‘The Peripheral’ Sci-Fi Thriller Gets Greenlit For Amazon Prime

Since early 2018, Amazon has been attempting to bring William Gibson’s best-seller “The Peripheral” to their streaming platform. Created by Scott B. Smith, the adaption would be an hour-long experience following the same premise as the novel.

As reported by Deadline, it seems Amazon has finally greenlit the sci-fi thriller with HBO’s “Westworld” veterans Lisa Joy and Jonathan Nolan attached as executive producers. The married pair and their company Kilter Films had signed a deal with Amazon in April for, as The Hollywood Reporter ascertains, somewhere near $30 million per year to create original series for the streaming juggernaut.

Best known for “Neuromancer,” winner of the Hugo, Nebula, and Phillip K. Dick Awards, Gibson is considered among the foremost authorities on science fiction literature. His “The Peripheral,” published in 2014, blends science fiction, cyberpunk, and mystery to tell a vast story of multiple futures.

Led by Flynne Fisher, “The Peripheral” underscores the nature of technology infused with video games. After successfully beta testing a new gaming experience, Flynne's brother Burton invites her to try it out. Yet, while his experience may have been easy-going, hers, on the other hand, leads down into a swirling rabbit hole of mystery and murder.

As the writer-directorial duo relates themselves, “35 years ago, William Gibson invented the future. With ‘The Peripheral’ he brings us another look, and his vision is as clear, intoxicating, and terrifying as ever. All of us at Kilter are incredibly proud to be supporting Vincenzo and Scott’s brilliant vision for bringing Gibson’s work to the screen.”

Joy and Nolan will still continue working on their acclaimed “Westworld” series at HBO, as the show heads into its third season. Produced by both Warner Bros. Television and Amazon Studios, “The Peripheral” will be helmed by a number of talented individuals alongside Joy and Nolan, such as Vincenzo Natali, Athena Wickham, and Steven Hoban, who are all also executive producing with Smith.

Head of Amazon Studios, Jennifer Salke, said this about the upcoming project: “This story calls for a masterful level of talent to bring acclaimed author William Gibson’s science fiction thriller to life. We are excited to partner with Warner Bros. Television, Oscar-nominated writer Scott B. Smith and Vincenzo Natali in bringing this fantastic new series to our global Prime Video customers.”

The hallucinatory epic of “The Peripheral” is now in predevelopment at Amazon.