The lesser-known science fiction story adored by Ron Howard
If there’s one decade that cinephiles think of when it comes to the sci-fi genre, there’s no doubt that it’s the 1980s. Following on from the experimentation of the previous decade, the ‘80s was defined by bold visions by new filmmakers, with the likes of Blade Runner by Ridley Scott, E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial by Steven Spielberg and Cocoon by Ron Howard giving the genre a much-needed injection of quality.
While Scott and Spielberg are well known for their talents, Howard is rarely given credit for 1985’s Cocoon, nor the George Lucas-penned Willow released two years later, yet the director used the genre as a springboard for his later cinematic successes. Indeed, come the following decade, Howard would gain critical plaudits for Apollo 13, starring Tom Hanks, with the movie earning two Academy Awards for its visual magic.
His love for sci-fi continued into the new millennium, too, heading up the Star Wars franchise for Solo in 2018, where he did the best with what he had, creating a film that managed to conjure the spirit of the original franchise. He hasn’t given up on the genre moving forward, either, with the sci-fi tale Seveneves having been in the pipeline for production by Howard for many years now.
He briefly touched on his love of the forthcoming story in a discussion with Interview Magazine, stating: “We respond to different stories for different reasons. It’s a business of ambition and disappointment…The projects that I have in development now are very diverse and really creatively exciting—from a Neil Gaiman book, The Graveyard Book, to Disney, to Neil Stevensen’s great, great science fiction novel Seveneves, which is challenging but incredibly exciting.”
Beloved by a niche section of sci-fi lovers, Seveneves isn’t a widely known tale, but it soon will be once it hits cinemas in the coming years.
Penned by the American author Neal Stephenson, Seveneves tells the story of the desperate efforts to save humanity after an apocalyptic event that saw the destruction of the moon. With 880 pages of dense science fiction to get through, Stephenson’s book is considered pretty hardcore by fans, especially as it dedicates itself to expressing the realities of genuine science.
Back in 2016, rumours began swirling of a movie adaptation with Skydance Media and Imagine Entertainment acquiring the rights before hiring Howard and screenwriter William Broyles Jr, who previously penned 2000’s Castaway.
Speaking about why he believes his books haven’t yet been made into movies, take a look at Stephenson in the video below.
