ABC Classic Fantasy Island Gets A Reboot By FOX For Summer of 2021

The plane! The plane! The fantasy-drama Fantasy Island that ran on ABC from 1977 to 1984 is coming back in the summer of 2021 on Fox and will be produced by Liz Craft and Sarah Fain (The Vampire Diaries).

Fantasy Island Returns

No word on casting yet. The original Fantasy Island starred Ricardo Montalban as the enigmatic Mr. Roarke and Hervé Villechaize as his loyal associate Tattoo. A short-lived Fantasy Island revival that had a bit of a darker edge in 1998 starred Malcolm McDowell as Mr. Roarke and Mädchen Amick as Ariel.

This new series is a modern semi-anthology series that examines “what if” questions both large and small, the kind that keep people awake at night! Each new episode of Fantasy Island will tell stories that are, according to the show’s press release, “emotional” and “provocative.” As with the original, characters start off with one goal or wish but often end up with another after visiting Fantasy Island.

“In continuing to develop outside of the traditional broadcast cycle, we’ve been particularly focused on providing viewers with summer series that offers a true escape from everyday life – to be sure, now so more than ever,” said Michael Thorn, President of Entertainment, Fox Entertainment, in a statement. “Fantasy Island is a beloved program, and the world Liz and Sarah have created for this contemporary adaptation is signature FOX and a perfect show for today’s times. After all, who among us wouldn’t take a (safe) trip to Fantasy Island right now?”

“Fantasy Island has always been one of our most popular and iconic series and when we heard Liz and Sarah’s vision of this world, we immediately knew they were onto something special. We can’t think of better partners than FOX to work on this entirely novel take on this classic property…” added Jeff Frost, President, Sony Pictures Television, and Jason Clodfelter, Co-President, Sony Pictures Television in a statement.

Fain and Craft grew up together in Kansas City, Missouri. They have executive produced, created and written for many TV series including Angel, The Shield, Women’s Murder Club (based on the James Patterson novels), The Vampire Diaries, and Lie to Me. The pair host a weekly podcast Happier in Hollywood, which is about surviving in Los Angeles.