Every time I think that Apple TV Plus must have used up all its budget for stellar sci-fi shows, it goes and surprises me with something new; that's just happened again, with the Apple-owned streaming service getting an adaptation of one of the most famous sci-fi books of all time.
Apple has confirmed rumors first raised 18 months ago, that it's working on an adaptation of Neuromancer, a 1984 novel written by William Gibson. The upcoming Neuromancer show will be the first on-screen adaptation of this story, despite decades of reported attempts (and radio, video game and even opera versions).
Neuromancer tells the story of Case, a drug-addicted and washed-up hacker who's hired for a heist job that spirals out of control. It was one of the first ever novels in the cyberpunk genre of sci-fi, and has become known as one of the formative works in the now-booming variety of dystopian futuristic stories.
The award-winning book was Gibson's debut novel, following many short stories, and it eventually became the first entry in a trilogy called the 'Sprawl' series. Many classic cyberpunk tropes were introduced in these novels and shorts, including the idea of cyberspace, which predated the modern understanding of the internet.
One of those Gibson short stories was Johnny Mnemonic, which was turned into a movie in 1995 starring Keanu Reeves, which has many themes (and a character) in common with Neuromancer.
Little is known about Apple TV Plus' Neuromancer so far, with no release date or cast mentioned in Apple's announcement of the series. Early rumors pointed to Miles Teller (Top Gun: Maverick, Whiplash) playing the lead role, but Apple hasn't confirmed as much.
Neuromancer will join a bustling line-up of sci-fi shows on Apple TV Plus. This includes Foundation, another series based on a classic novel series (by Isaac Asimov), as well as Invasion, Severance, Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, For All Mankind, most recently Constellation, and some upcoming series like Dark Matter and Murderbot.
Despite recent price rises, Apple TV Plus remains a must-subscribe streaming service for fans of sci-fi, putting out higher-quality action, adventure and thriller series than its rivals. Plus, it's actually prone to renewing shows that end on a cliffhanger, unlike a certain rival (looking at you, Netflix).
