Subscribe
Follow Us
Prime Video is reviving the late '80s and '90s competition series American Gladiators, Deadline exclusively reported.
MGM Alternative and Amazon MGM Studios is set to produce the series for Prime Video with Flor-Jon Films. Flor-Jon is series creator's Johnny C. Ferraro, who will also serve as executive producer.
American Gladiators is often considered the precursor of today's reality competition series. The show matched amateurs against each other, and also against the show's own gladiators, in games that test strength and agility. After its success, other countries also started to produce their own versions. The new series will revive the classic games such as the Gauntlet, Hang Tough and the iconic The Eliminator.
Prime Video's revival of the classic competition series comes after the BBC's success with the new generation of Gladiators. That show has become one of the British broadcasters biggest entertainment shows launched in almost 10 years. It was also almost immediately renewed for season two.
American Gladiators on its way to Prime Video
The original American Gladiators was launched in syndication from 1989 and 1997, and aired weekly. Ferraro created the series while he and Dan Carr developed the original concept for the show.
In 2008, NBC rebooted the show during the writer's strike, hosted by Hulk Hogan and Laila Ali. MGM Television and Reveille produced the two-season series. Van Earl Wright provided the play-by-play voice.
Since then, there have been multiple attempts to bring the show back. In 2014, A. Smith & Co., producers of American Ninja Warrior, developed their own version. This version was supposed to include elements inspired by The Hunger Games movie franchise, as well as mixed martial arts. However, it wasn't greenlit to air.
In 2018, Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg teamed up with MGM to rejuvenate the series for its 30th anniversary. Again, no luck.
In 2021, MGM teamed up with the WWE to bring it back. The project is currently being shopped around to broadcasters and streaming services.
In 2023, both ESPN and Netflix aired documentaries about the show: 30 For 30: The American Gladiators Documentary and Muscles & Mayhem: An Unauthorized Story for American Gladiators, respectively.
Early this year, Ferraro signed a deal with Range Sports to bring the show back. The management company stated that it plans to expand the brand from the series to movies, attractions, merchandise as well as live events.
Amazon is currently casting for the series.
Amazon MGM Studios' Brand and Content Innovation chief Lauren Anderson said, “Gladiators is an enduring, physical challenge format that continues to engage families around the world. We look forward to delighting our global Prime Video customers with both reimagined and nostalgic elements that celebrate the best of the original series.”
MGM Alternative, Evolution Media and Big Fish Entertainment's general manager Barry Poznick stated, “Doing a cross-country casting search is exciting for us, and for the fans. Our goal is to find a real cross-section of America's fittest and fiercest competitors. This is the ultimate in sports entertainment.”
Most of American Gladiators episodes featured two male and two female competitors called “contenders.” The matches had the contenders compete to advance with one man and one woman as champions at the end.
The original show featured games such as Assault, Powerball, Breakthrough & Conquer, The Eliminator, Hang Tough, The Wall, Slingshot, The Maze, Sky Track, Gauntlet, Tug O'War, Pyramid, Whiplash, Atlasphere and Human Cannonball.
The 2008 revival featured most of the original game and added new ones such as Earthquake, Hit & Run, Rocketball, Sideswipe, Snapback and Vertigo.
The new (and maybe improved?) American Gladiators will join Amazon's recently launched unscripted Prime Video and Freevee shows such as the US version of the British game show The 1% Club hosted by Patton Oswalt, and The Goat with Daniel Tosh. Last year, the streaming service premiered the James Bond-themed game show 007: Road to a Million hosted by Succession star Brian Cox.
