Perhaps one of the most iconic Victorian-era pieces of literature ever written, Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray is a staple on many classic lit-reader’s shelves. So, when Netflix announced that they planned to adapt the novel, many were overjoyed – but that excitement was shortlived.
As reported by Deadline, the new adaptation will be handled by Berlanti Productions and Warner Bros. Television, the same team behind the LGBTQ+ series Fellow Travelers. Interestingly, though, The Picture of Dorian Gray seems as though it will lack any remnants of its queer source material, instead opting to make its two leads brothers. The brief synopsis for the upcoming series, titled The Grays, is:
In a twist on the gothic novel, the series revolves around siblings Basil and Doran Gray.
In the original novel published in 1890, it was blatant that Basil’s adoration and obsession with Dorian was romantic in nature. Most importantly, though: the two were not related. When the novel originally released, it was incredibly taboo and sparked outrage, leading to subsequent editions suffering from censorship of Basil’s declarations of affection toward Dorian. Because of the book’s narrative and its cultural impact, it has since become an LGBTQ+ reading staple, especially for those interested in classics, which makes Berlanti and Warner Bros. decision even more perplexing.
The novel has been adapted multiple times throughout the years on stage and screen, and with The Grays being currently in-development, fans of the story are very nervous to see if the story will be butchered in the writing process due to the strange choice to make the two main characters siblings. It seems as though Katie Rose Rogers and Rina Mimoun seem to want to make The Grays a contemporary commentary on the beauty industry – but it truly seems as though they’re just grossly misrepresenting the novel’s original intent.
Published: Sep 10, 2024 11:19 am