Netflix to adapt Midnight’s Children into series
David Farnor | On 29, Jun 2018
Netflix is making a new original series based on Midnight’s Children, by Sir Salman Rushdie.
The seminal work of fiction, first published in 1981, is a literary tour de force that has won multiple accolades, including the Booker Prize, the Best of the Booker twice – both in 1993 and 2008, and the James Tait Memorial Prize. The hugely successful novel is ranked among the 100 best books of all time by the Modern Library, weaving together postcolonial, postmodern and magic realism.
It follows the life of Saleem Sinai, born on the stroke of midnight on 15th August 1947, the time of India’s independence. His every act is mirrored and magnified in events that sway the course of India’s national affairs; his health and well-being are inextricably bound to those of his nation; his life is inseparable, at times indistinguishable, from the history of his country. Perhaps most remarkable are the telepathic powers linking him with India’s 1,000 other “midnight’s children,” all born in that initial hour and endowed with magical gifts.
This is not the first time the novel has been adapted for the screen, with a feature film based on the book (pictured above) released in 2012.
Erik Barmack, VP, International Originals, Netflix, says: “Midnight’s Children is one of the great novels of the world, and its themes are still relevant to the India of today. The narrative continues to fascinate audiences decades after it was first published. We are incredibly excited to translate this pioneering work of fiction that parallels the birth of modern India, for a global audience. The rich experience and talent of Indian creators combined with the global reach of Netflix, have the potential for millions of more people around the world to rediscover this story.”
Rushdie, who was knighted in 2007 for services to literature, comments: “I am absolutely delighted that Midnight’s Children will have a new life on Netflix, and greatly look forward to working with them to help create it.”