“Chernobyl” creator/writer got to tackle an unconventional biological apocalypse with HBO’s acclaimed adaptation of “The Last of Us,” now another “Chernobyl” alum, Johan Renck, is about to do the same.
Renck is attached to helm the first of a multi-series adaptation of British author John Wyndham’s iconic 1951 sci-fi novel “The Day of the Triffids” for Amazon Studios.
The story begins with a meteor shower one night that’s viewable to much of the world. The event turns those who watched it blind the next day.
One spared by pure happenstance is biologist Bill Masen who works with Triffids – tall, venomous, carnivorous plants capable of locomotion and which are heavily cultivated around the world for the oil they produce.
Soon the world falls apart, the few sighted people left have to deal with Triffids and scavengers wandering the countryside along with various others trying to establish their own authority structures.
Amazon reportedly intends to adapt the book as a string of miniseries, detailing the invasion from multiple points of view in multiple cities. A writer search is in progress.
The novel, which served as a direct inspiration for the opening of “28 Days Later,” has been adapted several times for the screen, most notably as mini-series in 1981 which was quite faithful to the book, and in 2009 which was… less so.
A 1962 film was also produced, whilst “Luther” creator Neil Cross and Sam Raimi were set to write and direct a film adaptation at one point.
Renck, Michael Parets, Jillian DeFrehn, Dennis DeFrehn, Don Murphy and Susan Montford are all on board to executive produce.
Source: THR
