Kenny Rogers starred in The Gambler‘s five TV films from 1980-1994
The late Kenny Rogers may be returning to TV in another form due to a new pact Shout Factory has with his estate and Vector Management. Deadline reports that the studio has obtained a worldwide multi-year distribution deal for ten of Rogers starring films, including all five of The Gambler TV films, across broadcast, streaming, on-demand, digital, home entertainment, and theatrical showings.
The pact includes a TV series reboot based on the music, movies and miniseries spawned by Rogers’ 1978 hit song “The Gambler,” that Shout! Studios, Shout Factory’s original content unit, will produce and develop. The song spawned five TV movies between 1980-1994 and featured Rogers playing the card-playing, adventure-seeking Brady Hawkes.
“As far as legacies go, The Gambler is a doozy,” Brent Haynes, Head of Original Content Development at Shout! tells Deadline. “We are thrilled to be working with Kenny’s estate on this series. This is the kind of nostalgic, feel-good storytelling that is built into Shout!’s DNA.”
Shout is expected to shop the series outside of its own streaming unit.
The pact includes the films Coward of the County (1981), Wild Horses (1985), MacShayne: Winner Takes All (1994), and MacShayne: The Final Roll of the Dice (1994); as well as international rights to 1993’s Rio Diablo which also starred Travis Tritt and Naomi Judd.
Rogers died on March 20th at the age of 81 from natural causes. Rogers’ left an indelible mark on the history of American music with a career that spanned more than six decades. His songs have endeared music lovers and touched the lives of millions around the world. Chart-topping hits like “The Gambler,” “Lady,” “Islands In The Stream,” “Lucille,” “She Believes In Me,” and “Through the Years” are just a handful of Rogers’ songs that have inspired generations of artists and fans alike. Rogers, with 24 No. 1 hits, was a Country Music Hall of Fame member, six-time CMA Awards winner, three-time GRAMMY Award winner, recipient of the CMA Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award in 2013, CMT Artist of a Lifetime Award honoree in 2015 and has been voted the “Favorite Singer of All Time” in a joint poll by readers of both USA Today and People.
