‘Sphere’ TV Series, Based On The Michael Crichton Novel, Destined For HBO
Sphere, Michael Crichton’s sci-fi novel about an ancient alien spacecraft discovered on the ocean floor, is headed to HBO.WestworldproducerDenise Théis handling the series, serving as showrunner, writer, and executive producer of this new adaptation.Sphereis one of Crichton’s better books, and it was previously adapted into a kind-of-terrible movie in 1998 starring Dustin Hoffman, Sharon Stone, and Samuel L. Jackson. So here’s hoping HBO gets it right.Varietysays aSphereTV series is in the works at HBO, withWestworld’s Denise Thé leading the way. Published in 1987,Spherewas the brainchild ofJurassic Parkauthor Michael Crichton, with the following synopsis:
AfterJurassic Parkbecame such a phenomenon, producers and studios were eager to adapt other Crichton novels. Sadly, this often resulted in lackluster films, andSphereis no exception. Despite being directed by Barry Levinson and starring Dustin Hoffman, Sharon Stone, and Samuel L. Jackson, the 1998Spheremovie is, to be blunt, terrible. It’s bland and lifeless, which is a shame, because the book is pretty damn good.
Back in the ’90s, whenJurassic Parkwas all the rage, I got into a Crichton kick and read a bunch of his books. And of all the Crichton novels I read,Spherealways stood out to me as the most memorable. It has what would now be considered very familiar beats (movies likeSolaris,The Abyss, andEvent Horizonare all cut from the same cloth), but there’s plenty of room for a solid adaptation.
Whether or not it can all translate to a TV series is a different story, but I’ll let the folks working on the show worry about that. TheSphereTV series is being produced byJonathan NolanandLisa Joy’s Kilter Film andRobert Downey Jr.andSusan Downey’s Team Downey, in association with Warner Bros. Television.
