NBC Rebooting Denzel Washington and Angelina Jolie’s ‘Bone Collector’ Movie as TV Show

NBC has ordered a pilot for a new series called Lincoln, which is based on the same book series as 1999 film The Bone Collector.

Two decades ago, Denzel Washington and Angelina Jolie co-starred in a beloved drama about a forensic criminologist. It documented Lincoln Rhyme’s (Washington) search for a serial killer known as The Bone Collector over many years, and how he was helped by a young beat cop named Amelia Sachs (Jolie). According to The Hollywood Reporter, NBC may soon give the story another shot, this time on TV.

Development on Lincoln reportedly began back in November. The script was written by V.J. Boyd — who wrote on SWAT — and Mark Bianculli. It must have turned some heads, as NBC quickly moved the project ahead to a pilot order, bringing a full blown series that much closer to reality.

The Bone Collector novel was first published in 1997. Written by Jeffrey Deaver, it was an instant success, and the film adaptation came out just two years later. After that, the adventures of Lincoln Rhyme became a long-running franchise for Deaver, who has now written 14 novels about the character. The latest was published last year, and titled The Cutting Edge.

The abundance of source material means that TV may be an even better medium for adapting The Bone Collector than film was. The who will most likely begin by revisiting the original story, as it explains how Rhyme became a quadriplegic. After that, however, it could deal with any number of other stories. It could also branch into Deaver’s other works, as they sometimes crossover with his Lincoln Rhyme books.

Boyd and Bianculli would reportedly executive produce the series as well. Lincoln would be a co-production between Universal and Sony, putting a lot of resources behind the drama. So far, there is no word on casting for the series, though whoever takes over the two main roles has some big shoes to fill.

This pilot order comes among many other adaptations finding their way to TV. Following the success of recent shows such as Game of Thrones, The Leftovers and Big Little Lies, networks have put a lot of value into existing ideas and intellectual properties with a built-in fan base. This means that novels, comic books and other, cheaper forms of media can all hope to get the Hollywood treatment if they get in front of the right people.