Bradley Cooper and Syfy. The two names go together like two other names that have never been associated with one another, like Adam Sandler and Academy Award. But much as Sandler’s Billy Madison will eventually receive an honorary Oscar for Outstanding Contribution to Comedy, so too does Cooper now enter the Syfy fold with a new project. Variety reports the actor is partnering with Syfy to create a new event series for the channel based on Dan Simmons’ celebrated novel Hyperion.
The first book in Simmons’ Hyperion Cantos series, the novel tells the story of seven pilgrims on a journey to unravel a mystery affecting each of their lives. With the entire galaxy at war, each character “carries a desperate hope and a terrible secret—and one may hold the fate of humanity in his hands.” It’s unclear what drew Cooper to the project, but presumably the chance to work with the cable channel behind Mega Shark Vs. Mecha Shark was not the reason. Still, this is the latest in a series of upcoming high-profile Syfy projects, along with an alien terrorist series from a Walking Dead producer, Ben Affleck and Matt Damon’s new show about evil corporations, and Ridley Scott’s miniseries based on 2001.
Cooper will be executive producing the series, along with Graham King and his Hangover director Todd Phillips. Itamar Moses (Boardwalk Empire) will write the screenplay. Hopefully, this will help get Syfy back on the path to making science fiction like Battlestar Galactica, and away from making science fiction like Dinocroc Vs. Supergator.