Netflix has found success by bringing some of the most beloved books to the screen with adaptations such as “Bridgerton,” “The Witcher” or “Lincoln Lawyer.” So, it’s not surprising that the streaming giant is now aiming higher… Daring to adapt beloved classics, such as the upcoming series based on Gabriel García Márquez’s masterpiece “100 Years of Solitude.” And, now, according to reports, they are also set to adapt Oscar Wilde’s “The Picture of Dorian Gray” in a new series.
According to Deadline, the show will be a Berlanti Productions and Warner Bros. Television production. The script will be written by Katie Rose Rogers and Robbie Rogers, who most recently worked together on “Fellow Travelers.”
Meanwhile, Rina Mimoun will serve as showrunner and Lee Toland Krieger will serve as pilot episode director. However, while a new adaptation of the beloved novel is not a bad thing per se… Details about this new version haven’t sat well with fans of the original story, as it attempts to modernize it. But that’s not it as the series would change a major aspect of the novel.
The key detail of ‘The Picture of Dorian Gray’ that Netflix wants to change
Published in April 1891, “The Picture of Dorian Gray” follows Dorian Gray, a young man who becomes captivated by the hedonistic ideas of Lord Henry Wotton. After Dorian’s friend Basil paints a portrait of him, Dorian wishes he could stay young and beautiful. As a result, the portraits takes on the effects of aging and corruption instead.
According to the reports, Netflix’s series, which is titled “The Grays,” would be a contemporary take set against the backdrop of the modern beauty industry…. But in this one, Basil and Doran would be siblings… And, Doran (without the ‘i’) could be female.
While taking the story and bringing it to the modern days sounds really interesting, many fans haven’t exactly been loving the idea of changing the context of the relationship between the characters, as Basil’s infatuation with Dorian is central to the story. However, this could mean that the book is more of a subtle inspiration. Some reactions to the news are telling:
It’s worth remembering that another Netflix’s adaptation of a classic novel that wasn’t well received was “Persuasion,” based on Jane Austen’s 1817 work. Starring Dakota Johnson, the movie was a failure both with critics and fans of the book due to changes to the heroine’s traits, as well as its attempt of breaking the fourth wall.
Of course, this isn’t the first adaptation of the novel. In 1945 it became a film, which starred George Sanders, Hurd Hatfield and Donna Reed, and earned Angela Lansbury an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress for her portrayal of Sibyl Vane. Ben Barnes and Colin Firth starred in the 2009 film “Dorian Gray.”
