MPI Movie: You Write the Script

[lutherhgillis]

Imagine the ORIGINAL cast were to make a movie and you were writing the script. What topics would you include and how would you handle the time passage since the series ended?

[J.J. Walters]

I would love to see a setup where everybody is still doing pretty much the same thing as we last saw them. Magnum and Higgins are still living at the estate. After another 10 years in the Navy (and raising Lily), Magnum is again doing P.I. work. Higgins is still major-domo and STILL working on his memoirs! Rick is still working at the King Kamehameha Club, and still looking for the right girl. T.C. is still owner/pilot of Island Hoppers. Maybe make Carol a D.A., Doc Ibold Chief of Surgery, Maggie a Captain, and Page a Commish.

Then I think it would be great to have the whole movie revolve around one good story. A story in the traditional MPI mold of action, drama, comedy, mystery!

[IKnowWhatYoureThinking]

Ok. I'd love to see Higgins but I think JH's health would prevent that. So, I think Magnum retires from the Navy and, once again, takes over security of Robin' Nest. Rick and TC still have their same gigs, and I liked James' idea of Carol being the DA. My plot would center around the kidnapping of Lilly, who is married to an intell agent, and the chase for Magnum and the gang to get her back.

[A P Leyland]

I came up with this yesterday whilst out running. What do you think?

On the eve of his 60th birthday, Magnum retires from the Navy with full honours having had another distinguished career including involvment in both wars in the Middle East and a stint in anti-terrorism. He decides to head to Hawaii for a few weeks R&R with his daughter, Lily Sullivan Magnum. Now a Navy JAG Officer Lily decides to take some vacation time to join him and check up on her three favourite uncles.

Upon arrival at Robin's Nest, Thomas and Lily are horrified to see the estate in severe disrepair. He picks the lock and is greeted by the new lads, Odin and Thor, and they are both escorted to see Higgins, who is still in charge but terminally ill. To make matters worse, Higgins is under house arrest as the prime suspect in the dissapearance of Robin Masters last seen at the estate 6 months ago.

Magnum is inclined to investigate but Lily insists he stay there and tend to Higgins and, reluctantly, Magnum agrees. However, when Lily also disappears, Magnum is forced out of retirement to take the case. Rick is now sole owner of the King Kammahahmaha Club after buying out Robin 10 years ago. Rick has a number of failed marriages behind him but one true joy, an 18 year old daughter and chip off the old block. TC has passed Island Hoppers off to his son and is content to be a stay-at-home grandfather. Both are aware of Higgins' predicament and have tried to help but run into brick walls. Magnum, along with old friends and new, must clear Higgins name, find out what happened to Robin and find his daughter - before Higgins time runs out!

Andy

[lutherhgillis]

I like all of the ideas thus far. Keep 'em coming...

[only looking]

All characters including lily are played by the original actors. Magnum is now retired from his naval career.Lily is a prosecutor (as Carol was kind of a surrogate mother to her over the years) Rick has a son from the ex-stripper(forgot her name) that he married at the alter (For 2 months...haha) His son Rick Humphrey Wright (named after Bogart of course) helps with the club that Rick now owns and runs.T.C. son joined the Marines just like dad, becoming a very welcome addition to his charter business.."Island Hoppers....and son".Corny but a lovable T.C. trait. Higgins is ailing and for the most part will be bed...of course with two new lads. Lily will be kiddnapped by Ki as the case she's on will be with those pesky guys in black suits . Ki leaves lily's necklace behind to torment Magnum. Magnum goes to Maggie who now is top dog in naval intelligence.She can't find out the were abouts of Lily but maybe Buck Greene's connections can.Now retired himself he still has contacts and now tells Magnum he doesn't know either but an agent in hiding may...ready.......MICHELLE!!!!! Michelle and Green decided Lily wouldn't be safe until Michelle could quite running.She had missed out on her early years, she didn't want the chance on missing out all together. So her death was faked. Magnum is shocked and doesn't believe it until he sees her...cue "MICHELLE"S THEME". All the gang go and track her down along with their kids who use technology to their advantage, something the "OLD GUYS" don't have. In a trade for Lily, Magnum is going to trade places....but is mortally shot..."OH THOMAS"...Michelle cries. Ki comes out to shoot Michelle when a stranger dressed in tigerstripe fatigues pulls out a 45...it's MAGNUM..."It ends here Ki"....BANG...Ki is dead. The "other Magnum" is turned over..it's Buck Greene, in his dying words he says...."I took so much away from you, guess it was about time I started giving" he smiles and dies.Magnum and crew return to the estate and Higgins does the same want you to go but really want you to stay bit with."I say Magnum now that you and your family are here, I suppose you'll expect to stay becasue you think I need looking after...the lads however do need their excercise and they do seem to enjoy chasing you"...etc Magnum and Michelle are married at the estate Lily decides to take the guest house as she is a little like dad and wants a little room out from under mom and dad. As the movie goes off Magnum looks over at the beach and Higgins is wheeled out by Michelle and Lilly is walking the lads, Magnum is ready to surk ski...and it ends with his voice."My Father once told me ...life's not fair sometimes, and sometimes bad things happen to good people.There's no reason, it just happens.But life is also full of good times and good things...enjoy them when you can.....so I think I will.thanks Dad", puts his surf ski down and joins the others... Michelle looks at him and says thought you were going surf sking...."latter...Right now there's no other place I want to be."Pan out of the estate..end of movie. Chessey maybe..call me a romantic I love a Happy ending. Sorry so winded.

