‘S-Town’ TV Show in the Works from Apple, Host Says

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‘S-Town’ TV Show in the Works from Apple, Host Says

As a seasoned gamer of podcasts and storytelling masterpieces, I must admit that the prospect of a Hollywood adaptation of S-Town has me both excited and cautious. On one hand, the original podcast was a remarkable piece of audio journalism that left an indelible mark on the genre, pushing the boundaries of what a podcast could be and delivering a captivating narrative that resonated with millions.

A Hollywood adaptation of S-Town is still in the works, with a fresh creative team.

Television host Brian Reed reveals to The Hollywood Reporter that Apple TV+ is considering turning the popular podcast into a limited series, with renowned screenwriter Daniel Zelman, known for his work on ‘Damages’ and ‘Bloodline’, tapped to spearhead the development of this potential project.

Apple TV+ declined to comment. Zelman’s reps did respond to requests for comment.

The critically acclaimed podcast “S-Town,” released in 2017, focused on an eccentric antique clock restorer living in rural Alabama and his intricate connections with his community. Upon its release seven years ago, it smashed podcast listenership records, garnering 16 million downloads within the first week and 40 million within the first month. Produced by the team behind “Serial” and “This American Life,” this seven-episode series was lauded for pushing the boundaries of podcasting. “Slate” described it as “aural literature,” while the “New Yorker” declared in 2018 that among all podcasts released up to that point, “S-Town” had the best chance of enduring as a work of art. It won a 2017 Peabody Award for being a groundbreaking classic of its form.

The podcast faced controversy, as people questioned if John B. McLemore had truly consented to the project following his suicide during the initial reporting stages and whether the podcast overstepped boundaries by delving into personal aspects of McLemore’s life. These points are discussed in Reed’s latest podcast on journalism called Question Everything. In 2018, the estate administrator filed a lawsuit under Alabama’s right to publicity law; however, this dispute was resolved two years later when the estate dropped all objections against the podcast.

Previously, the story of S-Town had been considered for a movie adaptation before. Back in 2018, director Tom McCarthy, who was behind the film Spotlight, was initially interested in directing it. The script was penned by Samuel Hunter, known for writing the play The Whale. Participant Media was set to produce, but the project was delayed due to a lawsuit, as producer Julie Snyder informed the Associated Press in 2020. This year, Participant Media ceased operations. Now, according to Reed, a new creative team is being assembled for this project.

Apart from “The One Series Adaptation Reed is Involved With,” Reed is also working on another adaptation: the television series version of “The Trojan Horse Affair,” which he co-created with Hamza Syed, is currently in development and will star Riz Ahmed for Serial Productions and New York Times.

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2024-09-14 01:54