Fox is reportedly developing a reboot of "The X Factor," the singing competition that ran for three seasons on the network beginning in 2011, according to Deadline and TheWrap. The original U.S. version was based on a British format and sorted contestants into categories by age, gender and other factors, with each of its four judges mentoring one group. The series was responsible for the formation of Fifth Harmony, which was mentored by Simon Cowell and finished third in Season 2 before spawning solo acts including Camila Cabello and Normani.
The new version is expected to keep the core structure of the original but add "new twists," most notably contestants living together in a house during the competition. Deadline reportedly described the goal as "more sizzle" to set the revival apart from both the U.S. predecessor and the U.K. original. TVLine said it had reached out to Fox for comment. Cowell, who co-created the original series, served as a judge on all three U.S. seasons, alongside a rotating panel that included L.A. Reid, Paula Abdul, Nicole Scherzinger, Britney Spears, Demi Lovato, Kelly Rowland and Paulina Rubio.S1S2
The original series ended its U.S. run in 2013 and its U.K. run in 2018, and has since spawned two U.K. spinoffs, "The X Factor: Celebrity" and "The X Factor: The Band." Fremantle will produce the spinoff with Mischief & Wonder, the Sydney-based company founded by producers Emma Lamb and Leigh Aramberri. It is unclear where the reality competition would shoot, or whether it could qualify for a California tax credit, as several singing competitions have left the state to cut production costs, including "American Idol," which moved to Georgia.S2
The development comes as Fox revives other unscripted franchises, having recently rebooted "Fear Factor" with "Fear Factor: House of Fear," hosted by Johnny Knoxville, which premiered in January and raised the stakes from the original series. TheWrap also reported this week that producers of "The Voice" are considering leaving Los Angeles despite having a standalone set on the Universal Studios lot.S2
