Fantasy Island was a popular TV series with new guest stars every week, as new visitors came to live out their fantasies on that island. Ricardo Montalban and Herve Villechaize were the regulars as the proprietors of the island. For the film adaptation, Blumhouse cast a full slate of Fantasy Island guests, including Michael Rooker, Portia Doubleday and Ryan Hansen.
Hansen was at Hulu’s lunch for the Television Critics Association on Friday, since season 4 of Veronica Mars had just premiered on the streaming service. /Film spoke with Hansen about the Fantasy Island movie and a new TV series he’s pitching with the creator of Ryan Hansen Solves Crimes on Television.
Modern Island Fantasies
The fantasy requests for guests to Fantasy Island have been updated. Or, at least, they’re stuck in the ‘90s for Hansen’s character.
“In my fantasy, I wanted a big pimping MTV Cribs style house, money, ladies, parties, all that kind of stuff,” Hansen said. “That fantasy comes true on Fantasy Island. So we get to live that lifestyle. So for people who don’t have that, like myself, you get to do it.”
In addition to Hansen, Doubleday and Rooker, the Fantasy Island movie has a full roster of celebrity guests living out their fantasies. Jimmy O. Yang shares Hansen’s, and there are several more.
“Lucy Hale, Maggie Q has her fantasy,” Hansen said. “Austin Stowell has his.”
An episode of the original show would have to focus on one or two stories at most, an A-story and B-story. The movie will cram at least three fantasies in, with perhaps Doubleday and Rooker each getting their own as well.
There is No Tattoo
Michael Pena plays Roarke, the Montalban role. There is no Tattoo, the Villechaize character, in the Fantasy Island movie.
“No, not in this one, but I think if they have more they will do that or something,” Hansen said. “I don’t really know yet.”
A modern day Tattoo probably raises too many questions. While Villechaize seemed to love his role by all accounts, casting another little person to mimic him might be in poor taste.
Ryan Hansen Will Be Back on TV
Ryan Hansen is no longer solving crimes on television, but he will work with creator Rawson Marshall Thurber again.
“I’m working with Rawson Marshall Thurber who created the show and we’re developing another show together which we’re very excited about,” Hansen said. “We’re going to go pitch it in two weeks so we’ll hopefully see who buys it. But if they can sell Ryan Hansen Solves Crimes on Television, I’m pretty confident they can sell anything else.”
Hansen didn’t have a name of the show yet and wouldn’t reveal the concept, but it may share some DNA with his YouTube Premium series. It might not break as many walls as Ryan Hanson Solves Crimes on Television, but it may still break the fourth wall.
“Not as meta, but still a little meta, but not so much,” Hansen said. “It’s a comedy.”
Fantasy Island is in theaters February 28, 2020.
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