The Creators of WESTWORLD Developing a Series Adaptation of Michael Crichton SPHERE For HBO

HBO is set to produce a series based on Michael Crichton’s sci-fi thriller novel Sphere. The series is being developed by Westworld executive producers and writers Denise Thé, Lisa Joy, and Jonathan Nolan. Robert Downey Jr. and Susan Downey’s Team Downey and Warner Bros. Television are also producing.

This is actually really exciting! When I first read Sphere when I was a teenager, I was blown away! I loved that book. There was a movie adaptation released in 1998 that starred Dustin Hoffman, Sharon Stone, and Samuel L. Jackson. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen it, but I remember being disappointed, so the fact that we are getting a series adaptation from HBO and the teams that brought us Westworld and Perry Mason is great!

The series will be written by Thé, who will also serve as showrunner. The story “plunges us one thousand feet into the ocean, where a group of scientists confronts the surreal, beautiful, and deadly mysteries of the universe, only to find the people closest to us may prove to be the most alien.”

Here’s a description of the book:

Sphere is a bravura demonstration of what he does better than anyone: riveting storytelling that combines frighteningly plausible, cutting edge science and technology with pulse-pounding action and serious chills. The gripping story of a group of American scientists sent to the ocean floor to investigate an alien ship, only to confront a terrifying discovery that defies imagination.

Did you ever read the book? Do you remember the film? What do you think about HBO developing Sphere as a series with this creative team of talent?

Source: Deadline