According to Deadline, Netflix has picked up the adaptation rights to Hello America, J.G. Ballard’s 1981 sci-fi novel about a group of explorers rediscovering the ruins of the United States a century after the country collapsed and most of the citizens evacuated to Europe and Asia. Along the way, they face the sort of dangers you’d expect to find in a post-apocalyptic version of America, including a “charismatic leader” calling himself President Charles Mason who controls an arsenal of nuclear weapons. Basically, Netflix could just make the movie version into a documentary if it waits long enough.
The Hello America movie is being produced by Ridley Scott and his Scott Free production company, making this his second Netflix deal after the Tom Hardy-starring War Party. A director and cast for Hello America have not been announced yet.