Continuing its original programming expansion, Syfy today has ordered a six-hour miniseries adaptation of Arthur C. Clarke's critically-acclaimed novel Childhood's End. Production will begin later this year for a debut in 2015.
Childhood's End will be adapted by Matthew Graham (BBC's Life on Mars, Ashes to Ashes), with Akiva Goldsman and Mike De Luca set as executive producers. The miniseries will be be directed by Nick Hurran (Sherlock). Universal Cable Productions will produce.
Hailed as a revolutionary work of science fiction since its publishing in 1953, Childhood's End follows the peaceful alien invasion of Earth by the mysterious "Overlords," whose arrival begins decades of apparent utopia under indirect alien rule, at the cost of human identity and culture.
Dave Howe, President, Syfy, said: "As we aggressively develop scripted programming over a diverse creative landscape, we want our content to reflect the greatest sci-fi stories from the past and the present. The powerful themes of Childhood's End, from the fearsome price of peace and prosperity, to the very question of what constitutes a human being, remain fascinating and timeless. This will be the most ambitious project for Syfy in many years."
