One of the greatest science fiction stories of all time may soon be up for a reboot. H.G. Wells’ infamous 1896 novel, The Island of Dr. Moreau, is apparently being considered by Warner Brothers for an update despite several memorable (or infamous) incarnations from the past.
According to Deadline, the story which launched the 1932 classic Island of Lost Souls with Charles Laughton and Bela Lugosi, as well as the 1977 version with Burt Lancaster and Michael York, is being considered for its eco-centric timeliness. Hence, WB and Appian Way Pictures, the production company of Leonardo DiCaprio, commissioning Hemlock Grove’s Lee Shipman and Brian McGreevy to write a screenplay adaptation of it.
The film itself will also have to overcome the relatively recent shadow the 1996 adaptation of the book run by New Line Pictures. That film infamously starred Marlon Brando, Val Kilmer and David Thewlis. As one of Brando’s final films, the stories of him on the set are legendary.
The Island of Dr. Moreau is the tale of a man who accidentally ends up on a strange island where a scientist has played god by turning animals into human hybrids for his own mad dreams.