Nope, it's not an illusion: yet another movie title is being adapted for the small screen.
Writer-director Neil Burger's 2006 magician drama “The Illusionist” starring Edward Norton and Jessica Biel is being adapted for television by the CW, according to Deadline. Penned by “True Blood” writer Mark Hudis, the show will take place against the backdrop of turn of the century New York City (as opposed to Vienna, where the film version was set) and will center on a famous illusionist who returns home after a decade in prison to find that his ex-wife has wed the crime boss who framed him. He goes on to pose as a lackey in the organization, using his skills to pull off a series of elaborate heists and rise through the ranks in order to take down the gang leader from the inside.
Loosely based on the Steven Millhauser short story “Eisenheim the Illusionist,” “The Illusionist” premiered at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival before going on to critical and commercial success in theaters (the film grossed nearly $88 million on a $17 million budget). It was the first of two magician-themed dramatic thrillers to hit theaters that year, the other being Christopher Nolan's “The Prestige.”
Do you think an “Illusionist” TV series is a good idea? Let us know in the comments.