The Fugitive (franchise)

The Fugitive franchise consists of American action-thriller mystery-crime installments via film and television mediums. The franchise is composed of two theatrical films, and three television series. Based on an original story by Roy Huggins for the titular 1960s television series, the plot centers around innocent individuals who are wrongfully convicted after they are framed for criminal acts they did not commit. Each installment details their eventual escape from their capture by law enforcement, and the ensuing investigative manhunt that follows. As accomplished investigators are quickly on their trail in trying to recapture them, they frantically search to find the proof of their innocence and exoneration for their name.

The franchise is intended to continue, with a reboot film in development.

The Fugitive (1993)
After Dr. Richard Kimble is framed and convicted of the murder of his beloved wife, he must outrun the law and solve the mystery by locating her killer and clearing his name. In pursuit of Dr. Kimble is a team of U.S. Marshals under the direction of the determined detective, chief deputy US Marshal Samuel Gerard who will not stop until he catches the fugitive. Following in chase, Kimble works tirelessly to stay one step ahead of Gerard and his team with hopes of disproving the overwhelming evidence that wrongfully indicates that he is guilty. As he strives to find the identity of his wife's killer, he begins to uncover other secrets surrounding the planned murder before it is too late.

U.S. Marshals (1998)
When an airplane full of convicted felons crashes, a federal prisoner named Mark Sheridan who is wrongfully convicted of a double-murder escapes. Running from the law in search of proof that he is innocent, chief deputy U.S. Marshal Sam Gerard once again leads a team who are tasked with apprehending the escapee. Alongside State Department agent John Royce, Gerard finds himself once again following the trail of a fugitive of the law. As Mark frantically searches for the truth to exonerate his name, Gerard begins to question his guilt and finds evidences that indicate the innocence of members of his team may be in question.

Reboot
In November 2019, it was announced that a remake of The Fugitive was in development. Albert Hughes will serve as director, with a script from Brian Tucker which will reportedly put a new spin on the premise. Erik Feig will produce the project. Warner Bros. Pictures will produce and distribute the film.

The Fugitive (1963-1967)
Created by Roy Huggins for the American Broadcasting Company (ABC), as a collaboration between QM Productions and United Artists Television, the series debuted on September 17, 1963 and lasted until August 29, 1967. Consisting of four seasons, the show starred David Janssen as Dr. Richard Kimble, Barry Morse as Lt. Philip Gerard, and Bill Raisch as the killer referred to as the "One-Armed Man". Altogether, the series is largely regarded as a crime-drama classic.

Centering around Dr. Kimble who on the run from the law which has wrongfully convicted him of his wife's murder, the plot details his attempts to evade police lieutenant Philip Gerard, as he seeks to prove his innocence and find the killer. The popularity of the series eventually lead to the development of additional contemporary adaptations, years later.

The Fugitive (2000-2001)
Following the continued popularity and positive reception of the original show, as well as the financial and critical successes of the titular film, Warner Bros. Entertainment and producer Arnold Kopelson developed a new adaptation of the story for Columbia Broadcasting System network television. Starring Tim Daly as Dr. Richard Kimble, Mykelti Williamson as Lt. Philip Gerard, and Stephen Lang as Ben Charnquist / the One-Armed Man, the series was met with acclaim from studio executives and positive reception from its audience upon its air date. Created by Warner Bros. Television Studios in collaboration with Kopelson Entertainment, Kopelson Telemedia, and McNamara Paper Products the series aired from October 6, 2000 until May 25, 2001; lasting one season which ended with a cliff-hanger, before its cancellation.

The Fugitive (2020)
Created by Nick Santora for a contemporary adaptation, with similar plot details to the original premise albeit different characters and events, the series was initially developed as a streaming short-form series, exclusive for Quibi. In 2021, Roku purchased the library initially created for Quibi, announcing that the company would launch the content on their streaming service The Roku Channel as Roku Originals. Starring Boyd Holbrook as Mike Ferro and Kiefer Sutherland as Det. Clay Bryce, the series centers around Ferro as a man framed and falsely accused for a terrorist attack he did not commit, and his personal race against time in solving the crime.

The series aired from August 3–18, 2020 and was met with underwhelming reception, comparing it as inferior to its predecessors and only lasted one season.