George Orwell's 1984 is Being Developed as a TV Series
As we witness the world that we live in transform into the dystopian future of George Orwell’s iconic novel 1984, a new TV series adaptation of the story is currently in development. It’s said that the series will be based on a 2013 play that was based on the novel.
The play was created by Robert Icke and Duncan Macmillan and they are both involved with the development of the project, which is being planned as a five-part limited series. I’m not familiar with the play, but it’s said to be a “shocking reimagining of Orwell’s vision of denialism, propaganda, endless war, and mass surveillance. Protagonist Winston Smith was depicted in brutal, blood-spattering torture scenes as he grappled with Big Brother’s oppression, and there were reports of audience members fainting and vomiting.”
The series is described as being a “bold new version of Orwell’s story in a world that has developed a dangerous addiction to disinformation.”
Icke and Macmillan said in a statement, “As the world grapples with democracy and government in our divided age of surveillance, ‘fake news’ and truth decay, the urgency of Orwell’s masterpiece is undeniable. The small screen feels like a natural home for his portrait of a society in which people trust their screens more than the world outside their windows.”
I recently read 1984 again and it’s pretty crazy and scary to read it and see where we are at now. For those of you who need a refresher, here's the synopsis for George Orwell's novel:
The story takes place in an imagined future, the year 1984, when much of the world has fallen victim to perpetual war, omnipresent government surveillance, historical negationism, and propaganda. Great Britain, known as Airstrip One, has become a province of a totalitarian superstate named Oceania that is ruled by the Party who employ the Thought Police to persecute individuality and independent thinking. Big Brother, the leader of the Party, enjoys an intense cult of personality despite the fact that he may not even exist. The protagonist, Winston Smith, is a diligent and skillful rank-and-file worker and Outer Party member who secretly hates the Party and dreams of rebellion. He enters into a forbidden relationship with a colleague, Julia, and starts to remember what life was like before the Party came to power.
Former ABC chief Paul Lee’s independent studio Wiip is producing the series. What do you think about Orwell’s 1984 being adapted into a TV series? What are your thoughts on it being based on this play?
Source: Deadline