Sometimes, when you hear a movie is being turned into a TV show, you can’t help but cringe. It’s not always easy to make the transition from feature film to television show, especially when the movie has a loyal following. Some of the movies that have made the best transition into the TV world include M.A.S.H, Stargate, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Could Gattaca join that list?
Though often overlooked, Gattaca was one of the more interesting science fiction films to come out of the 1990s. Featuring Ethan Hawke, Uma Thurman, and Jude Law, the movie explored a futuristic society where genetic engineering was the norm, creating a world where “Valids” (individuals who had been genetically enhanced before birth) live in a socially superior position to “Invalids” (average Joes like you and me).
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Recently, the MTV Movies Blog caught up with writer/producer Gil Grant (NCIS:Los Angeles, 24) to discuss his work on developing Gattaca into a police procedural. The plot of the series would revolve around the social tensions between the one government-appointed Invalid officer working in a police force full of genetically engineered Valids. I’ve excerpted some of the interview below, but make sure to check MTV for the full article.
On involving Gattaca’s original director, Andrew Niccol (who is currently working on the Orlando Bloom sci-fi film, The Cross).
“I don’t know him…That’s really up to [license-holder] Sony, I think. I’m certainly open to it, but that’s not my call.”
On incorporating elements of the film into the TV series,
“I would use a great deal of the world and the nomenclature and the art direction, the feel of it, the music. It’s just such a beautiful film, and really cool.”
On possible plot angles,
“You get all the crimes and all the tension that’s built up with Valids being accused of something they didn’t do, all the forensic science that would be new and much more advanced than we have now…The Invalid character I see as having a Valid girlfriend, and she’s dating him for all the wrong reasons. And I think that the Valid, the older detective, has some problems in his personal life that you follow through. Then you’ve got the captain of the police department who’s forced to hire this [Invalid].”
On bringing back characters from the film,
“I think it would be in some ways truer to the film to just [set things in a] different corner of the world and not try to re-cast an existing character.”
While TV already has its fair share of police procedurals, I can really see Grant’s ideas coming to life. With shows like Battlestar Galactica, and the more recent V and FlashForward showing that TV viewers are more interested than ever in science-fiction shows, Gattaca could become a hit. Of course, we won’t know for sure until we actually see the show, and that might not be for a while. Grant says he will complete the first scripts in January or February.
What do you think? Could Gattaca make for a cool TV show?
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12 Comments
Sounds interesting. Gattaca was a great movie and Grant is no slouch in terms of the projects he’s been a part of. With the appropriate attention to style and detail – key elements of the movie – I think this could be a successful transition. Smart casting will be a major plus, of course. The music and the rivalry between two of the key characters [I'm trying not to reveal any spoilers here] were fantastic elements and will hopefully be treated respectfully in any considerations for plots of the series.
While I probably can see characters from the original returning for the series (maybe even some of the actors. See below) – could the series really be called Gattaca? The only way I could see it being called that is if the CSI types “worked” or had worked at Gattaca Aerospace Corporation.
That said, I think there is a chance some characters- and actors- could be carried over into the possible series. Three characters come quickly to mind: Detective Hugo (played by Alan Arkin in the film), Detective Anton Freeman (played by Loren Dean in the film) and most notably, Dr. Lamar (Xander Berkeley in the film). Of returning actors, I can see Berkeley or a cameo from Tony Shaloub (who also had a cameo in the film)
I see the potential for this turning into another “Total Recall the TV series”.
It might not get past the pilot stage, but I would be very interested in a series based on this film.
First off,this genre of t.v. show is about as played out as zombie and vampires,if not more.
Second,I think what’s more interesting that isn’t mentioned in the above article is that it’s Denis Leary’s Apostle Films that is really pushing this production.Not saying that Gil Grant doesn’t have anything to do with it,just saying that it’s kinda weird that Denis Leary is the t he driving force behind this.
Third,I was never really that big of a Gattica fan in the first place,so I really don’t understand what the interest in making this a t.v. show.
Though “Gattaca” was a good movie it would make an awful series. The premise of the story, that even if you create a society of perfect people you can never eliminate chance is completely self contained in the movie. Since the original foundation of democracy relies on the premise that, all men are created equal, anyone that exists in the transition phase of reengineering sosiety would never be able to function in that society indefinitely. The invalids are unequal by Every standard.
Even the protagonist of the movie, who’s hope was to leave this world had a limitation. It was a one way trip. In my eyes it was about having the choice of how to die. He wanted to die on a voyage few if anyone like himself would make. Being invalid, at the very least, he would die by aging. More likely by making a mistake unrelated to that…
The film is one of my all time favorite movies, however I am worried that the soul and intelligence of the movie would be lost, with Gattaca becoming just another generic low brow TV sci fi show like Flashforward, Star Gate SG1 and V). The best way I can envision this show is like a sci-fi version of Mad Men both in terms of intelligent multilayerd characters…and of course the 50’s and 60’s retro look of the original film.
As for the comment by Old Man… the lead character does not have a one way trip… as this is shown with that tiny clue after the end credits
AHHH I hate when they do that ya ya man and I don’t catch it!
I’m bad for leaving once the credits start to roll and if the last minute of the ending looks obvious to an average movie. Was the clue a strong pointer or a tack on that left an excuse for a sequel? The problem with that is at some point he would be found out. He would be taken out of society an invalid. Further barriers would be implemented to make sure that such a scenario didn’t happen again. It’s still a self contained story.
The main story of Vincent is pretty much concluded as he achieved his mission in my opinion, but like with real life…life goes on. The end credits ended with a simple shot of a nail falling to the ground, exactly the same as the opening credits when Vincent was cleaning himself. Its a clue that upon his return to Earth, the whole process of pretending to be someone else continues….
Well that’s one way of looking at it. We’ll just have to agree to disagree. From my viewpoint Vincent has only a space future. A couple of points I forgot and it was why I always interpreted the trip as one way. The orbital mechanics should be valid coming back as going out and if you remember the head of the institute said that planetary alignment allowing them to reach that far out only happened once in a normal human lifetime. Vincent also had a congenital heart disease. I think he would have lived longer in outer space and having lived so long in space on the trip I hazard a guess that even if he did make it back reacclimation to the sustained 1G-force of Earth would have killed him. Thinking about it now, even if he was still young enough on return he would be washed up as an Astronaut. The medical officer knew all along that he was impersonating a valid. He was young when the Doctor let him go, but I think ethically if Vincent made it back the Doctor would have forced him to retire. Having a heart attack while flying a vehicle is something even in our non genetic deterministic society we make every effort to keep from happening…
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