Michael Bay Boards The Last Ship for TNT

• Tweet
• Pin It

I’m never quite sure how to feel when I hear Michael Bay is working on some new project. He has this way of making movies that is at once exhilarating while being incredibly frustrating. But that’s his films. How would Bay’s methods work on a television series? We may be close to finding out just that. Bay has begun work on an apocalyptic project for TNT, of which a pilot has been ordered. Once again I’m torn. Will Bay’s particular style spoil a potentially promising series, or will the episodic format focus his almost ADD like filmmaking skills. It’s quite the conundrum.

As it stands, Bay may not have that much of an affect on it. According to EW.com he is just a producer, thus he will not have the privilege of directing the series, at least not as of this time. It’s possible he may decide to direct the pilot, but even then that’s only one episode. The series as a whole would have various directors and could end up looking quite different from the work we’ve come to expect from Bay. The project, called The Last Ship, is based on a 1989 book written by William Brinkley. The official logline for The Last Ship goes a little something like this:

In The Last Ship, a global catastrophe nearly obliterates the earth’s population, forcing the crew of a naval destroyer to confront the reality of their new existence in a world where they are among the only survivors.

Sounds interesting, no? Michael Wright, president and head of programming for TNT, certainly thinks so. He’s is completely behind the project, saying the book would be perfect for television, that it has a “great premise, memorable characters, intense situations and heart-racing action.” That may true of the book, but things can get lost in translation when doing an adaptation.

Also of note, this will not be the only TV work from Bay. Earlier this year, Bay’s production studio, Platinum Dunes, received a straight-to-series order from Starz for another sea-set project called Black Sails, a prequel to Treasure Island. I’m very intrigued by both of these projects, if only because of Bay’s involvement. I would very much like to see him direct at least one episode to show what he can do under tighter time constraints. He may surprise us all.