Sony Pictures currently has the rights to George Orwell’s classic ‘1984’ and plans on rebooting the movie for modern times. If that wasn’t news in itself, it looks like we have some interesting choices on the creative team behind it as Paul Greengrass (‘Green Zonbe’,’The Bourne Ultimatum’) is set to direct with James Graham on scripting duties. Too often I cry out against Hollywood reboots, but when the last iteration of this film was released in 1984 and the types of technology used becoming more realistic, I could see this one actually benefiting from the changes. I think 30 years is probably enough of a cut off for a film like this that a reboot can be feasible.
Greengrass seems to be a good choice for this as he is pretty well known for thrillers and having a more realistic approach to his film. This is a perfect movie for him to helm as it involves politics and the hot button topic of privacy issues which is extremely prevalent in a society where social media, increased wiretapping, e-mails being read by the government, and the advancement of drones is increasingly taking that privacy away. Big Brother is already watching, just not quite to the extent that author George Orwell had predicted. Well, it isn’t watching that much yet at least… or we think.
When the book was originally published in 1949, the year 1984 was still far away and Orwell’s chilling tale was a cautionary one on what could happen if those in power had too much surveillance into the lives of its citizens. We see as Winston Smith, who works for the government’s Ministry of Truth, actually change all documented facts about history to enhance the current government’s image as “He who controls the past controls the future. He who controls the present controls the past.”
With a secret hatred for the country, we see Smith find a way to rebel in his own way and the consequences of those actions. One could argue that the route could just as easily target large corporations as it could countries in the upcoming film. It’ll be interesting to see what the modern day take on ‘1984’ actually will be.
Are you ready for when “Big Brother is Watching You” in a new take on ‘1984’ or do you feel that even though 30 years have passed that there is no need for a new take on a novel that so closely resonated with modern society? Share your thoughts below!
Source: Deadline
