AMC Plans “Grapes of Wrath” TV Series

AMC Networks has announced “Great American Stories,” a new anthology series in which each season will adapt a “different celebrated work, historical moment, or individual narrative celebrating and highlighting the American spirit”.

The first season of said series will be an adaptation of John Steinbeck’s famed novel “The Grapes of Wrath”. John Ford helmed the previous and highly acclaimed 1940 film adaptation which won two Oscars.

The original Pulitzer Prize-winning 1939 work unfolds during the Great Depression and follows the Joads, a poor family of tenant farmers driven from their Oklahoma home by drought, economic hardship, agricultural industry changes and bank foreclosures.

They set out for California along with thousands of others from the Dust Bowl, seeking jobs, land, dignity, and a future. Spielberg considered a new adaptation over ten years ago, while a few years ago “99 Homes” director Ramin Bahrani wanted to have a go – but his poorly received adaptation of Ray Bradbury’s “Fahrenheit 451” possibily didn’t help his case.

The first season is set to be adapted by Rolin Jones, playwright and showrunner of AMC’s “Interview with the Vampire” which is one of the most acclaimed shows on television right now with a 98% on Rotten Tomatoes and 89 on Metacritic for its most recent season.

Jones will handle ‘Grapes’ then step back and ‘manage the franchise’ from there with other talent steering the ship. He’ll be helped by TV veteran Mark Johnson (“Breaking Bad,” “Better Call Saul”) who is also producing. Jones is presently gearing up to shoot the third season of ‘Interview’.

The series will air on the AMC cable channel and stream on AMC+.

Source: THR

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