Artist and illustration Tim Hamilton has created a graphic novel version of Ray Bradbury’s sci-fi classic Farenhneit 451. And Darabont has an adaption of the book currently in development.
In the graphic novel, Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451, The Authorized Adaptation (publ. Hill and Wang), Hamilton works deliberately with a restricted palette limiting his colors to dark blues and greens. But this makes the fire scenes all the more stark and potent.
Farenheit 451 Noir
The starkness of Hamilton’s use of color helps to focus his text. He keeps the clarity of the novel. And the darkness of his palette suits the darkness of the fascist future world the text describes. Hamilton’s style owes everything to the science fiction of the 1950s; his adaptation has a both a period and noir feel that pay quiet homage to Bradbury and the 1950s world from which his book emerged.
The 1950s stylings lend the Hamilton version the style of an original 1950s comic which similarly contributes to the sense of time and paranoia.
Hamilton also adapted Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island into a graphic novel for Puffin Graphics.
Inspiration for Farenheit 451
Bradbury said that the inspiration for Farenheit can be traced back to when he was 15 years old and saw images of book burnings in Nazi Germany.
The book describes a future where firemen destroy books. It tells the story of one particular fireman and his gradual involvement with an underground culture that preserve and hide books from the state.
The book was first published in 1953 and is seen as a sci-fi classic. It was first filmed in 1966 by Francios Truffuat with Julie Christie and Oskar Werner.
Ray Bradbury Working on New Sci-fi TV
Bradbury is also working with White Oak Films to produce a six-hour miniseries adapting several of his short stories into television films.
Tom Hanks was set to star in Darabont’s film adaptation but the star was forced to drop out due to other commitments. Darabont is said to be currently looking for a new lead to secure the full go-ahead for the film. There has been a long story with regards to attempts to remake a film of Farenheit 451. Prior to Hanks involvement there was a proposed Mel Gibson version and Brad Pitt was also touted for the lead role. In repeated interviews Darabont has said the project is close to his heart and that he is determined to make the film. Darabont will be able to take advantage of contemporary budget and production techniques to include details from the book that were excluded from the earlier version. For example Bradbury describes a robotic dog that Truffaut ignored but Darabont has said that he will recreate and film.
A. Gabriel Marcus - Working for magazines and newapapers in the US and UK for over 15 years.
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