[Lily]

Oh I just love all these scenario's...you all have such excellent imaginations! One faithful person I would love to have seen mentioned was dear old Agatha, since she was so very faithful to Higgins. There should have been some suggestion in Series 8, that she meant more to Higgins, as at times it seemed he tended to use her, and she so adored him.

Indeed there are so many different twists and turns this series could have taken, had it gone further than the eight seasons. When I look at what is shown on television these days, there is nothing that compares to Magnum, and doubt there ever will. As someone wrote recently, thank goodness we have our Magnum DVD's.

[JonnyDaytona]

Some great ideas here, for certain. I think it would be cool if Magnum and Lily had left the Islands years before leaving everyone to move on with their lives. On the eve of retirement, Admiral Magnum gets a visit from a solicitor who informs him that he has inherited Robin's Nest from the late
Robin Masters. Rick is indeed married with 10 kids. TC has become a motivational speaker and has written a book very similar to 'The Secret' Higgins indeed married Agatha who has recently passed on. Magnum retrieves his old friend from a private nursing home, realizing the inactivity is robbing him of vitality. Lily, who is now fully grown up and away at medical school dissapears. A string of clues reunites the gang and it appears an old enemy has resurfaced....

That's all I can add, except an amusing scene where Magnum has to apply copious amounts of A535 after getting back on the surf-ski after 20 years....

Why don't we actually collaborate and write something? Like a fan fic....?

[Steve]

I'm thinking that in the beginning of the Movie, TM is still in The Navy, heading up a counter terrorism task force that has the bead on Osama Bin Laden but is told to hold back by Buck Greene (now in The Pentagon) for some unknown reason, causing the death of many of his men. Of course they have a confrontation and Magnum again resigns from The Navy and returns to Hawaii.......where.........
Lilly is now living at Robin's Nest and careing for an ailing Higgins, Rick and TC have started and are running"The Great Hawaiian Adventure Company" with TM as a silent partner. Lilly is now also doing PI work on the side, is kidnapped by Al Queda operatives on the Island that have it in for TM for his Navy Work in destroying many of their cells. The rest of the Movie is full of action packed scenes of the "team" and other recurring characters from the series trying to get Lilly back......

Steve
Chicago

[Lily]

Thanks JonnyDaytona! Am now really happy Agatha spent some good years with Higgins, as his wife!!

Again some great ideas, and if people on this board can come up with good storylines, featuring our favourite Magnum actors, more's the pity that the producers of the new Magnum film, couldnt.

I dont care how good this Matthew whateverhisnameis might be, there will only ever be one Magnum....Tom Selleck. At the end of the day, am sure this planned film will be nothing but a Hawaiian type James Bond movie.

[Jodykmg365]

I wouldn't write the script. Without Tom Selleck and the rest of the original cast, and perhaps the estate, this movie is going to go down like the Titanic. JMO.

[Carmen]

I wouldn't write the script. Without Tom Selleck and the rest of the original cast, and perhaps the estate, this movie is going to go down like the Titanic. JMO.

We`d only write scripts for the original cast, no doubt about it.

Somehow everybody sees Magnum still in the Navy or just retired, I never thought he was really serious about it. During the years he mentioned one time too often he is through with the Navy and the way he came back in Resolutions I don`t think he would have really done it. IMO he only wanted Lily back and as we don`t have any narrations we can only speculate why he did what he did. So for me he resigned as fast as he made his comeback, married Maggie Poole, wrote his book, raised his daughter. Rick is divorced, T.C. still owns IslandHoppers together with his son, who is Lilys fiance. I like the idea Lily has inherited the Estate by Higgins. I don`t see Lily in danger, it`s the other way around, Magnum has been kidnapped and Lily and the rest of the gang has to help Him out of the trouble.

[Coops]

Some really good ideas here, well done!

BUT...

I'd rather see the Magnum movie more of a study in where he is NOW with a contrast of where he was THEN. I'm all for a great movie but I don't really have to have another mystery to solve or help another damsel in distress. One the great things about MPI was TM's surmising many things during an episode. That is what I'd like to see focused on. Now, for the Navy thing, as I have been in the Navy, I seriously doubt TM would have made flag rank and probably would have retired many years ago. In fact, I don't know if he had enough command experience (either as exec or CO) to make 4 stripes, but you never know.

I'd like to see TM reminisce about his life, his mistakes and his successes, just like we all do. One of the great things about TM in the series is how imperfect a hero he was. A great man, a great American, but with faults. For some reason the idea of having 2 hours of "where is he now" I find really intriguing. Maybe it's 2 hours of going back to find TC, Rick and Higgins. How could this be after all those years together? How could they not still be friends? Well, how many of you had very close friends growing up, I mean friends you did everything with? And now you haven't spoken to them in years if not decades? The best friend I've ever had, the guy I've bonded with the closest was a Navy buddy of mine. For over 10 years we went our separate ways after the Navy never having talked or sent a letter one time. But we did get back in communication and it was the most fascinating thing to catch up on 10+ years of being apart. That's what I'd like to see. I think that'd make a great ending to one of the most endearing TV shows ever.

[tidal pool]

I like all these ideas. I think we need a 6-hour mini-series!