The creator of Mr. Robot, Sam Esmail, has been developing a series adaptation of Fritz Lang’s classic 1927 film Metropolis, and Apple just gave it the green light for a full series order. Esmail will write and direct the entire series.
Like the original film, this series adaptation “will take place in a future society where wealthy industrialists rule the vast city from high-rise tower complexes, while a lower class of underground-dwelling workers toil constantly to operate the machines that provide its power. Risking everything they know, two star-crossed lovers from opposite sides of the divide must find a way to bring down the whole system.”
The story is set in “a futuristic urban dystopia and follows the attempts of Freder, the wealthy son of the city master, and Maria, a saintly figure to the workers, to overcome the vast gulf separating the classes in their city and bring the workers together with Joh Fredersen, the city master.”
The original film was directed by Lang and written by Thea Von Harbou and it’s based on the latter’s 1925 novel. The original film is considered a sci-fi masterpiece and is one of the first sci-fi films ever made.
I can see why Esmail would want to retell this story again for a modern audience because its themes are completely relevant today in the world that we live in. Esmail is a talented storyteller and I’m curious to see how he retells this story as a series.
Apple TV+ seems like the perfect place for this project as they are also producing the Foundation series and a few other sci-fi shows.
Source: Deadline