Don't even get me started on how closely this country resembles George Orwell's dystopian vision established in his book, 1984. The powerful claim to be the powerless, the government talks about defending our civil liberties while stripping them away, and privacy is a thing of the past. Thanks, Patriot Act. If you've never read Orwell's seminal 1949 novel, or seen the Michael Radford directed film version, do yourself a favor and do so. Go creep yourself out, buddy. Actually, the 1956 BBC version is better. Watch that one.
THR reports that Imagine Entertainment will be teaming up with graphic street artist Shepard Fairey on a remake of the science fiction classic, with Fairey possibly even serving as a producer on the project. Fairey is probably best known for the Barack Obama "Hope" posters that you can still find everywhere. He's also the guy behind the OBEY viral campaign and clothing line, and was featured prominently in Exit Through the Gift Shop.
The story follows Winston Smith, who lives in the futuristic, totalitarian land of Oceania. He works for the Ministry of Truth, a government branch that molds and rewrites the past to suit their needs. If you ever hear the phrase "2+2=5" it comes from 1984, and identifies the acceptance of party ideology over the logical truth. I know a few politicians who think 2 + 2 = 5, so this story should be just as relevant today as ever.
Writers and a director are currently being sought. I'd kill for Christopher Nolan to direct something like this, but who do you think would be a good choice?
