Friday, March 23, 2012

War is Peace, Freedom is Slavery, Ignorance is Strength, and a new version of George Orwell's 1984 is in the works



With the dystopian novel The Hunger Games now a film and about to rock the box office this weekend, movie studios are moving forward with a new version of the king of dystopian novels, George Orwell's classic 1984.

According to "The Hollywood Reporter" Ron Howard and Brian Grazer's production company Imagine Entertainment are looking to "develop a new take on the 20th century classic."

The novel has previously been adapted into film twice, most recently in (surprise!) 1984. 1984 was directed by Michael Radford, starred John Hurt and Richard Burton*, and received tepid reviews.

For those of you who haven't read the novel (FYI-those who haven't need to NOW) the novel is set in post-atomic war London and centers around protagonist Winston Smith, a government bureaucrat who rewrites history and erases people from existence. Disgusted with the totalitarian state, Winston beings a secret journal and a torrid love affair in defiance of the government's oppression.

I think 1984** would be a fantastic film to remake. The source material is as relevant today as it was sixty plus years ago and I could really see Ron Howard doing justice to this movie. Who could you see playing the main role? God let it not be Robert Pattinson.


*1984 was actually Richard Burton's last onscreen film.

**How about remaking Aldous Huxley's# Brave New World too?


#Huxley died on November 22, 1963 the same day as John F. Kennedy and fellow writer C.S. Lewis. Weird.

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