Akiva Goldsman will write 20th Century Fox’s long gestating The Caves of Steel movie
It’s been almost five years since it was announced that 20th Century Fox has plans to bring to the big screen Isaac Asimov‘s 1954 novel The Caves of Steel. Today, however, the project seems to be moving forward once again as Variety reports that Akiva Goldsman has come aboard to script the adaptation. Goldsman is no stranger to the work of Asimov. He previously scripted the studio’s I, Robot, which borrowed some plot elements from Caves of Steel.
The Caves of Steel tells a science fiction detective story set roughly 3,000 years in the future. In it, a police detective, Elijah Bailey, joins forces with a robot, R. Daneel Olivaw, to solve a murder case of a “Spacer” Ambassador before it becomes an intergalactic incident. In the world of the book, Spacers are those who have chosen to leave the Earth for colonies on new worlds, creating a rift between those who remain on the overpopulated Earth. Bailey and Olivaw (or elements thereof) reappear in subsequent Asimov stories, including The Naked Sun, The Robots of Dawn and Robots and Empire.
The Caves of Steel was previously adapted as a British telefilm in 1964.
When first announced, The Caves of Steel was to be directed by Maggie helmer Henry Hobson from a script by John Scott 3 and Jamie Vanderbilt. At this time, however, no director is currently attached.
Goldsman, who took home an Academy Award for his work on Ron Howard‘s A Beautiful Mind, recently scripted the alien invasion thriller The 5th Wave. He’s also supplying the screenplay for Sony Pictures‘ upcoming Steven King adaptation, The Dark Tower. Look for it to hit the big screen February 17, 2017.
Who would you cast in a Caves of Steel movie? Is there a director you’d like to see at the helm? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
