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In an unexpected turn of events, Chris Pratt, the star of “Guardians of the Galaxy”, almost landed a role in the remake of “Field of Dreams”. This intriguing piece of news was reported by Lesley Goldberg from Puck. The remake of the 1989 sports film was planned as a Peacock series, but Pratt reportedly withdrew from the project abruptly.
Mike Schur, known for his comedic genius in shows like “Brooklyn Nine-Nine”, “The Good Place”, and “Parks and Recreation”, which served as Chris Pratt’s launching pad, was initially set to develop the TV show version. When the project was announced in 2021, Lisa Katz, the President of NBCUniversal Television and Streaming, praised “Field of Dreams” as a long-standing fan favorite and expressed confidence in Schur’s ability to revive the classic on Peacock.
As reported by Deadline, the series was given a straight-to-series order, coinciding with the resurgence of the original movie’s popularity due to a Major League Baseball game themed after “Field of Dreams”. However, Chris Pratt’s association with the series was never publicized, and Puck’s revelation comes two years after the project was reported to be shelved. In June 2022, it was reported that Universal Television was planning to shop the project around, but it never materialized.
The Collapse of Mike Schur’s Field of Dreams Remake
Columbia Pictures
A series from Mike Schur is usually a sure-fire success, but the news of the collapse of the “Field of Dreams” remake wasn’t entirely surprising. Peacock has been grappling with more public setbacks than its competitors, reporting losses of $2.8 billion by the end of 2023, as per Variety. Despite having successful shows like the Rian Johnson’s “Columbo” spinoff “Poker Face” and the Schur-produced Indigenous comedy “Rutherford Falls”, Peacock has struggled to achieve a solid footing in the streaming market.
The Puck report provides a fresh perspective on the failure of “Field of Dreams” on Peacock. It reveals that Pratt was initially attached to the project but withdrew suddenly, followed by Schur’s exit. Goldberg notes that despite Schur’s $125 million five-year deal with NBCUniversal, a newcomer named Bill Heck was chosen to replace him on “Field of Dreams”. However, Heck was deemed insufficient to shoulder the show’s substantial cost. It should be noted that there is an actor named Bill Heck known for his roles in “Locke & Key” and “The Old Man”, but Puck does not confirm if this is the same Bill Heck who was considered for the “Field of Dreams” project.
The failure of “Field of Dreams” 2.0 seems to have been caused by more factors than just Pratt’s withdrawal. The series was set to have a per-episode cost of $15 million, which would likely have been unsustainable, especially for a show intended to stream on Peacock. Puck also mentions that Schur was keen on filming parts of the show at Fenway Park, a renowned baseball field, which would have undoubtedly escalated the production costs.
Chris Pratt’s Reported Withdrawal from Peacock Series
Universal Pictures
Pratt has yet to comment on the “Field of Dreams” news, but he has certainly kept busy since then. Besides reprising his role as Peter Quill in “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3”, Pratt has lent his voice to popular characters in “The Super Mario Bros Movie” and “Garfield”. He also stars in the popular military thriller “The Terminal List” on Prime Video.
Pratt, who once portrayed a baseball star in “Moneyball”, could have made a convincing Ray Kinsella. Kevin Costner played the role of a farmer who receives a divine vision instructing him to construct a baseball field in the original 1989 movie. Although Pratt does not have the same rugged appeal as Costner, his casting in this role seems more fitting than in something like “The Super Mario Bros Movie”. It also explains why his involvement was kept under wraps: recent casting announcements involving Pratt have often sparked controversy due to his personal beliefs, acting skills, or inability to mimic an Italian accent. The same could have happened with “Field of Dreams”, but the show might still have been successful.
We may never know the truth: Schur’s five-year deal with Universal is nearing its end, and according to this new report, “Field of Dreams” never made it off the ground. It seems we’ll never find out if audiences would have flocked to this show, as Peacock never got around to producing it.
Credit: www.slashfilm.com
