Michael Crichton’s 1987 novel, Sphere, is being adapted once again, but this time for the small screen. Helmed by Denise Thé, who will serve as showrunner, writer, and executive producer for the project, the Sphere series is being developed for HBO.
Sphere, a sci-fi psychological thriller set off by an unknown spacecraft discovered at the bottom of the ocean, was already adapted into a film version in 1998. Unfortunately, due to negative reception from both critics and audiences (in a heartwarming rare moment of agreement), the movie bombed. HBO hopes to correct that mistake and do justice to Crichton’s original story this time around, and with Thé on board, that goal seems reachable.
The series will be a collaboration between Kilter Film and Team Downey. Kilter Film’s Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy will serve as executive producers alongside Team Downey’s Robert Downey Jr, Susan Downey, and Amanda Burrell. Athena Wickham, who works with Denise Thé on HBO’s Westworld and also shared production duties with her on Person of Interest, will join the team as well.
Thé’s work on Person of Interest should get the attention of audiences looking for solid writing and character work, while her time with Westworld might perk up the ears of those who enjoyed the Sphere novel and are hungry to have their minds jostled around. Meanwhile, the rest of Athena Wickham’s resume speaks for itself as well, with a run as producer on the surreal sci-fi series Fringe as well as an upcoming executive producer credit on Amazon’s cautiously anticipated Fallout series. Denise Thé and Kilter Film are also involved with that project.
The history of Sphere as a story is surprisingly long, with Crichton beginning work on it all the way back in 1967. It was originally conceived as a companion piece to another of his famous novels, The Andromeda Strain. However, after realizing he didn’t know where to go with the story, he shelved it, finally returning to it and releasing it 20 years later. Hey, just because the history of something is long doesn’t mean it’s particularly involved.
Fans of the novel who were put off by the film’s lackluster attempt to adapt the story will hopefully get the satisfaction they desire with this upcoming series. While no casting information has been announced as of yet, the talented production team already confirmed for the project should alleviate at least a modest amount of fears.
Source: Variety
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