“The Saint” is coming back to TV via a contemporary take on Leslie Charteris’ books, with James Purefoy in talks to topline as the debonair international thief Simon Templar, says The Hollywood Reporter.
Producers Barry Levinson and Tom Fontana, writer Jorge Zamacona, feature producer Bill Macdonald, Roger Moore — who played Templar in the 1960s British series — and his son Geoffrey Moore are all involved in the project.
Levinson is set to direct the two-hour TV movie/backdoor pilot, which will be produced independently and then shopped to the networks.
Macdonald has been associated with “Saint” on and off for 17 years. In 1991, he acquired the rights to the books for producer Robert Evans. The two went on to produce the 1997 feature starring Val Kilmer.
