“Westworld” creators Lisa Joy and Jonathan Nolan are heading from Delos Destinations to near-future Arkansas for Amazon Studios.
The two are adapting William Gibson’s sci-fi novel “The Peripheral” into a one-hour drama series for the streaming service via their Warner Bros. Television-based Kilter Films after a competitive bidding war, an individual with knowledge of the production tells TheWrap.
Gibson’s book follows Flynne Fisher, a young woman in near-future Arkansas. After playing what she’s been told is an experimental video game, Flynne finds herself in the middle of an abduction investigation that leads her into a different world.
Nolan and Joy will executive produce the script-to-series project under Kilter Films with banner topper Athena Wickham, with Scott Smith adapting the novel and executive producing. Vincenzo Natali will direct the pilot and also receive an executive producer credit on the series, along with Steven Hoban.
Gibson’s other novels, which have been placed in the cyberpunk genre, include “Neuromancer,” “Count Zero,” “Mona Lisa Overdrive” and “Burning Chrome” and explore themes surrounding the intersection of technology and humans (much like Nolan and Joy’s “Westworld.”)
The married showrunners’ sci-fi hit premiere on HBO in 2016 and received both critical-acclaim and an obsessive fandom. The freshman installment was nominated for 22 Emmys, including drama series and nods for leads Anthony Hopkins and Evan Rachel Wood, as well as supporting stars Thandie Newton and Jeffrey Wright.
“Westworld” Season 2 premieres Sunday at 9/8 c on HBO.