career from the beginning of MPI. His lack of success on the big screen as compared to the small screen is pretty well documented.

Given all that, the number crunchers weren’t confident Selleck would have the box office draw for a big budget action adventure film based on the series. As the 90’s drew on, Selleck had some limited box office success, but even some of his quality work like Quigley Down Under or An Innocent Man weren’t big hits. Three Men and a Baby remains his biggest box office hit and much of his best work beyond MPI was on television.

Yep, I agree with all this. As much as I enjoyed some of Selleck's films (Runaway, Three Men and a Baby, and especially An Innocent Man and Quigley Down Under) he just wasn't a big box office draw. Most still saw him as Magnum. Now, you might say that would have been a perfect reason to do a movie - basically Magnum on the Big Screen. But even if he did it shortly after the series ended and his Magnum character was still popular, just look at who his competition would have been at that time on the big screen, especially in the action-adventure genre. You had Bruce Willis flying high with his DIE HARD success, with a sequel 2 years later. Mel Gibson was a superstar with his LETHAL WEAPONs. Harrison Ford was doing his 3rd Indy film. Tim Burton's BATMAN was coming out. You had Schwarzenegger and Stallone. Directors like James Cameron and John McTiernan were redefining action pictures, etc. I just don't see MPI on the big screen being able to compete with those big boys. Unless, I don't know, they got Cameron or McTiernan or maybe Richard Donner to direct. Not some second-rate director. Unless I'm thinking too much about the film being in the action genre here. My mistake then. But even if the film was a light-hearted affair like the series I still don't know if it would have been a big hit. You don't want it to look like a TV episode on the big screen. You really want to put on a show if you're putting it on the big screen! That's why I'm thinking more in terms of a big-budget action picture.

You left out 'In and Out' where Selleck shaved his 'stache and used his character's gaydar to inform Kevin Kline's character that he was gay and using the old smooch-a-roo.

Ewwww that's nasty!! He better have received a lot of money to do that scene.