Valentine Michael Smith is looking to make the voyage from Mars to Earth on the screen, as Paramount Television and Universal Cable Productions (UCP) are officially developing a TV series adaptation of Robert A. Heinlein's seminal science fiction novel Stranger in a Strange Land, with plans for the series to air on Syfy.
Press Release: HOLLYWOOD, CA – November 15, 2016 – Paramount Television in partnership with Universal Cable Productions (UCP), a division of NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment, today announced plans to develop Robert Heinlein’s popular 1961 science fiction novel “Stranger in a Strange Land” as a TV series for Syfy. Brad Fischer, James Vanderbilt and William Sherak of Mythology Entertainment, Scott Rudin, Garrett Basch and Eli Bush of Scott Rudin Productions, and Joe Vecchio of Vecchio Entertainment will serve as executive producers. Mythology’s Julia Gunn will serve as co-executive producer.
Considered a staple in many science fiction fans’ libraries, “Stranger in a Strange Land” tells the story of Valentine Michael Smith, a human who comes to Earth in early adulthood after being born on the planet Mars and raised by Martians. The novel explores his interaction with—and eventual transformation of—terrestrial culture. It predicted many of the movements and messages of the 1960's - from free love and hippie communes, to organized attempts at world peace.
"Paramount TV is excited to have the opportunity to adapt Robert Heinlein's seminal work of science fiction," said Amy Powell, President, Paramount TV. "This novel has resonated with me since college and there's a reason it has continued to find new fans for over forty years. Syfy’s understanding of imaginative and futuristic programming is unmatched, making them an ideal partner for this series."
"From my point of view, ‘Stranger in a Strange Land’ isn’t just a science fiction masterpiece...it also happens to be one of my favorite books ever!” said NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment Chairman, Bonnie Hammer. “The story is timeless and resonates more than ever in today’s world. As a fan, I can’t wait to see it come to life as a world-class television event.”
This marks the third co-production between Universal Cable Productions and Paramount Television, following USA Network’s “Shooter” and Spike TV Network’s “Pendergast.”
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About Paramount Television:
Paramount Television develops and finances a wide range of creative television programming across all media platforms. Its robust slate of programming with top distributors includes the 5 Emmy® Award winning live musical event GREASE: LIVE (FOX), which holds the record-breaking telecast title with more than 17MM viewers worldwide and is ranked as the No. 1 most social live musical event ever, the Emmy® nominated Nickelodeon hit SCHOOL OF ROCK, Tom Clancy’s JACK RYAN (Amazon), THIRTEEN REASONS WHY (Netflix), MANIAC (Netflix), SHOOTER (USA), BERLIN STATION (EPIX), THE ALIENIST (TNT), FATAL ATTRACTION (FOX), GALAXY QUEST (Amazon), VARSITY BLUES (CMT) and THE WARRIORS (Hulu). Paramount Digital Entertainment (PDE) has developed series such as BAJILLION DOLLAR PROPERTIE$ (NBCUniversal’s Seeso), HOTWIVES OF ORLANDO and HOTWIVES OF LAS VEGAS (HULU), RESIDENT ADVISORS (HULU), BEEF (Fullscreen) and the one hour special, CRASH TEST (Comedy Central and Vimeo). Paramount Television and Paramount Digital Entertainment are part of Paramount Pictures Corporation (PPC), a global producer and distributor of filmed entertainment. PPC is a subsidiary of Viacom (NASDAQ: VIAB, VIA), a global content company with premier television, film and digital entertainment brands.About Universal Cable Productions:
Universal Cable Productions (UCP) creates innovative and critically acclaimed original scripted and digital content across media platforms for domestic and international distribution. In the U.S., UCP’s programming can be seen across various networks including the Emmy and Golden Globe award-winning drama “Mr. Robot,” “Colony,” “Playing House,” “Royal Pains” and “Suits” on USA Network; “The Magicians,” “12 Monkeys,” and “Killjoys” on Syfy; “Girlfriends’ Guide To Divorce” on Bravo; “The Royals” on E!; and “Difficult People” on Hulu. UCP’s content library includes critic and fan favorites such as the Emmy-award winning “Monk” as well as “Psych” and “Battlestar Galactica.” Universal Cable Productions is a part of NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment, a division of NBCUniversal, one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies. Follow us @UCPisTV.
*Note: Above image from the Ace 1991 paperback version of Stranger in a Strange Land.
Raised on a steady diet of R.L. Stine’s Goosebumps books and Are You Afraid of the Dark?, Derek has been fascinated with fear since he first saw ForeverWare being used on an episode of Eerie, Indiana.
When he’s not writing about horror as the Senior News Reporter for Daily Dead, Derek can be found daydreaming about the Santa Carla Boardwalk from The Lost Boys or reading Stephen King and Brian Keene novels.
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