The work of highly prolific novelist Philip K. Dick has been the basis for some huge Hollywood films. Namely, the 1982 blockbuster Ridley Scott-directed opus Blade Runner, as well as the 1990 and 2012 versions of Total Recall.
Now, according to a recent press release from Syfy, a deal has been finalized to adapt his Hugo Award-winning novel The Man in the High Castle into a 4-hour miniseries.
The release states that, "Ridley Scott’s Scott Free Productions will produce the project with Headline Pictures, Electric Shepherd Productions and FremantleMedia International." The first two hours of the series will be penned by Frank Spotnitz (The X-Files), who will also serve as Executive Producer. Spotnitz will supervise the writing for the final two hours but no writer has been chosen.
The Man in the High Castle is a chilling depiction of an "alternate history" in which the victors of WWII were Nazi Germany and Japan. The setting is 1962 where "the Axis Powers occupy the United States, where fascism rules and the few surviving Jews hide under assumed names."
According to Mark Stern, President of Original Content, Syfy and Co-Head, Original Content, Universal Cable Productions, "Alternate history stories are part of an amazing and intricate genre of sci-fi. When done well, there’s nothing better; and I can’t think of better creative talent to bring Philip K. Dick’s fascinating alternate-history thriller to life than Ridley Scott and Frank Spotnitz."
No air date for the drama has been scheduled but we’ll keep you up-to-date on any news related to the miniseries.
-Larissa Mrykalo