Actor Mark Strong just joined the cast of Neuromancer in the role of Armitage, the mysterious figure that sets off the entire plot. Strong just finiished his first season in another sci-fi adaptation, Dune: Prophecy, but there’s nothing on TV quite like Neuromancer right now. It’s based on a 1984 novel by William Gibson set in a cyberpunk future full of corporate espionage and virtual reality. Apple TV+ is adapting the book into a 10-episode series starring Callum Turner as Case and Briana Middleton as Molly. The show has officially been greenlit, but so far it’s unclear when it will be filmed and when we might see it for ourselves.
Neuromancer follows Case, a young criminal who specialized in computer hacking until an injury damaged his central nervous system — and thus his ability to directly interface with virtual reality. In spite of his shortcomings, he is approached by Molly on behalf of a mysterious employer named Armitage, who wants to hire both of them for a high-stakes job. If they’re successful, Case will be cured.
As Armitage, Strong will loom large in this series, while Turner and Middleton will serve as the protagonists. So far, the only other cast member announced is Joseph Lee, who will play the bodyguard Hideo. That leaves a few more prominent characters to be cast, including Peter Riviera and Lady 3Jane. Apple’s adaptation of Neuromancer will consist of 10 episodes, under showrunners Graham Roland and J.D. Dillard. At that length, it seems likely that the whole book will be covered as a limited series, rather than multiple seasons.
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Neuromancer is considered one of the foundational texts of the subgenre “cyberpunk,” influencing much of the sci-fi that has followed in all mediums. It kick’s off Gibson’s Sprawl trilogy, followed by Count Zero and Mona Lisa Overdrive. However, all three novels are relatively self-contained, so there’s not necessarily a need for further installments. On the other hand, if Neuromancer is done well, adaptations of the other two novels would likely be welcome. Gibson also used his “Sprawl” setting for three short stories — “Johnny Mnemonic,” “Burning Chrome” and “New Rose Hotel.”
Thematically, these stories will resonate well with today’s audiences — they’re critical of corporate monopolies and unregulated technology, and they present a grim picture of our environmental future.
Neuromancer is currently pre-production, and it has no projected release date yet. Gibson’s novels are available now in print, digital, and audiobook formats.
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