Roland Emmerich Takes a Break From the Apocalypse for 'Lawrence of Arabia' Mini-Series

Columbia Pictures

After a lifetime of alien invasions and Kaiju attacks and intergalactic teleportation devices and Woolly Mammoths and John Cusacks, Roland Emmerich has decided to take it easy for a while. Maybe settle down in a nice retirement community and pass the time with some character work. Maybe someplace like a war-laden, early 20th Century Middle East. Following his forthcoming action-adventure White House Down, Emmerich will be setting to work on a Lawrence of Arabia mini-series, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter. The project, to be developed by FremantleMedia International, will take the form of six separate hours, and will draw from the writings of British officer T.E. Lawrence.
The Independence Day director will produce the mini-series, working alongside film and television writer Clive Bradley. While a remake of the classic 1962 biographical drama Lawrence of Arabia would be a prospect doomed to fail, the mini-series format might allow for a more accepted new look at the colorful story. Based on Emmerich's past work, we can estimate that a hike in the wartime action will be present in this new vantage point, although the small screen delivery could indicate something a little more Patriot and a little less 10,000 B.C.. Just as long as there's some Ghost Chase in there, we're happy.