According to Deadline, Apple has picked up a TV adaptation of Gregory David Roberts’ Shantaram for its Apple TV+ streaming service, with former Son Of Anarchy Charlie Hunnam set to star. This comes after multiple different adaptations have been attempted in the decade-and-a-half since the book came out, with Johnny Depp planning to star back in 2004. That never happened, but Depp held on as a producer and intended to hand off the starring spot to Joel Edgerton in 2013, but that attempt never materialized either. Now, Depp’s out and Charlie Hunnam is in, which is almost certainly good news for the viewing public.
The original book, which is supposedly based on Roberts’ real life to some extent, is about a man who escapes from an Australian prison in the ‘80s and ends up hiding out in India, where he learns about various other culture, falls in love, and falls back into old criminal habits. The TV version will presumably follow a similar path, so some of that is probably a spoiler. We don’t know when Shantaram might premiere, but Apple TV+ at least launches on November 1.