Moone Boy to be re-made in America
The American television network ABC is working on adapting Moone Boy for US audiences.
The Sky sitcom, created by star Chris O'Dowd, was developed out of the IT Crowd actor's 2010 Little Crackers short.
It focuses on 10-year old Martin Moone, the youngest child of a family living in a small town in Ireland, and his imaginary best friend, Sean Murphy (O'Dowd).
The programme has run for two series to date and has been a critical and ratings hit in the UK. Last year it picked up an International Emmy.
US industry website Deadline reports that ABC is now working with Sony Pictures on a pilot based on the format.
Chris O'Dowd and co-writer Nick Vincent Murphy are working on the script for the American pilot, however O'Dowd will not appear in the show. He stars as Sean Murphy in the original series, but an American actor will be cast as the imaginary friend for the new US-set programme.
The original Moone Boy is already available to view in America. It has been broadcast by various PBS stations and is also on the streaming website Hulu.
A third series of Moone Boy has been filmed by Sky and will be screened in Britain and Ireland next year.
Moone Boy - The Blunder Years, the first in a series of books linked to the TV show, is released in shops today. This novel, written by the creators for young adults, focuses on young Martin Moone's attempts to get an imaginary friend. He first dreams up Loopy Lou, a hyperactive goofball who loves writing rubbish rap songs, but he soon gets fed up with her and invents a different friend.
In the below video the writers introduce the second series of the TV show: