According to Variety, Martin Freeman is set to executive produce a TV adaptation of Paradise Lost, John Milton’s 17th-century epic poem about the fall of man and Satan’s failed rebellion against God. The TV version doesn’t have a writer or any networks attached yet, but discussions for both are reportedly underway with production company Dancing Ledge. Freeman might also play a character in the series, but he hasn’t committed to anything beyond producing yet.
In a statement, Dance Ledge CEO Laurence Bowen described the original Paradise Lost as “a biblical Game Of Thrones” that carries readers through “an internecine world of political intrigue and incredible violence.” That definitely sounds like something that TV viewers would like, even if they’ll have to look up “internecine,” and Freeman himself adds that Paradise Lost is “epic, exciting, and surprisingly modern.” That last point seems like it could be a tease as to the potential undertones of this adaptation of Milton’s story, since the idea of an evil figure managing to corrupt fundamentally good people with his twisted rhetoric does seem like it has some parallels with modern life.