USA Network has agreed to a 10-episode order of Brave New World, an adaptation of Aldous Huxley’s classic novel. Rather than just a pilot order, the show will be straight-to-series, meaning USA Network, a division of NBCUniversal, is committed to the entire series regardless of how well it does. The series has been in the works since 2015, originally headed by Dave Howe, former president of Syfy. The series will now be led by David Wiener (Homecoming), who will act as writer and showrunner. Wiener started running the project last year, and the show will be filmed in the U.K. No premiere date has yet been announced.
The novel Brave New World was published in 1932, and has been ranked fifth amongst the top one hundred 20th century novels in the English language, according to Modern Library. In the story, it focuses on a utopian society that is not as it seems. Peace has been achieved by prohibiting what most would assume to be necessary rights, such as money, privacy, and even erasing history.
According to the logline, the story will be set in New London, as in the novel, and feature Bernard Marx and Lenina Crowne. The two will come to a realization, as in the Allegory of the Cave, where they see their distorted world for what it really is. They begin their journey by vacationing in the Savage Lands, where they become involved in a horrific rebellion.
Several others took a turn at writing the script before Wiener. Les Bohem (Taken) was the first, back in 2015 when the series was in inception. Next came Grant Morrison (Batman, The Invisibles), with Brian Taylor (Crank) joining in the following year. Before Wiener became the frontman, he worked collaboratively with Morrison and Taylor. Darryl Frank and Justin Falvey, co-presidents of UCP and Amblin Television, will executive produce the series, and director Owen Harris, famous for his Black Mirror: San Junipero episode, will direct.
With USA Network creating more flagship series, such as Mr. Robot and Suits, this will be a new journey for the company into what might be considered a “brave new world” as well. There are several spinoffs in the work, such as Pearson, a spinoff of Suits, and Treadstone, a spinoff of Bourne.