Get those notebooks ready, because the writer and detective Jessica Fletcher may be finally returning to the public eye with a Murder, She Wrote feature film reboot. The murder mystery genre has exploded in popularity in recent years, mainly thanks to an impressive resurgence of the genre in feature filmmaking. Much of that can be attributed to the unprecedented success of Rian Johnson’s Knives Out series. The initial 2019 film was a critically adored smash hit at the box office, with audiences falling in love with an all new detective character. It’s no wonder why Netflix purchased the rights to the franchise for a whopping $450 million, becoming the home of the film’s sequel, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, as well as an upcoming third installment.
The new recent love for the murder mystery genre likely would not be possible without the contributions made by the near-incalculable number of murder mystery television programs. However, long before Rian Johnson conquered televised murder mysteries as well with Poker Face, there was a little television series called Murder, She Wrote. Starring the late great Angela Lansbury as Jessica Fletcher – a part-time writer and part-time detective who solved a new mystery every week. The series ran for well over a decade and inspired several TV films, making for one of the most beloved and influential murder mystery storylines ever made.
RELATED: Angela Lansbury’s Best On-Screen Moments, From ‘Murder, She Wrote’ to ‘Gaslight’
While the industry icon that is Angela Lansbury may no longer be with us, it appears that Murder, She Wrote will be returning to the public eye after two whole decades. To learn more about the upcoming revival feature film and its crew, status, and more, here is everything we know so far about the Murder, She Wrote reboot.
When is the ‘Murder, She Wrote’ Reboot Coming Out?
Image via CBS
Despite the announcement that a revival film based on Murder, She Wrote being announced, the overall status of the project’s development is not yet clear. As a result, we still don’t know when the Murder, She Wrote reboot film will release, and we likely won’t find out for quite some time. That’s because the writers and actors of the WGA and SAG-AFTRA are still fighting for fair and equal compensation in a historic dual industry strike, which has lasted for nearly half a year at the time of this writing.
Coincidentally, picketers have continued to put their creative talents to use to come up with new picketing ideas. One of their most recent ideas pertains to Murder, She Wrote itself! On September 17th, a Murder, She Wrote-themed picket of Fox was announced, where picketers were tasked with figuring out “who killed writer pay.” It’s a fun idea, to be sure, but admittedly, it’s not hard to figure out who killed writer pay. Still, hopefully, it’s a mystery that will be solved soon.
Where Can You Watch the ‘Murder, She Wrote’ Reboot?
Image via Universal Television
With no release date in sight, it’s still unclear what format the upcoming Murder, She Wrote reboot will release in. As with any feature film from a major studio like Universal Pictures, a theatrical release is certainly a possibility. In fact, if the Murder, She Wrote reboot hopes to be considered for Academy Awards consideration, it will need to have some presence in movie theaters to qualify.
However, given that Murder, She Wrote has such deep and profound roots in television, a straight-to-streaming release is also a possibility. Whether or not Universal decides to release the film in theaters or just go straight to streaming, the Murder, She Wrote reboot will likely find a streaming home on Peacock.
Does the ‘Murder, She Wrote’ Reboot Have a Trailer?
With production details still an unsolved mystery, we don’t have a trailer for the Murder, She Wrote reboot yet and likely won’t for quite some time.
Who Stars in the ‘Murder, She Wrote’ Reboot?
Image via Universal Television
No casting announcements for the Murder, She Wrote reboot have been made at the time of this writing, though that doesn’t necessarily mean that the casting process hasn’t begun. Per the rules and regulations of the SAG-AFTRA strike, studios are unable to make casting announcements, even if they were made before the strike’s start date until the strike is resolved. We saw an example of this with the upcoming season of The Last of Us, which has reportedly found an actor to portray the antagonist Abby, but can’t reveal her identity right now.
Angela Lansbury likely won’t be making an appearance since she passed away in 2022 at the age of 96. The film will almost undoubtedly pay homage to the legendary icon who paved the way for Murder, She Wrote’s success. Fans of Lansbury’s murder mystery work can also find comfort in knowing that one of Lansbury’s final film appearances was through a cameo in Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, which was heavily inspired by her work.
What is the ‘Murder, She Wrote’ Reboot About?
Image via Universal Television
Plot details on the Murder, She Wrote reboot are rather slim. However, when the upcoming film’s writers, Dumb Money duo Lauren Schuker Blum and Rebecca Angelo, spoke with Collider’s own Steven Weintraub and shared a few details about their take on Murder, She Wrote. The two confirmed that the upcoming film will still feature Jessica Fletcher as the main protagonist. They also said that while they haven’t been on speaking terms with Universal due to the WGA strike, but did state that the studio is still heavily interested in the project.
Who is Making the ‘Murder, She Wrote’ Reboot?
Image via Sony
Writing duo Lauren Schuker Blum and Rebecca Angelo will be penning the screenplay for the Murder, She Wrote reboot. Before they made their feature writing debut with the Gamestop stock phenomenon biopic Dumb Money, the pair were best known for working on the critically acclaimed prison dramedy series, Orange is the New Black. Schuker Blum and Angelo are also attached to other upcoming projects like the Ryan Gosling-starring Wolfman reboot and the male strip club biopic Chippendales.
Is the Original ‘Murder, She Wrote’ Series Available to Stream?
Image via Universal Television
In case you feel brave enough to solve all 12 seasons’ worth of mysteries from the original Murder, She Wrote series, you’re in luck. The complete series is currently available to stream in its entirety on Peacock.
Watch on Peacock