The Great Gatsby TV Series Being Developed

The Great Gatsby has been part of our literary lexicon for generations now, which made the novel’s recent slip into the public domain all the more significant. Fans of the F. Scott Fitzgerald novel have been curious to see what new literary adaptations or follow-ups could pop up in the coming years — and in addition, it sounds like one will also be explored on television. According to The Hollywood Reporter, A+E Studios and ITV Studios America will be collaborating on a TV miniseries based on the novel, with Michael Hirst (The Tudors, Vikings) lined up to write and executive produce. The report indicates that the big-budget, close-ended miniseries will offer a “reimagining” of the world of the novel, particularly through New York’s Black community in the 1920s, as well as its musical subculture.

“I seem to have lived with Gatsby most of my life, reading it first as a schoolboy, later teaching it at Oxford in the 1970s then re-reading it periodically ever since,” Hirst said in a statement. “As the critic Lionel Trilling once wrote: ‘The Great Gatsby is still as fresh as when it first appeared, it has even gained in weight and relevance.’ Today, as America seeks to reinvent itself once again, is the perfect moment to look with new eyes at this timeless story, to explore its famous and iconic characters through the modern lens of gender, race and sexual orientation. Fitzgerald’s profoundly romantic vision does not prevent him examining and exposing the darker underbelly of the American experience, which is why the story speaks to both tragedy and hope, and why it continues to resonate today.”

Hirst’s Great Gatsby series has reportedly been in the works for at least three years, as part of his previous overall deal with A+E Studios. This new adaptation was reportedly in development at Apple last year, but it is unknown what network or streaming service it will ultimately be a part of.

The Great Gatsby series will also be executive produced by Michael London (Sideways, Milk), with Columbia University’s William B. Ransford professor of English and comparative literature and African-American studios Farah Jasmine Griffin expected to serve as a consultant. Blake Hazard, a great-granddaughter of Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald and a trustee of the Fitzgerald estate, will serve as a consulting producer.

“I have long dreamt of a more diverse, inclusive version of Gatsby that better reflects the America we live in, one that might allow us all to see ourselves in Scott’s wildly romantic text,” Hazard said. “Michael brings a deep reverence for Scott’s work to the project, but also a fearlessness about bringing such an iconic story to life in an accessible and fresh way. I’m delighted to be a part of the project.”

“There are few stories in the pantheon of American literature that transcend time like The Great Gatsby,” A+E Studios president Barry Jossen said. “Along with our partners at ITV Studios America and Groundswell Productions, A+E Studios is privileged to bring this powerful, complex work to life under the watchful eye of the incomparable Michael Hirst and the blessing of Fitzgerald family member Blake Hazard. As evidenced by his series bible, Michael stays true to Fitzgerald’s novel while building on that legacy with a modern vision that will be more reflective of America both then and now, including an enhanced exploration of the female characters. We are currently searching for a director and are excited to bring this out to the market.”

Now, let’s hope that a Muppet adaptation of The Great Gatsby isn’t too far behind.

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