Ridley Scott has been talking since late last year about writing and directing an adaptation of Aldous Huxley’s prophetic sci-fi novel A Brave New World, and now it looks like he may have found the film a star. The rights to the book are owned by Leonardo DiCaprio’s production company Appian Way and now Risky Biz says they’re officially in bed with Ridley to produce the movie at Universal, with Leo eyeballing the film’s lead role.
Even though I’m a huge science fiction nerd, Huxley’s book is one of the few I've never really able to get into. Forced to read it in twelfth grade English, all that really stands out for me now was how surprisingly bored I was by it, even though it’s full of the kind of rampant sexuality which would normally tittilate and excite a high school senior. I guess once you’ve watched Sliver, Huxley just doesn’t turn you on anymore.
In spite of my general disinterest, the book is a classic and what’s more one of those “important” classics that’s usually mentioned in the same breath with works like Orwell’s “1984” and Bradbury’s “Fahrenheit 451”. Originally published in 1931 but set in the year 2540, “Brave New World” attempts to predict a future built around developments in reproductive and sleep-learning technology. It’s a dystopian society where people are brainwashed, programmed for constant consumption, and where recreational sex of all types (hetero and homo) is the norm (That last part doesn't sound so bad, loosen up Huxley!). The anti-consumption message is perhaps, particularly relevant and it’s easy to imagine Scott’s movie really hammering that. The book has always been politically controversial and it’s safe to assume the movie will be as well.
