Fahrenheit 451

Michael B. Jordan stars in HBO’s adaptation of Ray Bradbury’s ‘Fahrenheit 451,’ but it’s missing the spark of the classic novel.

Books man, who needs ‘em! Michael B. Jordan‘s Montag sure doesn’t until he learns the terrifying truths about his authoritarian society and uncovers the lies he’s been fed. That’s right, a new Fahrenheit 451 adaptation is on the way, and it looks pretty good...

We may not have any Game of Thrones to look forward to in 2018, but HBO has plenty of other wares. See for yourself, as a new 2018 promo for the network brings us fresh Westworld Season 2 footage, a first look at Gillian Flynn’s Sharp Objects miniseries, Fahrenheit 451 and much more.

It really is a pleasure to burn at the start of Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451, mostly because protagonist Guy Montag hasn’t yet understood the evils of destroying history and culture at the behest of a despotic totalitarian government. Ahead of Comic Con, HBO has released our very first look at Michael B. Jordan as Montag and Michael Shannon as his mentor Beatty, and let’s just say, for firemen, these two look very cool.

As we gradually approach a Fahrenheit 451-type juncture in the real world, HBO Films has kindly taken the edge off by announcing their plans to mount a new adaptation of Ray Bradbury’s dystopian novel. It was surprising but enticing news when it broke a couple of months ago, boasting a flashy pair of headliners in Michael B. Jordan (portraying Guy Montag, an professional book-burner who comes to question the ethics of his work) and Michael Shannon (as Beatty, Guy’s boss and mentor who doesn’t take too kindly to his protege’s radical new thoughts). And today, in an all-too-timely casting notice, a third star has upped the profile of this big-ticket TV movie even further.

Dystopian cinema is all the rage right now. Not only is the release of Hulu’s The Handmaid’s Tale only a few days away, we were also recently treated to a series of synchronized screenings of 1984, the film adaptation of George Orwell’s seminal novel. While some may view this as a collective piece of cinematic snark, plenty of others are using these projects as an opportunity to open the door for increased education and awareness about media literacy, politics, and art. And while HBO may only really be interested in art and politics, it is putting one foot firmly in the dystopian game, announcing an upcoming production of Ray Bradbury’s Farenheit 451.