HBO Films orders adaptation of Fahrenheit 451. The proposed TV movie will mark the first time Ray Bradbury’s classic science fiction novel of the same name has been adapted for the small screen.
The HBO movie will not be the first film dramatization of the book however. Highly-regarded director Francois Truffaut made a film adaptation of Fahrenheit 451 in 1966, a production that was followed by both a BBC radio program and a stage version written by Bradbury in 1982.
Already making headway on the production, HBO has enlisted Ramin Bahrani, who is best known for the critically-acclaimed 99 Homes, to write, direct, and produce Fahrenheit 451:
You probably read “Fahrenheit 451” in high school, but in case you didn’t, the CliffsNotes summary: Bradbury’s dystopian novel tells of a near-future America in which all books are outlawed and “firemen” are responsible for burning every tome they come across. It follows one such fireman, Guy Montag, as he undergoes a crisis of conscience about his duties. The material seems a good fit for Bahrani, whose cerebral style was last seen in the recession drama “99 Homes.” No word on casting yet, but Michael Shannon reteaming with the director as Montag could be incendiary.
Just as there’s something ironic about the fact that “Fahrenheit 451” has itself been censored (and even outright banned) a number of times, so too is there an irony to the idea of adapting a book set in a world where “television rules and literature is on the brink of extinction” for a premium-cable channel.
Leave your thoughts on HBO producing a TV movie of Fahrenheit 451 (via Indiewire) in the comments section below. For more Fahrenheit 451 photos, videos, and information, visit our Fahrenheit 451 Page, and consider subscribing to us by Email, “following” us on Twitter, Tumblr, Google+, or “liking” us on Facebook for quick updates. No debut date has been offered for Fahrenheit 451.