Jack Lord in Hawaii 5-0. Image courtesy CBS Productions.

Get ready to hear the iconic theme song and the classic phrase “Book ’em, Danno” when Hawaii Five-O hits the big screen.

Director Destin Daniel Cretton, whose Spider-Man: Brand New Day is still swinging in theaters everywhere, is reportedly in talks with Paramount Pictures to develop and direct a film version of the long-running CBS crime drama set in our 50th state.

Chris Bremner (Bad Boys for Life) will write the script with Noah Oppenheim (Jackie). It will be based on the 1968-80 CBS series that starred Jack Lord as Steve McGarrett, not the other long-running remake of that series, called Hawaii Five-0, which also aired on CBS from 2010-2020 and starred Alex O’Laughlin as Steve McGarrett.

Guymon Casady is producing the project with the estate of the original series creator, Leonard Freeman. This won’t be the first time someone has tried to develop a movie from the property; back in 1990 producer George Litto wanted to cast Mel Gibson, Michael Douglas or Harrison Ford in Jack Lord’s role, and give Lord a smaller part as a Hawaiian politician. He tried again in 2002 and this time DreamWorks won the rights to produce, but negotiations broke down over Litto’s request for in-perpetuity creative control for him and his heirs.

The show was as famous, if not more famous, for its pulse-pounding instrumental theme song than the stories or tropical setting. It was composed by Morton Stevens and later recorded by The Ventures, whose version reached #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 pop chart.

Casting information, plot and release dates aren’t known as the film is still in the planning stages. Cretton, who grew up on the island of Maui, also directed Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, and will next lens the live-action Naruto movie for Lionsgate.

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