Yeas ago, filmmaker and scribe Charlie Kaufman was set to do a full re-write of a film adaptation of Arthur Herzog’s novel “IQ 83” for Paramount Pictures. That project had Steve Carell attached to star in a darkly comedic loose spin on “Flowers for Algernon”.
The story follows Dr. James Healey, the head of a group of scientists conducting DNA experiments which resulted in the release of an airborne disease that gradually lowers the IQ of those infected. Healey is in a race to develop a cure for the virus before succumbing to its effects himself.
The project has been stuck in development for years with no word on it. This week though, Kaufman revealed to Collider that there is a possibility his adaptation may still happen but in the form of an HBO limited series:
“I’m developing this thing for HBO, which is a limited series about a virus that causes stupidity. And it’s based on a screenplay I wrote, which is based on a novel called IQ 83.
And I’m actually developing it for them, so it’s possible that it’s going to happen, [but] I don’t know that it’s going to happen. But I’m very interested in it because of the circumstances in which we live. I’m very interested in exploring the notion of that, and treating it as kind of a metaphor.”
Kaufman’s new film “I’m Thinking of Ending Things” premieres September 4th on Netflix.
