Prime Video is rebooting American Gladiators, finishing a project that has been talked about for years now in Hollywood trades. On Monday, Deadline reported that Amazon MGM studios is producing a revival of the classic competition series, which has been ordered for Prime Video. Original series creator Johnny C. Ferraro is executive producing for his Flor-Jon Films production company.
American Gladiators first premiered in 1989 and is considered the first reality competition series of its kind. It assembled a cast of amateur athletes and subjected them to obstacle courses, as well as direct physical challenges against the show’s own “gladiators.” The original series ran in syndication from 1989 to 1996, and was revived in 2008 for just two seasons. After that, potential revivals have been discussed on and off since 2014.
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This time, the show has officially been greenlit and will be back in a new form on Prime Video. The series will reportedly include the familiar challenges “Gauntlet,” “Hang Tough” and “The Eliminator.” Producers are now casting for the series, and according to a report by Buzzer Blog, hopefuls can reach out via email if they want to participate. Other than that, details on the show are scarce, so there’s no telling how the format, content and lineup of the series may be different from its predecessor.
Amazon MGM Studios executive Lauren Anderson gave a statement to Deadline, saying: “Gladiators is an enduring, physical challenge format that continues to engage families around the world. We look forward to delighting our global Prime Video customers with both reimagined and nostalgic elements that celebrate the best of the original series.”
Another MGM executive, Barry Poznick, added: “Doing a cross-country casting search is exciting for us, and for the fans. Our goal is to find a real cross-section of America’s fittest and fiercest competitors. This is the ultimate in sports entertainment.”
The 2008 reboot of American Gladiators was greenlit due to the Hollywood writers’ strike of that era, but even then it only lasted for two seasons on NBC. Another revival was developed in 2014 with the help of American Ninja Warrior producer A. Smith & Co., but did not make it to air. In 2018, Seth Rogen tried to oversee a reboot of the show with MGM, and in 2021 MGM and the WWE teamed up to collaborate on another project. Finally, this version got the green light.
Right now, previous seasons of American Gladiators are streaming only on the Roku Channel in the U.S. The revival has been ordered but there’s no telling when it will air.
