CBS Television studios has green lighted "Sleepy Hollow" co-creator Phillip Iscove to develop a series from H.G. Well's beloved 1869 science fiction tale "The Island of Dr. Moreau." According to Variety, the series has a working title "Moreau" and Iscove will be heading the project as a writer and executive producer. He will be joined by Frank Marshall and Robert Zotnowski as producers for the show.
In the same report by Variety, the series "Moreau" will reportedly revolve around Dr. Katherine Moreau who is unafraid to stretch the limits of medicine by conducting questionable scientific experiments and unconventional treatments which are done in her own private hospital located in a secluded island. As a twist, the drama will reportedly have a present-day setting and a female lead role.
It is not the first time the novel has been adapted into movies and television shows. The last big production for the story was the film adaptation in 1996 which starred Marlon Brando and Val Kilmer. On TV, the "The Island of Dr. Moreau" theme has been played on in the cartoon show "The Simpsons" and in the hit series "Orphan Black."
In a report by The Hollywood Reporter, the original H.G. Wells novel was based on a man's tale of his firsthand account of what he saw in the island home of a Doctor Moreau who experimented on animals to make hybrids of humans and beasts. The series will be the second title for Iscove that is based on a classical story. He found success with "Sleepy Hollow" for Fox which was a modern adaptation of the legend of the headless horseman from a tale by Washington Irving.
The series adaptation is a welcome addition to a slew of medical dramas that are currently in high demand among TV networks.
