At long last, William Gibson‘s influential science fiction novel, Neuromancer, is getting a live-action adaptation in the form of an Apple TV+ series.
Neuromancer was first published in 1984 and is credited with popularizing the cyberpunk genre. The novel takes place in a futuristic dystopian Chiba City, Japan, where humans are constantly connected via cyberspace. When hacker Henry Dorsett Case finds himself unable to access cyberspace due to a punishment leaving his nervous system crippled, he decides to accept an offer from the mysterious ex-military officer Armitage and his mercenary Molly Millions. Case agrees to lend his hacking skills to Armitage in exchange for having his condition cured and being able to reaccess cyberspace.
The novel would go on to sell over six million copies and become the first novel to win the Nebula Award, Hugo Award, and Philip K. Dick Award. Some have even credited Gibson with predicting the internet, given how well Neuromancer foreshadowed the digital age. It is also credited as one of the inspirations of The Matrix film series.
Despite its success, it has never received a film or TV adaptation. Various films have been in talks and various stages of development for decades, with each project eventually falling through. The last update on a Neuromancer movie was seven years ago when Tim Miller was reportedly set to direct an adaptation. However, a concrete development on a TV adaptation has finally arrived.
Apple TV+ orders Neuromancer series
As reported by The Hollywood Reporter, Apple TV+ has officially greenlit a 10-episode Neuromancer series. The news is quite exciting, as an Apple TV+ series was first rumored in 2022. Now it is one of the first adaptation attempts to finally come through. The streamer has already tasked Graham Roland and J. D. Dillard with creating the series. Roland, who is best known for creating Dark Winds and co-creating Jack Ryan, will serve as Neuromancer‘s showrunner. Meanwhile, Devotion director Dillard has signed on to direct the pilot episode. Both Roland and Dillard will also serve as executive producers.
So far, no actors have been attached to Neuromancer. However, when rumors of the show first arose in 2022, Miles Teller was allegedly being eyed for the lead role of Case. Additionally, there’s no information about when it might begin filming. For a sci-fi series of this scale, it likely won’t arrive until 2026 or later. Apple TV+’s synopsis for Neuromancer reads:
The series will follow a damaged, top-rung super-hacker named Case who is thrust into a web of digital espionage and high stakes crime with his partner Molly, a razor-girl assassin with mirrored eyes aiming to pull a heist on a corporate dynasty with untold secrets.
Gibson responded to the news briefly via X, where he explained his role in the adaptation. He revealed he has primarily served as a consultant on the production, answering questions on the material from the director and showrunner. While this is quite a lot of work, he emphasized that he doesn’t have creative control or “veto power” because the adaptation is not his creation. As a result, he warned users that the show wouldn’t “be the book.”
This isn’t surprising, as most adaptations take creative liberties. It is also comforting to know that he’s involved in the production to some extent.
Further updates should be forthcoming once Neuromancer‘s production gets underway.
(featured image: Penguin Random House)
