DiCaprio and Scott on ‘Brave New World’

Published by Jeff Leins on: August 6th, 2009

Leonardo DiCaprio and Ridley Scott are embarking on an adaptation of Aldous Huxley’s “Brave New World” for Universal.  Both are linked as producers with the possibility of DiCaprio starring and Scott directing.

Though Ridley Scott has not announced his next film, he signed to direct an Alien prequel with Fox last week while still completing his Robin Hood movie starring Russell Crowe.  Meanwhile, the studio has hired Apocalypto screenwriter Farhad Safinia to write the script.

Published in 1932, Huxley’s novel warned of a “utopia” that controlled human births, outlawed family, and segmented the population into a strict caste system.  The book has never made it to the big screen, but has translated into a few television versions.

Appian Way, DiCaprio’s banner, owned the rights and allowed Scott, who is a fan of the science fiction story, to come aboard as a return to dystopian material after Scott’s sc-fi classic Blade Runner.  Scott has said in interviews he plans on taking on Brave New World as soon as Robin Hood is in the can after twenty years away from the genre.

I haven’t read the book (yet), but I’m excited about anything that puts Ridley Scott back in the world of science fiction.  However, this sounds way more intriguing than a prequel to Alien, especially if DiCaprio hops on board as the star.

Fun fact: 1993’s Demolition Man drew from characters and themes in “Brave New World.”