Exclusive: ‘Nikita’ Reboot in Early Stages of Development; CW Series Continuation Possible

Feb 14, 2020

The GWW has exclusively learned that a ‘Nikita’ reboot is in the works. Details on the project are kept under wraps, as it is currently unknown if this project will be a television series or a movie.

‘Nikita’ has previously been adapted by The CW and CTV as television shows. Both series are adaptations of the original movie. It is worth noting that this project could also be turned into a revival/continuation of the CW ‘Nikita’ series.

The CW’s ‘Nikita’ is aired from September 9, 2010 to December 27, 2013. The series focused on the titular Nikita, played by Maggie Q, a woman who escaped from a secret government-funded organization known as “Division” and, after a three-year hiding period, is back to bring down the organization. The main cast in various seasons featured Lyndsy Fonseca (‘Kick-Ass,’ ‘The Ward’), Shane West (‘Salem,’ ‘ER’), Aaron Stanford (’12 Monkeys,’ ‘Fear of The Walking Dead’), Melinda Clarke (‘Spawn,’ ‘The O.C.’), Xander Berkeley (‘The Walking Dead,’ ‘Salem’), Noah Bean (’12 Monkeys,’ ‘The Enemy Within’), Tiffany Hines (‘Magnum P.I.,’ ‘Bones’), Ashton Holmes (‘The Pacific,’ ‘Revenge’), Dillon Casey (‘Designated Survivor,’ ‘Remedy’), and Devon Sawa (‘Somewhere Between,’ ‘Action Man’). Craig Silverstein (‘Terra Nova,’ ‘TURN: Washington’s Spies’) was the developer of the series.

However, the first series was ‘La Femme Nikita,’ adapted for television by Joel Surnow (’24,’ ‘Hawaii Five-0’). The series was telecast in the United States on the USA Network. The show premiered on January 13, 1997, and ran for five seasons until March 4, 2001. This iteration of Nikita starred Peta Wilson as the titular character.

The original movie ‘La Femme Nikita,’ also known simply as ‘Nikita,’ is a 1990 action thriller film written and directed by Luc Besson (‘Leon: The Professional,’ ‘Lucy’). The film stars Anne Parillaud (‘H24’, ‘In Their Sleep’) as Nikita, a teen who robs a pharmacy and murders a policeman. She is sentenced to life in prison, where her captors fake her death, and she is given the choice of becoming an assassin or being killed. After intense training, she becomes a talented killer. Her career as an assassin goes well until a mission in an embassy goes awry. The cast also includes Jean-Hugues Anglade (‘Betty Blue,’ ‘Queen Margot’), TchĂ©ky Karyo (‘The Core,’ ‘The Patriot’), Jeanne Moreau (‘Jules and Jim,’ ‘The Lovers’), Jean Reno (‘The Big Blue,’ ‘Wasabi’), Jacques Boudet (‘Romantics Anonymous,’ ‘American Playhouse’), and Philippe Leroy (‘The Night Porter,’ ‘Le Trou’).

So, anything is possible for this next outing of ‘Nikita,’ as there are several different versions of the character to work from. Again, it could be a brand new reimagining of the franchise, but this does have the makings of an event series a la ‘Veronica Mars,’ with Maggie Q returning to the role one last time. Regardless, this is definitely something to keep your eye out for in the future.

Jacob Tyler contributed to this article.