TV News: JJ Abrams to Direct Undercovers Project at NBC
A few weeks ago we posted a story that JJ Abrams was developing a new spy project for TV that was purchased by NBC. At the time the project didn’t have a name but that has since changed, Undercovers, is the working title at this point and we are told its a mix between “Mr. & Mrs. Smith” and “The Bourne Identity.”
I am glad that has come out because when we read the initial description I kept saying Mr. And Mrs Smith.
Perhaps the most interesting thing to come out now is that the pilot episode will be directed by Abrams. The series must be damn good and close to his heart as he is not directing anything else, even passing on M:I IV and the Fringe pilot last year.
Schedule permitting, Abrams will make Undercovers the first TV pilot he has directed since 2004’s Lost opener often considered one of the best-directed pilots of all time which helped launch Abrams’ career into helming such theatrical films as Mission: Impossible 3 and this summer’s hit, Star Trek.
I am really excited about this show as it is hard to not be excited about anything JJ does but him directing the pilot is awesome too and that he still takes to his roots not getting a big head about being a big blockbuster director these days.
Also there is other incentives involved into why high-profile directors direct TV pilots of shows they executive produce, like McG directing the Supernatural pilot or The O.C. pilot or even Peter Berg directing Friday Night Lights pilot or in this case JJ directing Undercovers.
Based on how this has been explained to me and please correct me if I am wrong but pilot directors make the most money off syndication of a series, so the series may have 10 directors or more throughout its run but its the pilot director that makes the most in royalties and such, hence why the appeal to direct a pilot episode.
