Classic Film 'One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest ': Set for New Small-Screen Adaptation from Chief’s Perspective

A timeless film classic is set to be adapted for television, as the rights holders of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest prepare a new series based on the iconic story.

Producer Paul Zaentz, nephew of the original film’s producer Saul Zaentz, revealed on the indie filmmaking podcast CK Café that he has recently signed an agreement with Ken Kesey’s widow to develop a TV series. The first season will be told from the perspective of Chief Bromden, the towering half-Native American patient who feigns deafness and muteness. Following the initial season, the series will explore the Chief’s life after his escape from the psychiatric hospital.

Ken Kesey, author of the original novel, famously disapproved of Milos Forman’s 1975 film adaptation, partly because it shifted focus away from the Chief’s point of view. The new series aims to return to that original narrative perspective.

Details about the writer or production studio involved remain unclear, and further information is awaited from Zaentz.

The story centres on Randle McMurphy, a rebellious convict played by Jack Nicholson in the film, who is sent to a psychiatric hospital in 1963 Oregon. There, he encourages fellow patients to resist the oppressive regime of the head nurse. Chief Bromden’s transformation from silent observer to symbol of resistance is a key element of the narrative.

Michael Douglas recently noted in an interview that while there has been considerable interest in remakes or spin-offs, Zaentz has been cautious. The only authorised TV spin-off to date is Netflix’s Ratched (2020), a prequel series that lasted one season, on which Zaentz also served as producer.