Ridley Scott really has been a busy little bee. Variety is reporting that Ridley and his brother Tony are executive producing a four (possibly six) hour mini-series of Michael Crichton’s “The Andromeda Strain” for A&E. Cinematographer-turned-director Mikael Solomon will direct the script written by Robert Schenkkan (The Quiet American).
This isn’t the first adaptation of Crichton’s “Andromeda,” Robert Wise directed a version back in 1971. I’ve read my share of Crichton but never “The Andromeda Strain”. My cluelessness gets a nice cherry on top because I haven’t seen the 1971 movie either. However, I do know it has to do with an extraterrestrial virus that makes its way to planet Earth and it starts to spread. Stupid science … Anyway, the scientists try to find an antidote in time to save all of humanity. You know, that old story.
This isn’t the first TV project the Scott brothers have helped produce. They executive produced for HBO RKO 281, where Liev Schreiber pulled off a pretty decent Orson Welles, I thought. They also executive produce the ABC series “Numbers”.
