Image Credit: Marcia Campbell Photography/FilmMagic; Everett CollectionIt’s been nearly three months since Lost ended and I’m still finding Easter eggs. My latest discovery: Sawyer’s purgatorial stint as a police detective may have foreshadowed Josh Holloway’s next career move!
News that NBC is taking another stab at rebooting the ’70s private-eye classic The Rockford Files—sans Dermot Mulroney in the title role—has revived talk that Holloway would look great in James Garner’s iconic (gum)shoes. And for the first time, that chatter appears to be spreading beyond my office!
A Peacock source tells me that the former Lostie’s name has been mentioned in connection to the project, but the insider stresses that there are no serious talks going on at this time. Meanwhile, House exec producer David Shore—who is shepherding the reboot along with Steve Carell’s Carousel Prods and Peter Berg’s Film 44—concedes that Holloway is a “viable choice,” but adds that “it’s too premature” to start naming names. A rep for the actor declined to comment for this story.
“NBC is still high on the project,” adds Shore. “They would like it to happen. Peter Berg’s involved producing and possibly directing and we will be looking for a new lead.”
The first attempt to revive the franchise crashed and burned last spring when the completed pilot received a thumbs-down from NBC execs.
“[It] looked like it was shot in the ’70s,” one source bemoaned to NYMag.com’s Joe Adalian. “You didn’t even know it was the current day until Jim pulled out his cell phone. It looked like Stephen J. Cannell directed it himself.”
Thoughts? Do you agree that Holloway has Jim Rockford written all over him? Or do you have another name in mind? Hit the comments!
OMG this would be perfect casting! I don’t care how bad the show turns out, I would watch it just because Josh Holloway is in it! Oh, please let the powers that be make this happen!
Me too! I had no interest in watching it with Dermot Mulroney (he didn’t scream Jim Rockford to me) but with Josh? Absolutely!
totally agree!
Me too! This would make me watch.
Ditto.
Yep, I’d agree too. Seems like a much better fit.
I thought I was the only one who had no interest in seeing mulroney in the role. Josh would make this reboot AWESOME!
I’ve been rooting for Josh Holloway in this role since I first heard they were rebooting the series. He would be PERFECT! Get a clue, NBC. Cast Holloway and we will watch.
Josh has the accent the attitude and the job!!! Give it to him.
I’d watch that man read the phone book, even if he wasn’t shirtless! Whoo hoo! Do it do it do it do it!
Right there with ya on that!!!
You said it! I completely agree.
Ditto!!
As I was reading this article thinking the exact same thing.
And Miles as Dennis
YES!!!!
Please? Pretty please?
Absolutely! With Sawyer and Miles, this would be must see tv. Let’s make it happen!
Yes!
YES!!! I have been wishing for a spin off and this is as close as I’ll get. Add Miles and we are GOLDEN!!!! I loved the pairing of these two in the flashforward.
Amen!!!
YESYESYES – absolutely. They are great together.
oh yeah!!
Amen!!!
Are you reading, producers??? Cast Josh Holloway and I’ll watch. Don’t? And I won’t.
I have nothing against Dermot Mulroney but Josh does seem to have the charm and charisma of James Garner (and is the bigger star at the moment I suspect).
It’s all there and more. Charisma, bad boy charm, looks, personality…
He would be great…..how about James Gardner taking on the Dad role????
Hell. Yes.
I’ld definitely watch bad boy Sawyer.
I think Holloway is a more inspired choice than Mulrooney, but one thing I worry about is that Holloway may be just to macho for the role. Before you laugh, let me explain – Garner’s Rockford always tried to avoid the fight. He was a fast talking guy who ran away when the heat came up. I just don’t know if I feel if I believe Holloway would run away so quickly – He is built and his portrayal of Sawyer as the stubborn, never-give-in guy just makes it tough to believe at this moment.
This may sound odd, but I thought about this reboot before it was announced, and I thought Matthew Perry may be an inspired choice. Believe he could pull the con-man with a heart of gold schtick, and I can see him avoiding fights…..
Well, he didn’t run…but he certianly dodged if he could…Never though Mulroney a good choice, and Perry either relies on kinetic energy or some cynical attitude-neither of which works.
Josh for Jim!
YES! Much better fit for Rockford than Mulroney.
I liked Dermot for it – love that guy – but I can see Josh stepping into the role comfortably.
I really don’t have anything against Dermot Mulroney, but I couldn’t really imagine him in the Rockford role. Josh Holloway seems a better person for the role.
I’ve always liked Dermot Mulroney but not as Rockford. In another role on the series perhaps or if they remade another classic tv series (he’d have worked better on Hawaii Five O) – not that we need another remake. Josh Holloway is perfect for the Rockford Files.
