The cable network is reportedly planning a television series based on The War of the Worlds, an account of an invasion of Earth by Martians. Wells’ story was first published in 1898, and along with being one of the earliest stories about an alien invasion of Earth, it’s also been adapted countless times over the years in various media.
According to Deadline, MTV’s plans for the War of the Worlds series are being pushed along by Teen Wolf creator and executive producer Jeff Davis, as well as Teen Wolf writer Andrew Cochran and Salem producers Josh Barry and Jeff Kwatinetz. Barry is the grandson of Gene Barry, who starred in the 1953 film based on the story, making the project a personal one for him.
Wells’ story has been adapted many times over the years, most famously in a 1938 radio special by Orson Welles that prompted widespread panic around the country when people assumed it was a true report on an invasion from outer space. Steven Spielberg also adapted the story for a 2005 science-fiction film starring Tom Cruise, which earned more than $591 million worldwide.
The MTV series won’t be the first to bring the story to the small screen, as it will follow a 1980s series that ran for two seasons and served as a direct sequel to the 1953 film. That series had the Martians wake from suspended animation years after their initial invasion and decide to pick up where they left off decades ago.
There’s no word on when the series will go into production or when it might premiere.
