The trend for turning popular films into TV series shows no sign of ending, with Steven Spielberg’s 2002 Philip K Dick adaptation Minority Report up next. Set in the year 2065 – 11 years after the events of the Tom Cruise-starring movie – Fox’s TV series follows the lives of the film’s precogs: Dash (Stark Sands), Arthur (Nick Zano) and Agatha (Laura Regan) as they attempt to find their place in the world.
While Dash is still attempting to use his powers for the greater good, Agatha chooses instead to remain withdrawn from the world. “What you see in the pilot is a more detached Agatha,” says Regan. “She’s so strong-willed, and has some very strong opinions, but she has something of a zen-like quality, where she’s removed herself from this society that took advantage of her, really to protect herself.”
According to Regan, Dick’s trademark themes like identity, free will versus destiny and our relationship with technology will remain pronounced. “Free will versus destiny is still very much a part of it. I’m playing one version of it: I choose to remain away… There are moments where I say, ‘Look Dash, I can see what you’re going to do, don’t you realise that?’ And he’ll say, ‘But what about free will?’ And he’s always the one reminding me of [it].
“One other interesting theme is the element of privacy, which is so relevant in society right now. We tell our apps everything: our Instagram, Facebook – our computers seem to know everything about our lives, and that I think was something the original film foreshadowed. We saw that coming.”
Equally, the TV series, created by Godzilla writer Max Borenstein, isn’t afraid to deviate from aspects of the film, with Regan keen to emphasise the role played by humour in the series. “I may be wrong, but I don’t remember a lot of light-heartedness,” recalls Regan.
“It was a pretty heavy, serious sci-fi drama, and our series has a lot of funny moments that comes out of Dash’s visions: little moments of levity. And that really comes out in the relationship between Dash and Meagan [Good, who plays Detective Lara Vega], as well. He’s never functioned in society before, so that provides a lot of opportunity for funny moments.”
Regan, who made her name starring in horror flicks like My Little Eye, Dead Silence and Them – as well as a recurring role in Mad Men – faced the unenviable task of taking on a role popularised by Samantha Morton in the original. Instead of mimicking her performance method-style, however, she instead chose to make the role her own. “I had to bring my own take – I don’t look tremendously like her! It’s really a re-establishing of the character. She is so powerful in the film, it’s hard to avoid certain images of her that are in my head, but I’m not aiming to replicate anything.”
As we’ve previously mentioned, TV series based on films aren’t exactly in short supply. Limitless, Scream, Damien and Ash Vs Evil Dead will all be hitting screens soon, so Minority Report has a lot of company. Regan believes that the show is different enough to stand out, though. “There are so many crime procedurals on TV, but this has its own unique bent. I think it’ll stand out because of that and the light-heartedness. I really think it could go for a long, long time.”
Minority Report will air on Fox in the US from 21 September 2015, with a UK air date to follow. For more on the biggest TV shows, pick up the latest issue of SciFiNow.
