10 Movies That Would Make Better TV Shows
4. Night Watch (2004)
Timur Bekmambetov’s urban fantasy epic (adapted from the novel by Sergei Lukyanenko) pits light versus dark in a modern day magical setting: magicians, vampires, witches and all that wonderful faery tale gubbins, anchored by an almost Kafkaesque, existentially bleak working class setting.
Bekmambetov’s film, and its sequel Day Watch (2006) are gripping, fascinating works of epic fantasy with a rich, detailed mythology and history. A dozen years or so ago, television simply wasn’t prepared to handle such a property. In 2016, however (and post Game Of Thrones) television is uniquely equipped to do so.
It’s been long enough now that a complete remake would certainly be possible - or a sequel TV series could be drafted based on Lukyanenko’s other books. In point of fact, Bekmambetov’s follow-up film Day Watch is based upon the second half of Lukyanenko’s first novel Night Watch - so a putative television series could be created that drew on the novels Day Watch, Twilight Watch, Final Watch and New Watch, respectively.
Well, apparently a TV series has been teased for a decade but never come to pass. Coming off like a proletariat Matrix with Lord Of The Rings’ back story, a Night Watch show could potentially feature the best of all possible worlds: superhero style set pieces, a sweeping fantasy-style backdrop, perfectly pitched drama on the level of The Wire or Mad Men… it’d be the legendary gift that keeps on giving.