Apple TV+’s New Sci-Fi Show Can Make Up For Prime Video’s $140 Million Disappointment
Summary
- Exciting news for fans of sci-fi as Apple TV+ announces a new series based on William Gibson’s groundbreaking novel Neuromancer.
- Past adaptations of Gibson’s work have had mixed results, with Amazon Prime’s The Peripheral falling short despite initial success.
- The key to success for Neuromancer lies in staying true to the cyberpunk roots of the book and delivering an accurate on-screen adaptation.
Apple TV+ has a new sci-fi series in its future, Neuromancer, and aside from bringing more viewers to the streaming service, this new show could also make up for a recent Amazon Prime Video disappointment adapted from the same author. Neuromancer is a sci-fi novel written by William Gibson. Considered the best of the cyberpunk genre, it tells the story of Henry Dorsett Case, a data thief who is given one last chance to prove his worth in The Matrix. Published all the way back in 1984, audiences have long been asking for some sort of on-screen adaptation.
However, Neuromancer is far from the only Gibson novel that has been championed for TV. In 2022, Amazon Prime Video put out a television series called The Peripheral, based on Willian Gibson’s 2014 book of the same name. For the most part, both stories follow a young woman named Flynne who, after entering the alternate reality of her brother’s security job, believes she witnesses a murder. Despite the popularity surrounding Gibson’s novels, The Peripheral did not see a happy fate. Though season 1 earned positive reviews, The Peripheral season 2 was un-renewed, causing a $140 million waste.
The Peripheral Season 2 Cancelled 6 Months After Initially Being Renewed By Prime Video
Prime Video officially cancels The Peripheral season 2 just six months after initially picking up the sci-fi show for more due to the recent strikes.
William Gibson’s Neuromancer Is Getting A TV Adaption On Apple TV+
Now, William Gibson and his novels are getting a second chance. Neuromancer is officially getting ten episodes of television, produced by Apple TV+. The series will be led by Graham Roland and J.D. Dillard, whose past work includes Prime Video’s Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan and The Twilight Zone reboot. Aside from the failures of previous Gibson projects, this new series is especially exciting because attempts have been made to adapt Neuromancer in the past. Notably, Deadpool director Tim Miller unsuccessfully tried his hand back in 2017. But now, Neuromancer is finally getting its chance on the silver screen.
According to Apple TV+, the premise for the Neuromancer television series is as follows:
”
The series will follow a damaged, top-rung super-hacker named Case who is thrust into a web of digital espionage and high stakes crime with his partner Molly, a razor-girl assassin with mirrored eyes aiming to pull a heist on a corporate dynasty with untold secrets.
“
Already, the fact that this premise mirrors the Neuromancer book so closely is a good sign for the series. Book accuracy will be a major signal of whether the show does well. Hopefully, it is already on the road to success.
Apple TV+’s Neuromancer Show Comes Shortly After Prime Video’s The Peripheral Flop
The Neuromancer adaptation is very exciting, but it is impossible to ignore the fact that it comes so closely after The Peripheral’s failure. Like Neuromancer, The Peripheral had plenty going for it, from a pre-existing fan base to strong source material, however, it simply did not work out. In many ways, The Peripheral is proof of how a television series can be successful and yet still get torn down due to unforeseen circumstances. The show’s positive reviews meant a solid future via a second season, and potentially even more, however the SAG-AFTRA strike made that future suddenly impossible.
William Gibson’s work has seen many on-screen adaptations, including
Johnny Mnemonic
and
New Rose Hotel
.
In this way, the Neuromancer adaptation is both a sign of hope and a reason to worry after what happened to The Peripheral. Although Neuromancer is highly-lauded and will certainly have a base of fans supporting it, there is no telling what could happen. Like The Peripheral, Neuromancer could be just good enough, and therefore, get scrapped in favor of more important projects. Worse, if the Neuromancer adaptation is bad, then that could be another strike against William Gibson’s on-screen adaptations. All in all, the risk is high considering Gibson’s recent track record.
What Apple TV+’s New Sci-Fi Show Can Learn From The Peripheral’s Mistakes
The key to Neuromancer avoiding the fate of The Peripheral is to try and maintain the magic that made the book popular in the first place. A big part of this is its cyberpunk genre. Many believe that 1984’s Neuromancer was the story that really kicked off cyberpunk, and therefore, the show needs to stick to these vital roots. Aesthetically, this could be a really nostalgic and cool choice. Furthermore, Neuromancer must stay accurate to the book. If the plot translates poorly onto the screen, then this could seriously put the show at risk for being canceled.
In the end, every new television show is at risk of failure, and adaptations even more so. Neuromancer could easily see the same fate as The Peripheral, or it could completely outshine the 2022 series. In the best case scenario, it could live up to its iconic name and bring William Gibson’s story to an entirely new audience. But, either way, audiences will have to wait and see whether Neuromancer sinks or swims.
-
Neuromancer
- Seasons
- 1
- Streaming Service(s)
- Apple TV+
- Writers
- Graham Roland , JD Dillard
- Directors
- JD Dillard
- Showrunner
- Graham Roland
-
The Peripheral
- Seasons
- 1
- Writers
- Scott B. Smith , Jamie Chan , Greg Plageman , Bronwyn Garrity , William Gibson
- Directors
- Jonathan Nolan
- Showrunner
- Scott B. Smith
