After 13 Years, Wednesday Creators Are Rebooting One of The Greatest Sci-Fi Dystopias
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes was a success, so maybe it’s time to turn to other forgotten gems of the genre?
This year marks the 10th anniversary of the dystopian films about rebellious teens – Divergent, The Maze Runner, and the cult The Hunger Games turns 12.
Suzanne Collins entered the arena in 2008 with her unique Hunger Games. She set the trend for trilogies, love triangles and a teenager's fight against the system. The interest was so great that the first book's print run quadrupled.
The plot of Katniss entering and winning the Hunger Games was like a bomb going off. After that, a chain reaction began: the bookshelves, and then the screens, were filled with the chosen teenagers, who defeated the regime almost with their bare hands and without any plan.
Teenage Dystopia Genre Might Get a Second Life
The genre of teenage dystopia that readers and movie fans fell in love with at the beginning of the 2010s, like any popular trend, has gradually disappeared.
Authors have moved on to other genres, and some are still continuing the series they started, hoping to rekindle feelings forgotten by fans. But it's important to remember that history is cyclical, which means that one day teen dystopias will have another chance. Maybe that time is now?
One of the brightest representatives of the teenage dystopia genre, released at the height of its popularity in 2011, was I Am Number Four. The sci-fi thriller received mixed reviews at first, but completely undeservedly.
Yes, it lacked the grand scope of The Hunger Games, but it captivated audiences with something else – gradual character development, truly spectacular action scenes, and even horror elements.
I Am Number Four Creator Teases Movie Reboot
At the same time, I Am Number Four ended with clear potential for a sequel, but viewers never saw it. Now, the author of the original novel, James Frey, is giving fans real hope that the story will continue:
"Neal Moritz is producing a version of it that was written by the original writers, [Alfred Gough] and [Miles Millar], who just made Wednesday. So, we are in process on it and I can’t say whether it will actually ever get made or not, but I have great people I’m working with who are trying to make it happen, for sure."
Although Frey is cautious about bringing his brainchild back to the big screen, there is every chance that I Am Number Four will return – the success of The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes showed that audiences are still willing to go to the movies for teenage dystopias.
What is I Am Number Four About?
I Am Number Four tells the story of John, who looks like an ordinary teenager, but his mask is actually hiding a very different person. Under the guise of a teenager is one of the few surviving inhabitants of another galaxy, hiding on Earth from a mortal enemy who wants to destroy him.
Three of his predecessors have already been killed, and John is Number Four.
Source: SffGazette