Ray Bradbury, 1920-2012
Ray Bradbury‘s classic SF novel, Fahrenheit 451, is being remade. Bookstr announced the new version will star Michael B. Jordan, who is well known to SF/F fans as Steve Montgomery in Chronicle, Johnny Storm in the 2015 version of The Fantastic Four, and the voice of Cyborg in Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox. He will be playing Erik Killmonger in the upcoming Black Panther movie. Jordan will play Fireman Guy Montag.
Michael B. Jordan starred as Adonis Creed, son of Rocky Balboa’s friend Apollo Creed, in Creed and will be reprising the role in Creed II. He played Flight Officer Maurice “Bumps” Wilson in George Lucas’ WWII film Red Tails. His other roles include Reggie Porter in All My Children, Alex in Parenthood, Wallace in The Wire, and Vince Howard in Friday Night Lights.
In Fahrenheit 451, fireman don’t fight fires. They set them. Books are dangerous; they make people think. Therefore, books must be destroyed. Bradbury wrote Fahrenheit 451 with two themes in mind: the danger of censorship and the equal or greater “dangers of an illiterate society infatuated with mass media.” It remains a timely tale, perhaps even more now than in the McCarthy era. Jordan plays Guy Montag, a fireman who comes to question what he’s been taught.
Laura Harrier, who was Liz in Spider-Man: Homecoming, will play Guy’s wife, Mildred Montag.
Michael Shannon has been chosen for the role of Captain Beatty, Montag’s boss. He played General Zod in Man of Steel and Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice, and was Doc Cross Williams in Jonah Hex. He also plays Strickland in the upcoming The Shape of Water, due to be released December 8, 2017.
Algerian actress Sofia Boutella will portray Clarisse McClellan, the free-spirited young woman who makes Montag question his place in life. She played Jaylah in Star Trek: Beyond, Ahmanet in The Mummy, Gazelle in Kingsman: The Secret Service, and Delphine Lasalle in Atomic Blonde.
Saad Siddiqui will be playing Montag’s co-worker, Fireman Stone. Siddiqui, who was born in Pakistan, was Straal in the Star Trek: Discovery episode Context is for Kings. He also played Dr. Moffatt in Orphan Black and Tracy Dyer in Taken.
HBO has not yet announced when they will be broadcasting this movie, although it will be sometime in 2018. This remake of Fahrenheit 451 is co-written by Ramin Bahrani and Amir Naderi. Bahrani will be directing.
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Susan Macdonald is the author of the children’s book “R is for Renaissance Faire”, as well as 26 short stories, mostly fantasy in “Alternative Truths”, “Swords and Sorceress #30”, Swords &Sorceries Vols. 1, 2, & 5, “Cat Tails” “Under Western Stars”, and “Knee-High Drummond and the Durango Kid”. Her articles have appeared on SCIFI.radio’s web site, in The Inquisitr, and in The Millington Star. She enjoys Renaissance Faires (see book above), science fiction conventions, Highland Games, and Native American pow-wows.
