Syfy have ordered 12 episodes of a television series based on Terry Gilliam's 1995 sci-fi movie 12 Monkeys (itself based on the French short movie La Jetée). The pilot (written by Nikita's Terry Matalas and Travis Fickett) has already been filmed, starring Aaron Stanford (Nikita) as a time-traveller from a post-apocalyptic future who arrives in the present day to find the source of the deadly plague that decimated mankind.
David Howe, Syfy President:
"12 Monkeys is a captivating time travel adventure and high stakes race against the clock. We are thrilled to add it to our slate of engaging and thought-provoking new scripted projects including the recently announced event series Ascension and the second season renewal of Helix from Ron Moore."I'm interested in this series, although it will have to work hard to erase memories of Gilliam's excellent movie (which contains great performances from Bruce Willis and Brad Pitt). It perhaps doesn't help that 12 Monkeys had a fantastic twist ending, which I assume the TV series will have to avoid... or find an even twistier alternative for whenever it ends.
Natalie Chaidez (V, Heroes) will run the show. 12 Monkeys is set to premiere in January 2015.
[source: EW]
