Maya Rudolph and Natasha Lyonne producing TV adaptation of indie ghost comedy Extra Ordinary
The movie was about a woman who can see ghosts dealing with some weird occult neighbors
Aux News Extra Ordinary
We never would’ve seen this coming when the original movie was just an imported New Zealand cult classic, but FX’s version of What We Do In The Shadows seems to have inspired a new trend of American TV networks making adaptations of comedy movies from other countries about spooky creatures. According to Deadline, TBS is developing an adaptation of Extra Ordinary, the indie ghost comedy from 2019 that was released in the U.S. just before the pandemic started in 2020 about a woman in Ireland (Maeve Higgins) who can see ghosts and a man whose daughter is being targeted by occult weirdos (said weirdos are played by Will Forte and Claudia O’Doherty!).
The TV version is coming from Animal Pictures, the production company run by Maya Rudolph, Natasha Lyonne, and indie producer Danielle Renfrew Behrens, and it sounds like it’s going to follow a more protracted version of the movie’s plot. Original Extra Ordinary writers/directors Mike Ahern and Enda Loughman will be returning to both write and direct the TV version.
In a review of the film for The A.V. Club last year, Jesse Hassenger highlighted a good running joke about Ghostbusters, compared it to the “time-warped qualities” of Napoleon Dynamite, and said that its “unusual warmth lingers in the air like a friendly ghost.” Star Maeve Higgins was also recognized as the best part of the original movie, so it will be interesting to see how TBS and these big-name producers try to live up to that.
Maybe they could just add more Claudia O’Doherty? It’s been a few years since she was low-key the best part of an American TV show. We’re not saying she has to be the star, but she could pop in for a cameo like she’s the Boba Fett of the Extra Ordinary universe.
5 Comments
Extra Ordinary was a delight. I checked it out because someone (maybe the AV Club?) called it a worthy successor to the Cornetto trilogy. I hope they’re bringing Maeve Higgins on for this.
Maybe?I liked the movie but it didn’t cry out for expansion the way WWDITS did.It could be fun, but I suspect we’ll end up with something gentle and mildly amusing but ultimately forgettable like Truth Seekers.
Loved this movie. One of my favorite final scenes of all time.Not sure it needs to be a show, but if it gives Higgins and O’Doherty more exposure I’m all for it.Will Forte would need to be there, too.
Absolutely love the movie, so colour me cautiously sceptical, but this, at least: Original Extra Ordinary writers/directors Mike Ahern and Enda Loughman will be returning to both write and direct the TV version.Gives me hope.
I’m a little dubious as a lot of the charm of the film was the fact that it was set in rural Ireland , but I’m kind of biased that way . But hey! This might be good.