Exclusive: THX 1138 Series In Development For Disney+
Disney isn’t done mining the creations of George Lucas. According to our trusted and proven sources, 1971’s THX 1138 is becoming a series. A show based on the dystopian sci-fi thriller is in development at Disney+, focusing primarily on the concept of a society under surveillance.
We’ve exclusively learned George Lucas’ feature directorial debut THX 1138 is being reimagined as a series for Disney+.
Perhaps the most interesting part of this news is that Disney+ would be the home of the THX 1138 series. While the film was co-written and directed by George Lucas, it hit theaters months before Lucasfilm was founded. Screen rights situations aren’t always cut and dry, but presumably that would mean the film is not among the properties Disney acquired when it purchased Lucasfilm.
This would also explain why the original THX 1138 is currently streaming not on Disney+, but on the Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) owned Max. Presumably, this would mean that the series may be a joint venture between WBD and Disney.
In the world of THX 1138, the very concept of individuality is stamped out. All citizens are forced to wear the same white uniforms, all heads are shaven, and rather than names people are given designations consisting of three letters and four numbers.
Whatever the rights situation is, what’s less surprising is that Disney would want a series based on THX 1138. The media empire has its superheroes, its space opera, and its fantasy; one of the few genres it’s missing is a purely dystopian property. With the popularity of The Last of Us, The Walking Dead, Apple TV+’s Silo, and more, the House of Mouse doubtless wants its own society-gone-wrong property that could turn into a profitable franchise.
The story takes heavy inspiration from dystopian science fiction like George Orwell’s 1984. In the world of THX 1138, the very concept of individuality is stamped out. All citizens are forced to wear the same white uniforms, all heads are shaven, and rather than names people are given designations consisting of three letters and four numbers.
In fact, the title THX 1138 is the name of the hero, played by Robert Duvall (The Godfather).
Sex is prohibited as is reproduction. The very concepts of family and emotion are considered taboo.
While the populace is surveilled, order is maintained by android police.
With the popularity of The Last of Us, The Walking Dead, Apple TV+’s Silo, and more, the House of Mouse doubtless wants its own society-gone-wrong property that could turn into a profitable franchise.
Considering the growing real life worries over artificial intelligence, and the fact that last week New York City Mayor Eric Adams unveiled a police robot that will patrol the Times Square subway station — equipped, by the way, with facial recognition and audio surveillance devices — it probably doesn’t take much imagination to consider how a series like THX 1138 could be topical.
Once we know more details about Disney+’s upcoming THX 1138 series, we’ll make sure you know.
