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Ridley Scott's Brave New World Adaptation is Gaining Momentum

by Alex Billington
August 5, 2009
Source: Risky Biz Blog

Before we even see Ridley Scott take on that Alien prequel that everyone is so excited about, he might be bringing us an adaptation of Aldous Huxley's Brave New World first. Yes, we've heard a lot about this adaptation over the last year or so, but as always, Scott attaches himself to numerous projects and doesn't decide until last minute what he'll actually do next. While we've written about it numerous, this is the first time that an industry blog, THR's Risky Biz Blog, has covered the news. Not only do they say that "the project has more momentum" but they confirmed that Farhad Safinia has been hired to write the script.

Safinia last wrote Apocalypto with Mel Gibson and has now been tasked with adapting Huxley's epic sci-fi novel into one feature-length film. Scott will produce as a potential directing vehicle at Universal, while his occasional collaborator Leonardo DiCaprio is on board to produce as a starring vehicle. THR's Steven Zeitchik claims that "Scott is not committed to direct anything beyond Robin Hood" and that after finishing Christopher Nolan's Inception, DiCaprio "does not have a movie lined up after that." So if everything works out for the two of them, Ridley Scott will direct and Leonardo DiCaprio will star in it as Bernard Marx.

Aldous Huxley's Brave New World is a vast novel first published in 1931 that tells of a futuristic dystopia. "Community, Identity, Stability" is the motto of Aldous Huxley's utopian World State. Here everyone consumes daily grams of soma, to fight depression, babies are born in laboratories, and the most popular form of entertainment is a "Feelie," a movie that stimulates the senses of sight, hearing, and touch. Though there is no violence and everyone is provided for, Bernard Marx feels something is missing and senses his relationship with a young women has the potential to be much more than the confines of their existence allow.

You know, for the guy who said, barely two years ago, that "sci-fi films are as dead as westerns," it's exciting to know that his next two projects might be sci-fi. Not only because he's proving that sci-fi films aren't actually dead, but this is Ridley frickin' Scott, the same guy who brought us Alien and Blade Runner, come on! "There is an over-reliance on special effects as well as weak storylines," Scott said back in 2007 about modern sci-fi films. Well then let's hope that Farhad Safinia can put together a strong storyline and Scott can bring us some groundbreaking visual effects worthy of even James Cameron's stamp of approval. Sound good?

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Related categories: Hype, Movie News, Opinions

Xerxex

cool.
Ramone

I'm excited... But not as excited as I would be if the announcement was rather: "Alien Prequel going into pre-production in Septemebr 2009..." Oh well... A dream will remain a dream...
Movie Fan

Leo is really in everything these days ain't he? Nothing against the guy, I like him, but man, I'm getting sick of seeing him in EVERYTHING!
dan

i'm more interested in this than another "aliens' movie. i don't see how this will be done in 1 movie? i would think there is too much content in the book.........i hope they don't butcher the story.
http://www.twitter.com/gimmesumsuga Mathieu

Alex, why do you persist in misinterpreting Scott's remarks? He was merely saying that it was very difficult to get a science fiction film made these days - as is the case with westerns - rather than implying he doesn't like them. Don't take everything so literally!
David Banner

Great book, go read it!
Kofi Outlaw

Have you actually read "Brave New World" Billington? It's not that "vast" at all... In fact, as far as classic literature goes it's a short, easy, yet important, read.
S

#7, agreed. I just don't see this movie being a success, much like Watchmen (which proved it wasn't). This is a very depressing, deep book and by no means has a happy ending. My biggest fear with this movie is they will lighten the message. Also, I can't remember the name, but there was an older Woody Allen movie where he gets frozen and goes to the future and I always felt like he had taken his future vision from this book.
Hari Seldon

The announcements over the past month that The Foundation Trilogy and Brave New World are finally going to become movies are as good as it gets for me. However, while Ridley Scott is a good choice for Brave New World, I'm still cringing in my sleep over the fact that Roland Emmerich will be directing the Foundation movies ....
jasonmd2020

#8 I believe the Woody Allen film was called Sleeper.
zubzwank

Ridley Scott once said he wanted to be the John Ford of science fiction. Having just done Alien and Blade Runner at the time, it was a great ambition.
zubzwank

hi
zubzwank

Ridley Scott once said he wanted to be the "John Ford of science fiction." Considering his last two films at the time, Alien and Blade Runner, it was a worthy ambition.
music_food

This is my favourite book of all time, if they mess it up then i'm going to just curl up and die or something. I really hope they take their time to get it right. Like S said, if they lighten the message like Northern Lights was, its going to be knackered. I can just see the opening sequence, camera sweeping through the laboratories of the Hatchery and Conditioning Centre. Makes me all tingly.
JPCaetano

With this one getting made, we realy need "1984" and "Fahrenheiit 451" up there as well.
David Banner

Fahrenheiit 451? That rings a bell, wassnt this slated for a remake??
zubzwank

There was a pretty good 1984 released in, um, 1984. It starred John Hurt and Richard Burton (last film for Dick). Stayed very close to the bleak world described in the book, no lasers, robots, aircars, etc.
BNW fan

I'm not sure he's the right guy for it. Perhaps someone with a little more interest in spirituality.
Carson Dyle

^ Interesting point. #3 - Movie Fan If you're tired of seeing him then tearyour eyes out of their sockets. Brave New World is unadaptable for the simple reason that it lacks dramatically engaging characters. This is intentional and anyone who's read the book can understand why the characters are deliberately uninteresting (save for maybe Jack Savage). A movie version would likely have to sex up (ha!) the players to make it more interesting on a cinematic level but this would loose a large part of the point of Huxley's prose.