Oh, please. IF there were to be a new Rockford (and, since the series was created FOR James Garner, why??), it should be Joe Flanigan.
Joe Flanigan is the only logical choice!
I thought Joe Flanigan would be perfect the first time around, and I still do. Josh Holloway isn’t a bad choice, but not nearly as perfect as Joe. Garner’s expressions made the show, and I don’t think Josh Holloway has the mobile expressions or the persona that would make a perfect Rockford reboot.
Exactly! Joe has that smart alec look and can pull so many facial expressions
this-I thought Joe was a done deal tho?
Joe Flanngan can’t act as well as Josh Holloway. Sorry, SGA fans, it’s true.
Ugh, no way. Joe Flanagan is an awful actor. If not David Boreanaz (my favorite), then Josh Holloway would be a great choice.
I have always been impressed by Joe Flanigan’s acting – he’d be perfect for Rockford. You must not have seen him in the Vegas episodeof SGA – perfection!
YUCK!!!! NO WAY BOREANAZ!!! WAY TOO BORING!!!!!
Joe WHO?
No, it’s JH for Rockford. That’s Rock-FORD.
Absolutely. I love JH to death, but he doesn’t quite have that genial spark under all the world-weary slacker persona.
Yes, yes, yes – PLEASE! Can Miles be a sidekick? I think his name is Ken Leung, but anyway…
Yes yes yes i agree 110% for the two of them=)
Wouldn’t that be great? Miles as the new Angel. I’d watch it every week.
Ken Leung would be perfect. Add in Jorge Garcia somehow.
No, Jorge Garcia is Angel. Way better.
yes, Ken Lueng should be Dennis, the cop friend.
Josh Holloway as Rockford? I’m in! Add a role for Ken Leung. Please?
I would tune in every week for that!!!
Ken Leung would be the new Angel. Perfection.
Would be perfect. With KL as Angel. I would watch. I think JH has the acting skills to bring some solid depth to the role. Also, he could always be shirtless near his trailer by the beach.
….why don’t they just write a NEW show about a detective? Why do we need to reboot a 25-year old show?
love holloway, but so sick of all these reboots. Wish they would just write new stuff. So if jin is on hawaii 5-0, sawyer is on rockford, will matthew fox and jorge garcia be the new starsky and hutch? Maybe sun, kate and juliet could do a charlies and angels. Maybe the whole cast could just do mash. Or even better they could do gilligans island. And when theyre finished with that they can do survivor:lost edition
that was meant to say charlies angels, not charlies and angels. Im not a complete idiot, just partially.
LOL
They remake old shows because the groundwork is done, which saves money. They have a list of characters, already drawn, a theme song already written and a premise. Saves loads of cash on prep work. See Hawaii 50 and so I hear Magnum PI.
Yes, stop with the remakes. Just create a new PI series, but Josh Holloway would be perfect for that type of thing. Funny, self-deprecating and so good-looking. He’s fine with action scenes and there would have to be plenty of opportunities for him to be shirtless!
It’s kind of a shame that Nathan Fillion is locked into ‘Castle’, he’d be perfect as Jim Rockford.
ITA. Nathan Fillion is the perfect choice to play Rockford.
Fillon already has a job. He’s a king in some Castle.
Lucky for Fillion that he is. The Rockford remake will fail long before Castle does as long as Shore is running it.
Holloway may be the only guy who can save the show. But I still doubt it.
yes yes yes I totally agree Nathan Fillion is a perfect Rockford….nothing againist Josh Holloway but I would like to see him have a great show written just for him…..
Josh is a SEXY BEAST and I’d watch him in ANYTHING!
His lovely mug deserves the big screen but Josh… on weekly again…
a dream come true
Josh would be perfect for this role. He has just the right amount of sarcasm and wit to pull this off. Hope this happens.
I agree!!!
Now that is brilliant casting. Holloway has the physicality Rockford needs, as well as the charm.
YES!! Holloway has Garner’s charm and quiet sensuality that made Rockford great. Still catch the original whenever its on and I will watch a remake with Josh Holloway.
I agree completely! Plus, he’s actually quite funny, so he could pull off that James Rockford wit!
Spot on! Josh is perfect to this role, please, please,please, please, make this come true, NBC! Don´t waste this chance!
A big +1 on this. Long time fan of both shows and James Garner has always been a favorite of mine. I like this…Josh would be as good as it gets. He even has a bit of Garner’s Oklahoma ways in him.
If Josh is in it, I WILL WATCH!
yeah all tv and movies have now are reboots and remakes. pitiful.
Holloway would be great. I also like Damian Lewis for the role. And when I read Peter Berg was involved, it occurred to me it’s only a matter of time before Kyle Chandler’s name is mentioned as well (he even looks a little like Garner).