Peter Weir’s highly acclaimed reality television satire “The Truman Show” turns 25 this year, the Jim Carrey-led feature is still held in high esteem all these years later.
In the 1998 film, Carrey plays a man who has grown up his entire life in the small town of Seahaven Island – unaware his environs are a giant set with the people around him just actors playing his family, friends, co-workers and more.
The film itself is entirely self-contained and ends very neatly and definitively. Now, the film’s writer Andrew Niccol has shared a television series pitch for a follow-up – one centered around what transpired after Truman exited his ‘world’.
Speaking with Screen Rant where he was asked what he would do with a potential follow-up, the famed “Gattaca” and “Lord of War” filmmaker offered a take that would stay in the universe of the series but would focus on several other characters who are similarly subjects of TV Series:
“There has been talk of doing a musical – believe it or not – or a series. When it’s a different art form, I don’t think it takes anything away from the original.
In my version of a series, I thought it would be fun, if after Truman walked through the sky, the audience clamored for more (which you sense at the end of the film). I imagine there would be a network with multiple channels all starring a subject born on the show.
If I set it in New York City, there would be girl living on the Upper East Side, a boy from Harlem, a kid from Chinatown, etc. Since they are all on their own channel and move in their own circles, they are never meant to meet.
But at the end of the first season, the boy from Harlem and the rich girl find themselves drawn to each other. They both sense that the other is acting differently from anyone they’ve ever met…because for the first time, they’ve met someone who is not acting! In the second season, the Network would desperately try to kill off their romance.”
Along with its critical success, “The Truman Show” was a hit – taking in $264.1 million worldwide from a $60 million budget. It also earned numerous nominations at the 71st Academy Awards, 56th Golden Globe Awards and 52nd British Academy Film Awards.
A 4K UHD disc release of the film will take place next Tuesday, July 4th. The film is also currently available to stream on the Paramount+ service.
