Movie based on famed George Orwell novel . . .
It may be past its sell-by date by 28 years, but Brian Grazer and Ron Howard’s Imagine Entertainment is planning a new movie adaptation of the George Orwell’s classic totalitarian sci- fi novel, Nineteen Eighty-Four.

Intended as a criticism of totalitarianism, in particular Stalinism, Orwell’s 1949 book has been previously made into movies both in 1956 (starring Donald Pleasance) and in, er, 1984 (starring Richard Burton in his last role and Alien’s John Hurt.)

Stalinism may have gone the way of the Berlin Wall, but Orwell’s powerful novel gave the world terms and concepts such as Big Brother, doublethink, thought crime, Newspeak, and memory hole.

In the novel the world is divided between several all-powerful totalitarian regimes which are in perpetual military conflict with one another.

The story follows Winston Smith who works for a government department, ironically called the Ministry of Truth, which rewrites historical records to fit the ruling party’s current requirements. Smith secretly rebels against the ruling party when he becomes involved in a relationship forbidden by the regime.

Echoes of Orwell’s work can be found in many science fiction movies such as George Lucas’ THX-1138 and Brazil (1985).