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Westworld creators to adapt sci-fi masterwork for Amazon

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The next big show from Amazon’s ‘script-to-series’ commitment will see husband-wife combo Jonathon Nolan and Lisa Joy team up to take on William Gibson’s dark sci-fi thriller The Peripheral.

Having landed a $150 million mega-deal with Amazon last Spring, the creators of Westworld have been given the all clear to tackle William Gibson’s political sci-fi thriller The Peripheral. And by the sounds of it, it’s shaping up to be something special.

Jonathon Nolan (best known for The Dark Knight screenplay and co-writing Interstellar) and wife Lisa Joy (Reminiscence producer and Burn Notice co-writer) have been backed to transform William Gibson’s explosive story on the futuristic dilapidation of London and ‘small-town’ America, after cementing Westworld as Amazon Prime’s flagship show. Gotta be the best HBO show about too now I reckon… liking that shade Benioff, Weiss?

If you’re not too familiar with Gibson’s work, he’s something of a trend setter and easily one of science fiction’s main pioneers. He even coined the term ‘cyberspace’ in his debut novel Neuromancer, which has gone on to become common phrase in the genre today. His works of fiction are often eerily prophetic, with him foreseeing the ways technology would eventually go on to shape our identities, as well as the rise of reality television, and breakthroughs in VR technology way back in the 80s. Black Mirror fans look him up, you won’t be disappointed.

The Peripheral is widely regarded as Gibson’s magnum opus. Largely focused on a dystopian London, the story depicts a world devastated by climate change, droughts, famine, and political chaos. Relatable stuff this.

Taking place across multiple timelines, the central protagonist Flynne lives in a Cyberpunk US town where job opportunities are whittled down to either drug manufacturing or working at the local Walmart-analog. Her and her army vet brother scrape a living by scamming the Veterans Affairs, doing illegal 3D printing, and testing video games. One day while testing a game, Flynne witnesses a virtual murder that seems a little too real, and what she sees has grave implications across several timelines.

The show’s synopsis says: ‘Flynne is smart, ambitious, and doomed. She has no future. Until the future comes for her’. It’s all a bit vague I know but saying anything more would make me a Spoiling Sally. If you’re a spoil sport just check the book reviews. I’ll have no part in it.

Both Joy and Nolan will work closely with executive producer Scott B. Smith who, for me, has yet to really show his metal in TV production despite being an obviously talented writer (A Simple Plan 1998). The likes of Vincenzo Zatali, who directed Netflix’s In the Tall Grass, and Athena Wickham, who worked alongside the couple on Westworld will lend their talents to the The Peripheral as exec producers. Warner Bros Television is on board too in a similar capacity.

Currently we have no word on casting, but barring something drastic like the inclusion of Lindsay Lohan in a lead role, I’m pretty much sold. With shows like The Boys and Watchmen gaining popularity, and with the likes of The Lord of the Rings and The Wheel of Time short in the pipeline, the future of Amazon Prime – unlike The Peripheral – is looking mighty bright.

Editor in Chief London, UK

I’m Jamie (He/Him), the Editor in Chief at Thred. Keeping up with gaming and revolutionary technology is my forte, but when away from my keyboard, you’ll probably find me wrapped around a large Tango ice blast at the latest mediocre horror flick. Follow me on Twitter, LinkedIn and drop me some ideas/feedback via email.

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