Original star Matt Frewer is set to reprise his role as the snarky AI pundit.
Deadline is reporting that a 1980s icon is about to make his return to TV. AMC Networks is teaming up with Elijah Wood’s production company SpectreVision to develop a drama series reboot of Max Headroom, the snarky "first artificial intelligence" the world ever saw. Additionally, Matt Frewer is set to reprise his role as the title character, with Halt and Catch Fire co-creator Christopher Cantwell on board to write the series and serve as showrunner.
Max Headroom is a fictional artificial intelligence that is advertised to be "the first computer-generated TV presenter." The character first appeared in the 1985 British “cyperpunk” TV movie Max Headroom: 20 Minutes into the Future. The character then went on to host The Max Headroom Show where he served as a video jockey playing music videos. Max Headroom quickly became a pop culture icon in the UK, and famously appeared in ads for New Coke. The character was then brought to America when ABC created a new drama series for the character that expanded on the story introduced in the TV movie.
Max Headroom's look is iconic, Frewer having been covered in makeup and dramatic costuming to make him look computer generated, from prosthetics and contact lenses down his plastic suit. He primarily existed as a satire of older television hosts of the time, providing biting commentary on pop culture to draw in a younger audience.
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While Frewer might be known best to some audiences for playing Max Headroom, he has had an extensive acting career. Recently, he has had roles in such series as Perry Mason, Fear The Walking Dead, and Orphan Black. Cantwell is best known for co-creating and co-showrunning the hit Emmy-nominated AMC series Halt and Catch Fire. He has also produced other hit shows like Lodge 49 and Paper Girls.
Wood and Daniel Noah from SpectreVision will be producing the series. Their production company is a self-described “genre-driven company with a focus on psychological thriller and horror films.” It’s not hard to imagine how Max Headroom could fit into their wheelhouse. While this will be the company's first television series, they have made such films as Cooties and Mandy. Cantwell and Frewer are also set to executive produce the series.
No further details about the reboot are available at this time. Stay tuned to Collider for any future updates on this project.
Aidan King is a graduate of Fitchburg State University and loves writing and talking about both movies and tv. In his spare time, Aidan participates in an Improv comedy group.
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