Henry James has penned a classic in ‘The Turn of the Screw’ and now Freeform and Sony Pictures Television are developing a new series based on the novel for modern audiences. Alexandra McNally (‘Under the Dome’) and Josh Berman (‘Drop Dead Diva’,’CSI’) are the two primary names behind this new show. McNally is currently set to write the script, and executive produce the series with Berman and Osprey’s Head of Development & Production Chris King.
The series is being described as:
A twisty Gothic soap reimagined for modern times, the series will follow Elena, a Mexican-American nanny who is hired to care for the two children of a widowed-father at their summer home on idyllic Bainbridge Island. It seems like the perfect job with potential for a ‘happily ever after’ ending, but things take a sinister turn when Elena begins seeing ghosts and her grip on what is real and what is not blurs.
The original 1898 novella was initially released in a serial format, so spiritually it is perfect to be done as an ongoing series. According to Berman:
“The Turn of the Screw is one of the scariest novels of all time. Yet the themes are as relevant today as they were more than a century ago.”
The source material inspired multiple adaptations with the same title as well as the 1961 film ‘The Innocents.’ It has also been partially featured in both the original ‘Dark Shadows’ television series as well as on ‘Star Trek: Voyager‘ during a holodeck experience.
Are you looking forward to checking out this new take on ‘Turn of the Screw’? Who would you like to see act in this series? If you’ve read the original novella what changes do you think could be made to put this in a modern setting? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
Source: Deadline
