George Clooney is set to produce, direct, and star in an upcoming post-apocalyptic Netflix original production, based on Lily Brooks-Dalton’s critically acclaimed novel, Good Morning, Midnight.
What’s the plot?
The plot will follow the novel’s protagonist, Augustine (Clooney), as he’s stationed in the Arctic during a post-apocalyptic scenario. Augustine is an astronomer who’ll have to deal with the deeply complex emotions of isolation. In a parallel story, Mission Specialist Sully and her crew is on a spaceship called the Aether in a return trip home from Jupiter. After catastrophe strikes Earth, Sully loses all contact with mission control and is left to her own devices to survive. Augustine races to make contact with the Aether as their stories intersect to produce unexpected consequences.
Lily Brooks-Dalton’s book is not to be confused with Jean Rhys’ 1939 novel of the same name, or with Reginald Hill’s 2004 novel of yet again the same name (bear that is a rather popular title from a famous poem by Emily Dickinson). The Chicago Review of Books named Brooks-Dalton’s novel one of the best books of 2017.
Other details
Clooney brought Grant Heslov on to co-produced. The two had previously collaborated as co-producers in Ben Affleck’s Best Picture recipient, Argo. Anonymous Content and Syndicate Entertainment will also produce the upcoming film.
Additionally, Mark L. Smith, known for his work on films such as The Revenant, Overlord, and Vacancy, was brought into the project to adapt the screenplay.
“Grant and I couldn’t be more excited to be involved with this incredible project,” Clooney said. “Mark is a writer we’ve long admired and his script is haunting. We’re thrilled to be working with our friends at Netflix as well.”
Scott Stuber, head of Netflix’s film division stated:
“Having known and worked with George for over two decades, I can’t think of anyone better to bring this amazing story to life. The book is powerful and moving, and Mark’s adaptation is beautifully written. At its core, this is a story about human nature, and one that I know our global audiences will fall in love with, just like I did when I read it.”
So, yeah—the film seems to have potential, at the very least.
A busy career
As one of the highest-grossing actors of all time, with more than $1.9 billion accumulated at the box office in total and an average of $61.7 million per film, Clooney is nothing but a colossus in Hollywood who’s just now delving into the waters of the streaming industry. This project will mark Clooney’s first feature film for a streaming service, though he’s previously directed six other movies, including Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, The Ides of March, and Good Night, and Good Luck—the latter of which earned him a Best Director nomination.
More recently, Clooney also produced, directed, and appeared in a few episodes of Catch-22, a Hulu adaption of Joseph Heller’s famous 1961 novel.
But Clooney’s fame reaches far beyond the boundaries of the entertainment industry. A noted activist, Clooney has been named one of the “Most Influential People in the World” by Time Magazine.
A giant effort from a giant streamer
This is just the latest effort in a long chain of projects as Netflix is looking to expand its exclusive catalogue to face the ever-growing list of powerful competitors. And with the whole film industry moving away from traditional theatre-venues into the homey comforts of streaming services, Netflix stands in a prime position to overtake the challenge. Many of its recent original films, such as Sandra Bullock’s Bird Box and Adam Sandler’s Murder Mystery, have reportedly drawn an incredible number of viewers—and we can only hope this new project will raise the bar in both quality and popularity. The talent, at least, is there.
Though the film still has no title, and the rest of the cast hasn’t been chosen, it will reportedly begin production in October. So things will likely move very quickly from now on. Here’s hoping for a smooth ride until the premier—whose date is yet to be announced.
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