Apple TV release teaser for upcoming Neuromancer adaptation.
The Cyberstopia underground bunker almost went into meltdown this week, as Apple released a teaser ‘trailer’ for their upcoming adaptation of William Gibson’s seminal 1984 Cyberpunk masterpiece, Neuromancer. The clip they put out didn’t reveal anything about the show, but as we couldn’t even quite believe the show was actually happening, we were grateful for the confirmation!
Neuromancer is a very important cyberpunk touchstone for us here in the bunker, and the release of the clip gives us a chance to show off the German edition of the novel we have sitting around down here in the bunker. Which none of us can read. Whilst Gibson’s novel didn’t introduce the word Cyberpunk, he is definitely considered one of its founding fathers.
The teaser Apple released was simply the iconic opening line of the novel on a TV screen, before it disappeared into static. It doesn’t tell us anything about the show, but it does suggest the showrunners appreciate some of the things that make the book so revered. A Neuromancer adaptation has been a long time coming. Director Vincenzo Natali was very close, his project spending a number of years in development. He even had author Gibson’s approval and a budget, but sadly, the project was ultimately abandoned.
Neuromance has often been called unfilmable. A lot of the greatness of Neuromancer is in its distinct prose, and we’re not sure how that will be translated to the screen effectively. To really do the property justice, it was always going to take a fair amount of money, and the one thing Apple has shown in the past with their sci-fi series is a willingness to spend that money. As their Silo adaptation shows, returning today with season 3, they are capable of taking acclaimed novels, and putting out a high quality show. We can only hope the same happens for Neuromancer.
Apple TV’s Neuromancer is co-created by Graham Roland, who serves as showrunner, and JD Dillard, who is directing the pilot. It stars, amongst others, Callum Turner, Briana Middleton, Dane DeHaan, Mark Strong, and Peter Sarsgaard. A release date has so far not been announced.
Cyberstopia 