ABC snapped up American Idol after Fox wrapped the formerly hit show in April 2016 following 15 seasons on air.
Now Fox is moving quickly to develop a new singing competition to rival Idol, according to Variety on Monday.
The as-yet-unnamed project turns the format on its head by introducing four ‘winners’ at the beginning of the season.
The host with the most: ABC snapped up American Idol, hosted by Ryan Seacrest, after Fox wrapped the show in April 2016. Now Fox is developing a new singing competition to rival Idol
Contestants then battle to knock one of them off the top spot and steal it from them, as determined by a panel of judges.
The show is from Israeli producer and distributor Armoza Formats, which has already sold it to France.
No other details about the show have been revealed and Fox has yet to set a premiere date.
The network put in a late bid in to reclaim Idol after discovering ABC was interested in the long-running franchise, but owner FremantleMedia opted for the change.
Last show: Judges Keith Urban, Jennifer Lopez and Harry Connick Jr. during the American Idol finale on April 7, 2016. ABC has snapped up Katy Perry as one of the judges on its reboot
Katy Perry will be a judge on Idol in a deal that reportedly pays her $25 million for the first season.
ABC and Fremantle are in advanced talks with Ryan Seacrest to return as host, with a deal that could be announced this week, according to Variety.
It remains to be seen how the busy celebrity will combine that with his new morning gig on ABC’s Live With Kelly And Ryan and his nationally syndicated iHeartRadio morning show On Air With Ryan Seacrest.
First-timers: Season 1 judges Randy Jackson, Paula Abdul, Simon Cowell and host Ryan talked on stage during the finale
Other judges and celebrity coaches have yet to be revealed.
ABC doesn’t have a firm premiere date for Idol, saying that it will return for the 2017-2018 season.
American Idol was a phenomenon when it debuted on June 11, 2002, and was the highest-rated series on TV for nearly a decade.
He may be back: ABC is keen to recruit Ryan for the Idol reboot and a deal could be announced this week, according to showbiz bible Variety