It seems Ridley Scott isn't content tweaking his own sci-fi classics, he has to start messing around with others. After giving us the Alien "sequel" Prometheus and beginning work on a Blade Runner follow-up, Scott is now set to produce a TV miniseries that serves as a sequel to Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey and the unfortunate 2010: The Year We Make Contact.
SyFy is developing 3001: The Final Odyssey, based on the Arthur C. Clarke book and given the full backing of the author's estate, so at least it's official. Stuart Beattie, who has written some decent stuff like Collateral and crapola like I, Frankenstein will pen the script. Here's the book's synopsis:
In this fourth and final book in a 30-year publishing odyssey (following 2001, 2010, and 2061), 2001 astronaut Frank Poole, presumed dead and adrift in deep space near Jupiter, is recovered alive in the year 3001. Intent on saving humanity, he returns to Jupiter's satellite, Europa, to contact partner Dave Bowman, whose mind has become absorbed by a third monolith.
Here's what Scott had to say:
"I have always been a fan of Clarke’s extraordinary Odyssey series, and certainly Kubrick’s adaptation of 2001. I am thrilled to be part of bringing that legacy to audiences and continuing the great cinematic tradition that this story and its creators deserve."
Hopefully this turns out to be a decent wrap-up to Clarke's "Odyssey", but it's going to depend greatly on who they get to direct it.
