Field of Dreams series coming to TV

August 16th, 2021

This continues to be a big summer for “Field of Dreams.”

The 1989 film -- based on W.P. Kinsella’s 1982 novel, “Shoeless Joe” -- was the inspiration for the inaugural Field of Dreams Game, which the White Sox and Yankees played in thrilling fashion last Thursday in Dyersville, Iowa. Now, the film will be adapted as a scripted drama. The streaming service Peacock has picked up the series from noted television creator and baseball fan Mike Schur, as The Hollywood Reporter detailed on Monday.

A writer, producer and director, Schur is best known for his involvement with a number of popular shows, including “The Office,” “Parks and Recreation,” “Brooklyn Nine-Nine,” and “The Good Place.” Universal TV president Erin Underhill cited Schur’s “love for baseball” in a statement announcing the show.

The movie version of “Field of Dreams,” which earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Picture in 1990, starred Kevin Costner, Ray Liotta, James Earl Jones and Amy Madigan. It centers on Iowa farmer Ray Kinsella (Costner), who is inspired to build a baseball diamond in his cornfields.

MLB later formed plans to play a regular-season game at the site of the Lansing Family Farm, which was used in the movie and subsequently became a tourist attraction. The league built an 8,000-seat ballpark there, where fans were treated last week to festivities that included a pregame appearance by Costner. And then there was the dramatic game, which saw the Yankees rally to take the lead in the top of the ninth inning before the White Sox walked off in the bottom of the frame on Tim Anderson’s home run.

Commissioner Rob Manfred also said that MLB will return to Iowa to host another Field of Dreams Game at the site in August of 2022.