I figured it was only a matter of time before an announcement like this was made…
Director Ridley Scott and producer Lynda Obst have teamed up to develop a TV series (likely a miniseries) based on Richard Preston’s article for The New Yorker, which traces the history of Ebola through the current crisis.
Apparently the pair was already adapting Preston’s 1995 best-selling novel, "The Hot Zone: A Terrifying True Story," about the origins and incidents involving "viral hemorrhagic fevers" (a club which the Ebola virus is a member of).
But it looks like, given the current fears over Ebola (just turn to your TV news channels for a sample), and fatalities, Scott and Obst will make the virus central to their proposed TV miniseries.
"I think it’s the speed with which it kills that makes the disease so frightening," Obst said. "People hoped it would stay in some remote part of the world. But that’s a fantasy in the modern world. The modern world makes us one big connected family."
One developed, the pair will shop the series to TV networks.
Anyone read Preston’s writings in general – specifically his best-seller? I’ll pick up a copy to check for myself. But if you’re already familiar, please share your thoughts.