Mark Schwahn, creator of one of the most popular American teen dramas, “One Tree Hill”, says he will absolutely turn the TV show into a film if its cast is willing to do it.
Long before “One Tree Hill” burst on to the small screen in 2003, Schwahn, also a writer, director and producer, had plans to make it a film proper. But that project never took off.
It’s been more than five years since the show went off the air in 2012, but Schwahn is still up for making it a movie. He says he just needs some support, apart from the show’s diehard fans.
“I always say that the fortunate thing about ‘One Tree Hill’ is that the actors have gone on and done other things, and most of them are working. I’ve always said from Day One that the show will be significant to me.
“If the cast is willing to, I will absolutely do it (make the show’s movie version). I love that cast and the characters. I don’t know if we will all be at the same place and same time, but I wouldn’t be the one saying no,” Schwahn told IANS with excitement over the phone from London.
The spotlight was originally on the two half-brothers, Lucas Scott (Chad Michael Murray) and Nathan Scott (James Lafferty) fighting over a position in the school’s basketball team and same girl Peyton Sawyer (Hilarie Burton), apart from their friends and family in the small town of Tree Hill, North Carolina.
The show’s story is still alive. Proof? It just bagged the 2017 Teen Choice Award for Choice Throwback TV Show.
“I know! I was very surprised by that. I have to tell you that the show has become more popular now than it was when it was on,” he said.
“The things that we were dealing with on ‘One Tree Hill’ were very timeless. They are the things that teens and young adults will be dealing with for the rest of the time. That’s why it still resonates. We didn’t try to set any trend,” he added.
The show dealt with sex scandals, stalkers, school shooting, parental issues, clashes within the cheerleading squad and more. But there were some outlandish twists too. Remember a dog eating the heart meant for transplantion for Dan Scott (Paul Johansson).
But the show also gave friendship and marriage goals. Who can forget the cat fights between Brooke Davis (Sophia Bush) and Peyton, who were also each other’s pillar of strength. Or Marvin “Mouth” McFadden (Lee Norris), a good friend to Lucas as well as popular girls in high school.
Though “One Tree Hill” saw school going kids getting hitched and having a son, it also made many believe in true love, thanks to Nathan and Haley James (Bethany Joy Lenz), fondly known as ‘Naley’.
Schwahn, currently shooting the fourth season of “The Royals” in London, says this new show might have nothing to do with basketball like on “One Tree Hill” or his other projects such as “The Perfect Score” and “Coach Carter”, but it does have some things in common.
“They were dealing with the same type of issues like family, friends and what choices you are going to make along the way. That idea of personal identity is core of all the projects. I think that the themes are pretty much the same. Some had basketball and some have the throne,” said the writer.
“The Royals”, which follows a fictional modern day royal family in Britain, is aired on Colors Infinity in India.