Just a few months ago, ABC President Karey Burke said she'd "very much" be interested in seeing a Lost reboot. There's nothing in the works, and the Lost creators have no intention of rebooting or reviving the show themselves. However, they were open to the idea of someone else exploring the world.
Evangeline Lilly is not a fan of the idea. Our Freckles does not want to go back to the island. Lilly played Kate Austen across Lost's six seasons from 2004 to 2010. She has her own frustrations with the show, but she's also loyal to the completed story. Here's what she said when asked if she thought Lost would be remade anytime soon:
My honest answer is I hope not. I really am that person who felt like we could have left well enough alone with a lot of these franchises, and I am die-hard fan of the original Star Wars movies, you know, and sometimes I think you can devalue the original content. I think that can happen, and I would hate to see that happen with Lost. I read a quote recently that said, 'I’ve never done an adaptation because the book is good enough as it is.'
So she's not just against a Lost reboot, she's not a fan of the current Hollywood craze to reboot or revive all kinds of franchises. She brought Star Wars into the story, although she didn't specify if she's not a fan of the prequels, the new movie trilogy, the standalone movies like Rogue One and Solo, or all of the above.
It's easy to take a knee-jerk negative response to the idea of a reboot, revival, spinoff, continuation, etc. But not all are created equal. Some fans agree with what Evangeline Lilly said to EW. They also think Lost should be left alone -- period. Other fans can see the potential in returning to the island, which existed before we first landed there with Oceanic Airlines Flight 815.
A continuation -- along the lines of, say, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle -- could set a new story in the same world but with only cursory nods to the original Lost. If done well, with new characters we love as much as the original cast, it could work. Or it could flop! Some reboots do work. I'm a huge fan of the original U.K. version of The Office, but the U.S. remake ended up extremely popular in its own right. The Ocean's trilogy, James Bond movies, Spider-Man movies, A Star Is Born -- they were all successful despite being rebooted with new casts.
That's not to say a Lost reboot is a good idea. I'd have to see a script. But I could be sold on the idea if the script were good enough. There are so many angles to work off that island. I would leave the original characters alone, since we did complete their stories -- whether you liked the final season or not.
If Lost ever does get a reboot, it will happen without the original Lost bosses. Here's what co-showrunner Carlton Cuse said a couple of years ago:
Damon [Lindelof] and I are pretty adamant about the fact that we don't have any intentions of rebooting Lost. I know that there are a lot of shows that have been rebooted lately, but we are not on that path.
However, Damon Lindelof told EW in 2017 that he's not against someone else rebooting Lost with new characters:
Those characters not only died, but we showed you their experience post-death. Any new take on Lost will probably have to feature new characters, as it should. Carlton and I always said that we welcome any future crack at the [intellectual property]. Lost was bigger than us and bigger than [co-creator] J.J. [Abrams]. There’s something really exciting about the fact that George Lucas sold the Star Wars universe and now the people who grew up watching it are making it. Maybe the same thing could be said for Lost.
So he has the exact opposite take on Star Wars, and the idea of a Lost reboot, than Evangeline Lilly. That's just another reminder that there's no one "right" way to see anything.
Over on NBC, Manifest seems like it's kinda sorta going for its own version of Lost. It's not a reboot or remake, it just seems inspired by Lost.
I would love to go back to the island, if someone out there writes a script that's worth exploring, and if they can create characters and cast actors worthy of such a return. Lost is an incredibly tough act to follow. It's not worth doing unless it's done right -- and not just to please people who didn't like the original ending and want a redo. Go sign one of the million petitions.
As we wait to see if a Lost reboot idea actually goes anywhere, keep up with what's scheduled to air on TV and streaming this year with our summer 2019 TV guide.
