The Peripheral - What We Know So Far
The current trend of limited series book adaptations is continuing on Amazon with their upcoming sci-fi series, "The Peripheral." It's based on the 2014 novel of the same name by William Gibson, a legend in science fiction, who is credited with coining the term "cyberspace."
Along with the likes of the great sci-fi film "Blade Yunner," Gibson — through works like "Neuromancer" — pioneered the cyberpunk genre, which birthed plenty of other iconic films, like "The Matrix." Gibson even dabbled in movies a little himself, with writing the film adaptation of his short story, "Johnny Mnemonic," a maligned flick starring Keanu Reeves that predicted a few things about 2021 and is now streaming on Amazon Prime.
The novel "The Peripheral" imagines two futures: One in small town America, where the illegal drug trade rules, and one even more distant, in London, after apocalyptic conditions wiped out most humans. Now, the creators of "Westworld" will take us there. Here's everything we know about the upcoming series.
When is The Peripheral's release date?
There's no official release date yet for "The Peripheral." Amazon has been publicly talking about adapting the book since 2018, just four years after it was released, but are only now filming it. According to The Citizen Times, "The Peripheral" filmed on location in London this Spring and will move to North Carolina in September, so fans can likely expect to watch it some time in 2022.
Notably, everyone is excited about the upcoming series not only because of the source material, but because Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy, the creators of the wildly popular drama "Westworld," are at the helm. They're producing it with Amazon Studios and Warner Bros. Television.
Alongside them, in the director's chair, is Vincenzo Natali, who's directed a handful of episodes for many different series, including "Hannibal" and "Westworld," as well as having helmed movies like "Cube" and "Splice." Acting as showrunner is Greg Plageman, who's produced and written for a variety of procedurals, including "Law & Order." Finally, Scott B. Smith, who earned an Oscar nomination for his screenplay of 1998's thriller "A Simple Plan," is credited as creating and writing it (via Deadline).
Who is in the cast of The Peripheral?
As the team for "The Peripheral" is in the midst of filming this year, they're beginning to announce their extensive cast. Chloë Grace Moretz, the young star known for "Kick-Ass," will be leading the series as Flynne, the "smart, ambitious, and doomed" protagonist (via Deadline). Beside her, in the role of Flynne's brother will be Jack Reynor, known for playing Christian in "Midsommar." Additionally, Gary Carr ("The Deuce") will play Wilf, a wealthy publicist from London.
Several other actors have joined the cast, in recurring and supportive roles, including Louis Herthum ("Westworld," "Longmire") as Corbell Pickett, Chris Coy ("The Deuce") as Jasper, Melinda Page Hamilton ("How to Get Away with Murder") as Ella, Katie Leung (Cho Chang in the "Harry Potter" films) as Ash, and Austin Rising ("The Roommates") as Leon. Alexandra Billings, known for "Transparent," will play Detective Ainsley Lowbeer, according to Deadline.
What is the plot of The Peripheral?
As "The Peripheral" is an adaptation of the novel by William Gibson, the plot of the series will follow the plot of the book. In writing about it for GQ, Zach Baron said, "'The Peripheral' is basically a noirish murder mystery wearing a cyberpunk leather jacket."
However, if you want more specifics, it centers on the character of Flynne Fisher (Chloë Grace Moretz) and her brother, Burton (Jack Reynor), who are struggling in a not-too-distant future in rural America, where jobs are tough to come by and the illegal drug trade is rampant. He's a veteran of the Marines' elite Haptic Recon unit, who's secretly working for a virtual game world. However, the story truly begins when Flynne fills in for him one day and witnesses a crime take place, according to Deadline.
Plus, for everyone who's already wondering about Season 2, Gibson did write a sequel and is planning a third to finish out the trilogy (via The Guardian), so there would be a blueprint for the adaptation to follow. If the series gets that far, though, remains to be seen.