‘War of the Worlds’ Television Adaptation in the Works, Peter Harness Heading Screenplay
"War of the Worlds" is a classic H.G. Wells science-fiction novel that has captured the imaginations of people worldwide since its release in 1897. Now, the famous text is once again set for a new reimagining on television in the U.K. under production company Mammoth Screen and screenwriter Peter Harness.
According to a report from Den of Geek, Harness will be creating the mini-series and is expected to stay faithful to the original story by the iconic author Wells. The television adaptation of the alien film will likely take place in its original setting and era -- the suburbs of Surrey, England in the late 1800s.
The last adaptation of "War of the Worlds" was that of Steven Spielberg in 2005 with Tom Cruise, Morgan Freeman, Tim Robbins and Dakota Fanning. While the film was a box office success, it was not a total adaptation of the book as it was set in the U.S. in the modern times.
With Harness' new project, the novel's actual storyline will be tackled and it's not likely to follow the events of the film installment. The screenwriter has worked on several high-profile projects before including "Doctor Who" and the television adaptation of "Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell."
Acclaim for "War of the Worlds" has not waned since its release over a hundred years ago, but the fans will have to wait a little bit before seeing the story on the small screen. The upcoming television mini-series has been scheduled to be in time with the copyright expiration of Wells' novel in December 2016. To keep with this time frame, shooting and production is expected to take place sometime in 2017.
The mini-series is not the only brand new "War of the Worlds" content that fans of the original can look forward to. According to a report from The Independent, a sequel to the beloved novel will be published in 2016 by author Stephen Baxter.
"Wells did more than any other writer to shape the form and themes of modern science fiction, and indeed through his wider work exerted a profound influence on the history of the twentieth century," he told The Independent. "Now it's an [honor] for me to celebrate his enduring imaginative legacy, more than a hundred and fifty years after his birth."
The upcoming sequel to "War of the Worlds" will be called "The Massacre of Mankind," set in 1920s London and telling the story of the Martians' return. Once again, war occurs as the aliens attempt to invade the planet armed with knowledge from the last time they tried to conquer Earth. Now that they are aware of their own vulnerabilities, the Martians are stronger than ever.
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