J.J. Abrams Developing Rod Serling’s Final Screenplay

Steve Barton   |  

Jun 5, 2013

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There are few news stories that I’ve reported on in my career that have made me as happy as this one does, and if you’re an avid fan of “The Twilight Zone,” get ready to be as delighted as I am. Yep, this is shaping up to be a pretty damned good hump day!

Variety reports that J.J. Abrams’ Bad Robot Prods. has struck a deal with the estate of Rod Serling to develop an event series based on an unproduced screenplay by the renowned scribe and “Twilight Zone” host. “The Stops Along the Way” is described as Serling’s final completed work before his death in June 1975 at the age of 50. Bad Robot and Warner Bros. TV secured the rights to the script from Serling’s widow, Carol Serling. The property will be shopped to TV outlets as a limited series.

“I’m terribly, wonderfully excited that J.J. is interested and going to do it,” Carol Serling told Variety. “It was one of my husband’s favorite pieces. He thought it had great potential.” Abrams has been eying the property for some time. It’s one of several ideas that he’s discussed during the past few years with Carol Serling.

Rod Serling originally envisioned “Stops Along the Way” as a TV miniseries when he wrote the script in the early 1970s. Carol Serling wouldn’t give up any details on the story other than to say it involves “a little bit of fantasy, a little bit of imagination” and that it “takes place over a long period of time.” The property was never developed in any formal way during Rod Serling’s lifetime with a network or studio.

Oh, happy day!

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