A TV reboot of Waiting to Exhale from The Butler helmer Lee Daniels is in active development at ABC. Directed by The Last King of Scotland star Forest Whitaker in his feature film debut, Waiting to Exhale is a 1995 romantic movie adapted from Terry McMillan's 1992 novel of the same name. The film followed 4 Arizonian African American friends (Whitney Houston, Angela Bassett, Lela Rochon, Loretta Devine) through their complex relationships with men and each other. While Waiting to Exhale generally received mixed reviews from critics, the movie was hailed for featuring an all African-American cast and for its escapist plotline. Initially, Whitaker had planned to follow-up on Waiting to Exhale with a sequel featuring the original cast. But in 2012, the plans were ultimately abandoned due to Houston's tragic death.
As per Deadline, Lee Daniels is now looking to reboot Whitaker's stylish, cult-classic Waiting to Exhale movie as a TV series for ABC. The show will serve as a follow-up to the 1995 film, at it will focus on the intricate friendships of the daughters of the original characters. At the moment, it is unconfirmed if any of the original stars will appear in the new TV reboot. But things that will certainly be common between the TV reimagining and the primordial picture are earnest humor, sensuousness, and heartfelt friendships. Daniels' Waiting to Exhale TV-series reboot is being written by Attica Locke (When They See Us) and Tembi Locke (Never Have I Ever). Anthony Hemingway; meanwhile, serves as the director.
The original Waiting to Exhale movie was a social phenomenon that looked at the ups and downs of life from an underseen perspective. Rebooting the film for modern-day TV viewers can educate them about life through a heart-warming perspective. But while the reimagined TV series would make a classic material accessible to a completely new generation, it is hard to imagine Waiting to Exhale to work in any form without its main attraction: its standout cast. The sheer talent of the star cast was the driving force behind the original movie, and it is quite unlikely that a younger generation of actors would be able to recreate Bassett, Houston, Rochon, and Devine's exemplary performances.
Source: Deadline