David Farnor | On 19, May 2017

Ridley Scott and Netflix are reuniting to adapt JG Ballard’s novel Hello America.

The streaming giant is the talk of tinseltown right now, as it premieres two movies In Competition at Cannes for the first time, as well as announces a prequel series to The Dark Crystal, unveils the first look at Star Trek: Discovery, begins production on a series based on The Witcher, commissions an Orson Welles documentary and secures UK theatrical releases for both Okja and War Machine. Now, in what is turning out to be possibly the busiest week for the streaming service to date, Deadline reports that Netflix is teaming up with Ridley Scott to bring Ballard’s 1981 sci-fi tale to the screen.

Hello America takes place a century after America’s economy has collapsed and been left abandoned. The story sees a group of pioneers return to the ruins of the New World on a voyage of rediscovery, building to a showdown with a charismatic leader who threatens any opponents with nuclear weapons.

Scott Free’s Kevin Walsh and Michael Pruss will produce, alongside Ridley, marking the production company’s second deal with the streaming giant, following an agreement that gave Netflix the rights to Andrew Donomik’s War Party, which stars Tom Hard.

The agreement marks Netflix’s growing emphasis on feature develeopment, following the hiring of Scott Stuber to lead its original film arm.

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