TV series about the 1985 Chicago Bears under development

Less than a week after the death of legendary coach Mike Ditka, rumors began circulating that a television series about the 1985 Chicago Bears was in the works. According to Borys Kit of The Hollywood Reporter, Sunset Lane Media has obtained the rights to adapt Rich Cohen's book Monsters: The 1985 Chicago Bears and the Wild Heart of Football into a limited series.

The team behind the project includes writer Daniel Kunka, known for his work on Lift and 12 Rounds, and director Steve Pink, who has helmed films such as Hot Tub Time Machine and Accepted.

In an interview, David Beaubaire of Sunset Lane Media expressed his enthusiasm for the project, stating, "This is a love letter to Chicago and to a moment when a city that had waited so long to win finally had a team that seemed unstoppable." He added, "The story wasn't just playing out on the field. It was in the locker room, the stands, the bars and the family rooms across the city.

It was riveting, funny, emotional, and completely chaotic. We want to recapture that time in all its glory and chaos, remind people why we love these teams and this game so much, and show why, as cities go, Chicago is second to none."

The 1985 Bears were a dominant force in the NFL, finishing with a perfect 15-1 record and defeating the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XX. Their off-field personalities also contributed to their cultural impact, with coach Ditka, star running back Walter Payton, quarterback Jim McMahon, and defensive lineman William "Refrigerator" Perry becoming household names.

Their story has been chronicled in various documentary formats, including Screen Media Films' 85: The Greatest Team in Football History, ESPN's 30 for 30: The '85 Bears, and HBO's The Shuffle.

Producer Steve Pink emphasized his vision for the series, saying, "I want people in Chicago to watch this and feel like they are back there, and I want everyone who wasn't there to understand why the rest of us have never shut up about it. It should be loud, funny, emotional and alive. These were huge characters playing a brutal game in a great American city, and somehow the whole thing became a love story between a team and its town.

That's what I want onscreen." As of now, the series has no network or streaming platform attached to it.