It’s hard to believe that there are any classic sci-fi/fantasy novels left to be explored by the studio system, but they’re out there, and one of them is Neuromancer. William Gibson’s influential cyberpunk novel, about an ex-computer hacker enlisted for one last job, has been turned into comic books, video games, radio plays and even an opera, but after over 30 years of publication, there still hasn’t been a movie.
Until now, maybe. Deadline reports that Tim Miller, the director of last year’s blockbuster superhero satire Deadpool, has signed on to adapt Neuromancer for the big screen for 20th Century Fox. No screenwriter has been set just yet, and Tim Miller already has a full plate in front of him. He’s also been attached to direct a reboot of the Terminator franchise and, in a bit of an about-face, he’s also producing a Sonic the Hedgehog feature film. (One of those things is not like the others.)
Also: ‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi’ | New Pictures and Plot Details!
For those who haven’t read it, the plot for Neuromancer is as follows (via Amazon): “Case was the hottest computer cowboy cruising the information superhighway–jacking his consciousness into cyberspace, soaring through tactile lattices of data and logic, rustling encoded secrets for anyone with the money to buy his skills. Then he double-crossed the wrong people, who caught up with him in a big way–and burned the talent out of his brain, micron by micron. Banished from cyberspace, trapped in the meat of his physical body, Case courted death in the high-tech underworld. Until a shadowy conspiracy offered him a second chance–and a cure–for a price….”
Neuromancer is one of the defining works of the cyberpunk genre, which imagined a world in which technology was advanced but society was crumbling. It’s such a milestone that quite a few other filmmakers have tried to adapt it to the big screen before, including Joseph Kahn (Torque), Vincenzo Natali (Splice) and music video director Chris Cunningham (Aphex Twin’s “Come To Daddy”).
It’s entirely possible that Tim Miller has the chops to make Neuromancer into a reality. The question now becomes whether Neuromancer could possibly have the same impact as the novel, given that films like The Matrix have taken direct inspiration from the novel, and already made audiences familiar with its content.
The Top 8 Unusually Good ‘Alien’ Knockoffs:
Top Photo: Epic Comics
William Bibbiani (everyone calls him ‘Bibbs’) is Crave’s film content editor and critic. You can hear him every week on Canceled Too Soon and watch him on the weekly YouTube series What the Flick. Follow his rantings on Twitter at @WilliamBibbiani.
Eight Unusually Good 'Alien' Knockoffs
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8. Species (1995)
Scientists decide to combine alien and human DNA, presumably because they've never seen any movies, and end up with Sil, an alluring woman who escapes and tries to get herself pregnant to start populating the planet with monsters. Species is cheesy and kinky, but the material is elevated by a surprisingly good cast, which includes Sir Ben Kingsley, Forest Whitaker, Alfred Molina, Michael Madsen, Marg Helgenberger and Natasha Henstridge.
Photo: MGM
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7. Jason X (2001)
Jason Voorhees goes to space and it's exactly as ridiculous as you'd expect. But Jason X is also a self-aware send-up of sci-fi clichés, one that subverts your expectations while simultaneously giving you every great kill you could want. By the time Jason finally becomes a cyborg and fights a sexy robot, it's hard not to cheer at the sheer, unbridled zaniness of it all.
Photo: New Line Cinema
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6. Leviathan (1989)
An alien infection is unleashed in an underwater science station, and even though you know exactly where the story is going to go, you don't really mind because the practical effects are gross and impressive, and the great cast is selling it like it's new. Peter Weller, Richard Crenna, Daniel Stern, Ernie Hudson and Hector Elizondo are all great in the familiar, but underrated Leviathan.
Photo: MGM
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5. 51 (2011)
One of the best SyFy Original Movies ever produced, 51 is all about an alien jailbreak in Area 51, but the real gag is that there are a whole bunch of different species unleashed at the same time. Fun practical effects and a pretty darned clever screenplay compensate for 51's low budget and occasionally amateurish acting.
Photo: SyFy
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4. Event Horizon (1997)
Alien has been called "a haunted house in space", but Event Horizon takes that concept literally. Another great cast, bolstered by awesome production design, is menaced not by monsters but by the literalization of their innermost fears. It's a neat concept, but we liked it a lot better when it was called...
Photo: Constantin Films
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3. Galaxy of Terror (1981)
Bruce D. Clark's ambitious, grimy and bizarre sci-fi thriller finds yet another cool cast of characters menaced by their own phobias in the furthest reaches of space, but the effect is more personal and anxiety-inducing than in the comparatively slick Event Horizon. Some of the scares in Galaxy of Terror will leave you feeling dirty.
Photo: United Artists
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2. Pandorum (2009)
One of the most underrated sci-fi films of the last ten years, Pandora finds Ben Foster awakened from his cryogenic slumber to find a spaceship overrun by mysterious monsters. The great performances and sharp direction by Christian Alvart would have been enough to make Pandorum worth watching, but Travis Milloy's screenplay is also full of clever, satisfying surprises.
Photo: Overture Films
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1. Pitch Black (2000)
Trapped on a desolate planet with man-eating aliens is bad enough, but in David Twohy's fantastic Pitch Black, the heroes are also stuck with a homicidal criminal named Riddick. Pitch Black was Vin Diesel's breakout performance and it's easy to see why: he's dangerous and charismatic, and ably matched by his great supporting cast and a creepy new species of monsters.
Photo: USA Films
