Netflix has another adaptation of a literary classic, this time moving the setting to the modern day. An Oscar-winning screenwriter has reportedly been working on a pitch that loosely adapts the plot of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, with the story taking place in contemporary San Francisco. Now, Netflix has become a part of this intriguing project.
According to Deadline, Netflix has acquired the rights to Stephen Gaghan’s Valley of Ashes, a modern adaptation of The Great Gatsby. Gaghan will direct the movie based on his own script, working with Syriana producer Jennifer Fox, a previous collaborator. Gaghan will also produce under his own production company Super Emotional’s banner.
While specifics about the plot are being kept under wraps, Deadline reports that Silicon Valley will be central to the story, perhaps serving as a way to delve into a different aspect of the flawed American Dream. Deadline‘s sources also say that Gaghan “has deep ties to Netflix execs, who were blown away when they heard his pitch, and pounced at the opportunity to snap it up before it went to market.“
The most recent high-profile adaptation of The Great Gatsby was directed by Baz Luhrmann and came out in 2013, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Tobey Maguire, Carey Mulligan, Joel Edgerton, Elizabeth Debicki, and Isla Fisher. Keeping the original novel’s 1920s American setting, the remake holds only a 48% on Rotten Tomatoes, though it still won Oscars for Production and Costume Design.
The Great Gatsby famously follows its titular character, a mysterious millionaire who made his fortune through bootlegging, and hopes to win back his former love, the now-married Daisy Buchanan. Moving the story to modern-day San Francisco is risky, but it could be an effective way to illustrate how the novel’s themes of class and futile dreams are still relevant today.
Gaghan won the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay in 2001, penning Steven Soderbergh’s Traffic. Gaghan was also nominated for writing Syriana, starring George Clooney, for which the Ocean’s Eleven star won Best Supporting Actor. Gaghan also directed Syriana, as well as Gold, starring Matthew McConaughey, and Dolittle, starring Robert Downey Jr.
Gaghan has had some misfires in filmmaking, but still has the potential to produce new hits and is clearly able to attract high-profile talent. Additionally, Netflix seems to be taking an interest in classic adaptations, with a modern-day Dangerous Liaisons and a Spanish-language version of a 69-year-old sci-fi novel both in the works (both to be adapted as TV shows).
A contemporary The Great Gatsby from Netflix could annoy everyone, but it also could be the fresh update needed to make the story all the more impactful and stand apart from a basic remake.