AMC and French broadcaster Canal+ have officially given the green light to a new television series based on the iconic 1991 action thriller Point Break. The project, which was first teased in December, is set to transport the adrenaline-fueled world of the original surf heist film into the present day.
The upcoming eight-part series picks up more than three decades after the events of the original movie. The narrative will introduce a new heist crew with deep ties to the infamous “Ex-Presidents” gang—the group of bank robbers who famously wore presidential masks in the cult classic. To track them down, the FBI is forced to recruit a mysterious, disgraced ex-pro surfer whose own checkered past makes him the only person capable of infiltrating the high-stakes, daredevil world of the suspects.
The series is being produced by Alcon Television Group, the television arm of the film company that handled the 2015 feature film reboot. Production is scheduled to begin early next year.
To helm the project, AMC has tapped Dave Kalstein—known for his work on Treadstone and Butterfly—and Christopher C. Rogers, who previously executive produced the critically acclaimed Halt and Catch Fire and Sugar. The duo will serve as co-showrunners and executive producers.
“Start with one of the most entertaining and unforgettable action films ever made, add a powerhouse creative team and producing partners, [and] massive fan interest… and you get a greenlight we could not be more excited about,” said Dan McDermott, president of AMC Studios and chief content officer of AMC Global Media.
For Kalstein and Rogers, the project is a labor of love. In a joint statement, the co-showrunners remarked, “Point Break was the movie that rocked our worlds forever. It was this wild cinematic sermon on friendship, outlaws, and spirituality that struck our souls… We’re putting together a series that will inspire audiences everywhere to seek ‘The Ultimate.'”
The distribution strategy for the series is as expansive as the show’s premise. AMC and its streaming service, AMC+, will host the show in the United States, while Canal+ will manage broadcasts in France and across its pay-service platforms in Europe, Africa, and Asia. Global distribution will be handled by Studiocanal.
The original Point Break, directed by Kathryn Bigelow and written by W. Peter Iliff, became a touchstone of 90s cinema, pitting Keanu Reeves’ FBI rookie Johnny Utah against Patrick Swayze’s charismatic, philosophical thief, Bodhi. While the new series promises a contemporary update, it aims to honor the legacy of the original, trading the 90s surf culture for a new generation of high-stakes crime and, presumably, the same lethal, high-octane waves that cemented the franchise in pop culture history.
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