If it were up to Karey Burke, television audiences could soon be heading back to The Island.
The newly appointed President of ABC Entertainment made one heck of an impression at her first Television Critics Association winter press tour appearance, generating buzz before she even addressed the media. She was introduced by a network sizzle reel that opened with a clip of an iconic and meaningful line uttered by Matthew Fox’s LOST character Jack Shepherd: “We have to go back!”
Taking the bait, a journalist asked Burke if they should read into the inclusion of the clip as a hint towards a potential reboot. “You should, yes,” Burke joked (via TheWrap). “I would like that very much. That would be something I would be interested in seeing.”
However, it seems such a return to smoke monsters and incongruous polar bears is currently just wishful thinking for Burke. “It is literally, at this point, what I dream about when I go to bed,” she clarified. “I have not spoken to Carlton [Cuse], or [J.J. Abrams], or ABC Studios about it. But I do often get asked the question [of] what show I would reboot, and my answer is LOST.”
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She concluded, “Nothing to report yet… maybe ever. But it would be a fun thing to have a conversation about.”
In the Age of the Reboot, it’s not terribly surprising that a network head might be interested in returning to the well of one of its most beloved series. As for the creative team behind the show, Cuse has said neither he nor fellow showrunner Damon Lindelof were particularly interested in revisiting Jack, Kate, Sawyer, Locke, Hurley, and the rest of their castaways. “We told the story we wanted to tell,” Cuse told IndieWire last year.
However, he is intrigued by the idea of a different crew of creatives taking up the reins and bringing a new cast of characters to The Island. “I think it would be fun if someone has a take to go to the island another period of time with another group of people,” Cuse added. “That’s totally great.” So perhaps fans can still hope to see other Others sometime in the future. Or past, or parallel timeline, depending on your read of the show.
Cuse is plenty occupied himself with Jack Ryan over at Amazon, while Lindelof’s take on Watchmen is launching this year on HBO. LOST co-creator Abrams, meanwhile, is off being one of Hollywood’s busiest genre filmmakers and producers, as he’s currently directing the next Star Wars movie, while his shows Lovecraft Country (executive produced by Jordan Peele) and Demimonde are in the works at HBO.
