Will Ryan Murphy Rescue Bret Easton Ellis From HBO Hell?
Since Ryan Murphy has completed his dramatic portrayal of Truman Capote’s tumultuous past, it seems the daring producer is now looking to tackle another literary antihero. According to our sources, Murphy, at 59 years old, is currently in talks to produce a series adaptation of Bret Easton Ellis’ 2023 novel, The Shards, a semi-autobiographical work brimming with drugs, tension, and murder, loosely inspired by the author’s time at The Buckley School in Sherman Oaks. This upcoming project, serving as a prequel to Ellis’ 1985 best-seller Less Than Zero, had been on its way to production at HBO since January 2024. Initially, Norwegian director Kristoffer Borgli was set to helm the project, with Jacob Elordi, an Australian actor from Saltburn, showing interest in the lead role. However, creative disagreements caused a breakdown in September, leaving Ellis frustrated and vowing never to participate in another adaptation of his work. With Murphy currently enjoying success, however, Ellis may be reconsidering that pledge. Murphy’s FX series Feud: Capote vs. The Swans has been a strong contender throughout the year (earning five Emmy nominations and a Golden Globe nomination), as has his latest season of Netflix’s true-crime series Monster, which, interestingly enough, also focuses on disaffected youth growing up in L.A. during the 1980s, much like the storyline in Less Than Zero (the Menendez brothers, for instance). One source claims the deal is all but sealed, while another informed source tells THR, “There have been discussions, but nothing concrete.” Keep your fingers crossed.
The Trump Bump for Book Sales: It’s Positively Orwellian
As the turmoil of apocalyptic fires in Los Angeles and political unrest in Washington unfolded, I found solace in the pages of dystopian novels that mirrored our own troubled times. Books like Ray Bradbury’s “Fahrenheit 451,” a tale of book burning, soared to become the 8th best-selling book nationwide with a 150% increase in sales. George Orwell’s “1984,” a classic story about manipulative authoritarian regimes, climbed to No. 10 after a 192% surge in sales. Octavia Butler’s “The Parable of the Sower,” Margaret Atwood’s “The Handmaid’s Tale,” and Orwell’s “Animal Farm” narrowly missed the top ten list.
Alex Woloch, an Orwell scholar at Stanford, noted that similar trends occurred after Donald Trump’s first inauguration, when Kellyanne Conway’s phrase “alternative facts” catapulted “1984” to No. 1 on Bookscan. He suggests that readers are drawn back to these stories because they offer a “reassuring moral clarity” about the current events. In his words, reading “1984” or “The Handmaid’s Tale” provides a clear, united, and authoritative perspective, which stands in stark contrast to the disorientation of today’s politics.
However, these spikes are often temporary. By the following week, the best-seller list returned to being dominated by Rebecca Yarros’ books, works by Freida McFadden, self-help titles, and the latest installment in the “Dog Man” series.
— Andy Lewis
Guy Pearce’s Pro-Palestinian Pin Problem Isn’t Going Away
This year’s Oscars ceremony is anticipated to include an edge-of-your-seat moment: whether Guy Pearce will sport his contentious pro-Palestinian lapel pins on the red carpet. At 57 years old, this Australian actor has been a subject of debate throughout awards season, donning these divisive accessories while promoting his Oscar-nominated film, “The Brutalist.” The role casts Pearce as an antisemitic American industrialist, and he first wore the pins at Cannes Film Festival in May, causing a small scandal when Vanity Fair France omitted them from photos of him. Pearce was displeased by this edit, calling it “a disgrace.” The controversy continued at the Golden Globes, where Pearce wore an “Artist4Ceasefire” pin, sparking online criticism. Despite the Gaza ceasefire in January, Pearce has persisted in wearing “Free Palestine” buttons on his jackets, including during “The Brutalist’s” London premiere and at the AACTA Awards in Australia. Sources claim that Pearce intends to wear something similar at the Oscars, though his representatives have not confirmed this. — Merle Ginsberg
You can find this article in the February 12th edition of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. To stay updated, consider subscribing.
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2025-02-12 21:27