Universal Cable Productions have confirmed they’re working on developing Kurt Vonnegut’s classic novel Slaughterhouse-Five as a series on their cable channel Epix, as reported exclusively to Variety.
Writer and executive producer at Happy! on Syfy, Patrick McManus, will work alongside director Kari Skogland, who recently secured an Emmy nomination for her work on The Handmaid’s Tale, to tell the tale of Billy Pilgrim, a WWII soldier who becomes “unstuck in time” and travels back and forth through past, present and future.
The original novel cemented Vonnegut’s status as one of the great American novelists of the 20th century and catapulted him to cult author status.
Originally published in 1969, Slaughterhouse-Five is frequently ranked among the best English novels of the 20th century. The book was a source of controversy and was banned from many schools upon its publication.
McManus said of the series:
“There are no lines that Vonnegut ever throws away. But there are certain lines within the book that allude to a much larger world. I’m not just talking about going off into outer space. He alludes to the Balkanization of the United States and to the hydrogen bombing of the United States. I feel like today’s TV is the only way to tell this story. Even though it’s only approximately 275 pages, I think that it’s ripe to be expanded upon exponentially.”
The series has yet to be given a release date.
Via Variety.
