Netflix Acquires ‘Lord Of The Flies’ While Sony Rounds Up Multiple Deals for Jack Thorne’s Drama
Netflix Acquires U.S. Rights to Jack Thorne’s ‘Lord of the Flies’ Adaptation
Netflix has secured the U.S. rights to Jack Thorne’s highly anticipated television adaptation of Lord of the Flies. The acquisition marks a significant move for the streaming giant amid interest from several bidders for the drama series, which is produced by Sony-owned Eleven Film and Thorne’s One Shoe Films. The series is also intended for the BBC in the United Kingdom and Stan in Australia.
This deal is part of a broader distribution agreement that Sony Pictures Television (SPT) has established in advance of the upcoming London TV Screenings later this month. Various international broadcasters have shown interest, including Sky for Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Italy; CBC and SRC for Canada; TVNZ for New Zealand; U-NEXT for Japan; and others across the Middle East and North Africa.
The four-part series debuted on BBC and Stan on February 8 and will be showcased this evening at the Berlin International Film Festival, screening as part of the Berlinale Specials Series program. This marks the second consecutive year Sony has featured a series at the festival, following last year’s premiere of The Narrow Road to the Deep North on Prime Video.
Directed by Marc Munden, Thorne’s adaptation is notably the first television conversion of William Golding’s classic novel. It follows a group of boys stranded on a tropical island as they grapple with civilization and leadership. Ralph, portrayed by Winston Sawyers, tries to maintain order with the help of the intelligent Piggy, played by David McKenna. Simultaneously, Jack, portrayed by Lox Pratt, challenges Ralph’s authority, leading to chaos and conflict.
“Jack Thorne’s contemporary take on this timeless story is, in one word: powerful,” said Mike Wald, Co-President of Distribution & Networks at SPT. “This first-ever television adaptation of the iconic novel delivers on every level, including its cinematic scope and transportive music. We are thrilled with the incredible response that we have seen from buyers in every market.”
Lord of the Flies, originally published by Faber, has become a staple of English school curricula for over seventy years. Golding, the author, received the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1983.
In addition to Thorne’s writing, the series features music composed by Cristobal Tapia de Veer, with the main theme and additional scores contributed by renowned composers Hans Zimmer and Kara Talve. The executive production team includes Joel Wilson and Jamie Campbell for Eleven, Jack Thorne for One Shoe, Marc Munden, Nawfal Faizullah for the BBC, and Cailah Scobie and Amanda Duthie for Stan.
