Ridley Scott will produce a ready-for-cable miniseries following Arthur C. Clarke’s final chapter in the 2001: A Space Odyssey on Syfy.
The next chapter in one of the most well-known and beloved stories in sci-fi history is coming to fruition with the help of Syfy. The network plans to adapt Arthur C. Clarke’s novel 3001: The Final Odyssey into a miniseries helmed by Ridley Scott as its executive producer.
Wait, what? Yes, you read that right. The very same channel that brings us cheesy monster flicks and some decidedly awful science fiction monstrosities is daring to bring additional slices of the legendary 2001: A Space Odyssey to cable? Sounds bizarre, but with Ridley Scott at the helm, it just might be worth checking out. Stuart Beattie (Collateral, Pirates of the Caribbean) is on tap to pen the adaptation itself and acting as the executive producer.
The official rundown goes a little something like this: “An epic story of a man lost in time, Arthur C. Clarke’s final Odyssey book resolves the tale that was begun in 2001: A Space Odyssey. Beginning with the discovery of Frank Poole’s frozen body, floating in space, 3001: The Final Odyssey offers an extraordinary range of complex characters with conflicting agendas, stunning visuals, and dark thematic meditations on the final fate of all Humankind.”
It’s heady stuff to be sure, but how would that sort of content work with Syfy? The themes and ideas in the original film and 2010: The Year We Make Contact were more easily adaptable to film, but perhaps it’s time the final chapter is breached. It has the blessing of both Stanley Kubrick and Arthur C. Clarke’s estates, and Ridley Scott and Syfy President Dave Howe are clearly excited to get started on the project.
“Arthur C. Clarke is the father of modern science fiction,” gushed Howe. “We couldn’t be more excited to be working with Scott Free and Warner Horizon Television to bring to the screen, for the very first time, the final chapter of this extraordinary masterpiece.”
There’s no date yet as to when we might be able to expect to see this miniseries, but the future does hold additional work from Clarke himself, with Syfy adapting another of his novels, Childhood’s End, in the near future. The future could look very bright for science fiction cable television indeed.
Source: Entertainment Weekly
