A William Gibson adaptation from the 1990s remains overlooked and underrated even to this day, but Apple TV‘s upcoming cyberpunk show can finally set the stage for its redemption.
The cyberpunk subgenre, as a whole, has not been actively explored in the live-action storytelling medium. One of the biggest reasons behind this is that its visual depiction on the big and small screens often demands a massive budget. However, Apple TV’s upcoming take on William Gibson’s award-winning novel suggests that this is soon about to change.
The exciting Apple TV sci-fi show not only has the potential to raise a new wave of interest in the cyberpunk genre but also redeem an under-appreciated classic sci-fi movie that stars Keanu Reeves.
Apple TV’s Neuromancer Can Help Redeem Johnny Mnemonic’s Movie Adaptation
Long before Apple TV picked up William Gibson’s Neuromancer and Prime Video adapted the author’s The Peripheral, there was Johnny Mnemonic. Starring Keanu Reeves, the movie came out in 1995 and adapted a short story of the same name that serves more or less as a prequel to Neuromancer. Unfortunately, the movie was heavily panned by critics and still holds a low Rotten Tomatoes score of 19%.
Even the movie’s box office performance was not too impressive, but it soon gained a cult following for its appealing campiness and ambitious portrayal of cyberpunk themes.
After all these years, though, the film remains relatively under-appreciated because it was overshadowed by a wave of sci-fi blockbusters like The Matrix in the late 90s. Apple TV’s Neuromancer, though, could bring new eyes to the forgotten Keanu Reeves movie and help it gain a new torrent of attention.
Since Neuromancer was considered “unfilmable” for a long time, the Apple TV show also risks facing the same issues as Johnny Mnemonic. However, if Apple TV manages to pull it off, the show could pave the way for a franchise where one installment or story arc could also cover Johnny Menmonic‘s story.
If William Gibson’s Johnny Mnemonic gets another live-action iteration, viewers would be compelled to check out and appreciate the Keanu Reeves movie as well.
Johnny Mnemonic Was Ahead Of Its Time
When William Gibson dipped his feet in sci-fi and started defining the foundational elements of the cyberpunk genre, his vision was often seen as a fantastical projection of the future. Even Johnny Mnemonic and its movie adaptation came off as fun explorations of a future that would likely never happen. In hindsight, though, Gibson’s work and even the Keanu Reeves movie seem prophetic in more ways than one.
For instance, while some aspects of Johnny Mnemonic have not aged too well, its portrayal of a disease (Nerve Attenuation Syndrome) caused by excessive connection to technology feels similar to what we call “brain rot” these days.
Similarly, like Neuromancer, Johnny Mnemonic also gave a fairly accurate prediction of how mega-corporations would eventually dominate the world and cross every moral boundary to maximize profits. Even the movie and the original William Gibson story’s portrayal of brain-computer interfaces, surveillance, and VR feels more relatable than ever.
The William Gibson book Apple TV‘s Neuromancer is adapting was also far ahead of its time, which makes the upcoming series incredibly exciting.
