LOS ANGELES, California (Hollywood Reporter) -- Twenty years after NBC's hit sci-fi miniseries "V" invaded the small screen, the network is bringing the aliens back with "V: The Second Generation," a three-hour TV movie from the original creator Kenneth Johnson.
Johnson, who wrote, directed and produced the original miniseries, is set to write, direct and executive produce the sequel, which has been given a script commitment.
The 1983 "V" (short for Visitors), which spawned a short-lived weekly series on NBC, was a sci-fi allegory of the Nazi takeover of Germany in the 1930s.
It centered on the Visitors, aliens from a distant planet who came to Earth with the promise to solve the world's problems through their high technology, but after gaining control of the planet through subterfuge and media manipulation, began to methodically kill their hosts.
A small group of humans, who discovered the Visitors' true plan -- to conquer the Earth and eat its population -- form a resistance and lead the fight against the invaders.
The new movie, produced by Warner Bros. TV and Kenneth Johnson Prods., will take place 20 years into the future. As the alien forces are turning more and more Earth citizens into followers, the resistance suddenly gains a powerful and mysterious new ally.
Several cast members of the miniseries and the weekly series, including Marc Singer, Faye Grant, Jane Badler and Robert Englund, could reprise their roles in the telefilm if it goes into production.
"For years I've had a passion to dig even deeper into the characters and circumstances," Johnson said. "Gregg Maday at Warner Bros., my fellow executive producer Rob Lee, NBC and I plan to make this new 'V' into the same kind of major international TV event that my original miniseries was."
The conclusion of the original mini in May 1983 was the top program for the week, averaging a 27 household rating/40 share. Additionally, "V" enjoyed solid success overseas. Twenty years later, the miniseries continues to be a strong draw as its recent DVD release has quickly become a hot seller, with more than 250,000 units shipped.
"The appeal of 'V' continues, and we look forward to getting a new script that could introduce it to a new generation of viewers," said Jeff Gaspin, NBC Entertainment executive VP alternative series, longform and Bravo. "Likewise, we would like to move the story forward with a fresh take on this timeless story of human resilience and resistance."
LOS ANGELES, California (Hollywood Reporter) -- Twenty years after NBC's hit sci-fi miniseries "V" invaded the small screen, the network is bringing the aliens back with "V: The Second Generation," a three-hour TV movie from the original creator Kenneth Johnson.
