Leonardo DiCaprio is Producing a New Series Adaptation of THE RIGHT STUFF
National Geographic has teamed up with Leonardo DiCaprio's Appian Way Productions to develop a series adaptation of Tom Wolfe's classic novel The Right Stuff. I love this book and I've fan of the 1983 film adaptation with Dennis Quaid, Ed Harris, Scott Glen, Sam Shepard, and Fred Ward. The story focuses on the original Mercury Seven astronauts and their road to taking man into space.
Here are the details on the series and what the plan is in bringing the story to life:
The Right Stuff takes a gritty, anti-nostalgic look at what would become America’s first reality show as the obsessive original Mercury Seven astronauts and their families become instant celebrities in a competition that will either kill them or make them immortal. The one-hour drama will follow the protagonists from the Mojave Desert to the edges of space, with future seasons carrying through to humankind’s greatest achievement: the moon landing.
The series will use the book as a starting point, featuring a mission for each season, with Season 1 beginning at the height of the Cold War in 1958. A handful of adrenaline-junkie test pilots are living in the Mojave Desert, risking their lives daily to become the fastest pilots on Earth. Meanwhile, America is against the ropes as the Soviets dominate the space race: They’ve not only beat us to put a satellite in orbit, but there is an ever-growing fear they can drop nuclear weapons from above. With the public wondering if we are a nation in decline, the U.S. government conceives the Mercury Program, America’s attempt to beat the Soviets and put the first person in space. Now they need to find the perfect team — seven heroes willing to risk almost certain death to achieve international fame and reclaim the ultimate high ground, outer space.
The movie is also being written and executive produced by Will Staples (Call of Duty) and it sounds like it should make for an awesome series!
Courteney Monroe, CEO of National Geographic Global Networks had this to say in a statement:
“I’m excited to work with them in a scripted capacity. With The Right Stuff, we’re looking at a moment in time where the everyday life, the trials, and tribulations, of these men was scrutinized in the public.”
Producer Jennifer Davisson added:
"The heroism of these astronauts was rivaled only by the country’s fascination with their story; this series uncovers both the adventure of space exploration and the adventure of being unwittingly thrust into the public eye.”
If you've never seen the original movie, you should check it out. It's a great film with a compelling story that I think you'd enjoy. Or you can just wait for this series.
Source: Deadline