Paul Greengrass redefined Hollywood’s perception of government espionage with his blockbuster film adaptations of the “Bourne” novels by Robert Ludlum. Now the director is in talks to do the same with another author, who’s fictional dystopia of terrifying government surveillance has far outlived its title.
Deadline reports Greengrass, who directed “The Bourne Supremacy” and “The Bourne Ultimatum,” is mulling a new Sony Pictures screen adaption of George Orwell’s “1984”– a story that has only grown in relevance since its publication in 1949 with the rise of technology, and especially so since the unprecedented size and scope of bulk National Security Agency surveillance was revealed by Edward Snowden last year.
Greengrass is especially suited to tackle the book’s themes on screen thanks to his Bourne resume, which explored the complex intersection of liberty, legality and national security, and the the way in which the lines blur at the highest echelons of government.
The director is currently slated to work on another Bourne film with Matt Damon for release in 2016, making the timeline for a new “1984” uncertain. The book hasn’t seen a screen adaption since the last film hit theaters in 1984.