99 Homes director Ramin Bahrani is set to write, direct, and produce a Fahrenheit 451 adaptation for HBO, continuing a career-long obsession with numbers. Fahrenheit 451 is, of course, Ray Bradbury’s classic 1953 (number!) dystopian novel about a future in which books are illegal and burned by “firemen.” The iconic book was previously adapted for film in 1966 (!) by François Truffaut and for stage in 1979 (!) by Bradbury himself. Bahrani was likely, probably, possibly drawn to the project once he realized that included in the burnt books were math textbooks and phone books, because, as you know, he has a career-long obsession with numbers. (In fact, we hear he’s known as “Archimovies” in certain circles, but this name is spoken aloud only rarely, in hushed tones.) Before Fahrenheit 451 and 99 Homes, his films include At Any Price (and what is price if not a dollar sign followed by a number?), Goodbye Solo (solo, which is, of course, the person version of the number one), and Chop Shop (Shop? See: Price). He also has a movie called Man Push Cart and Plastic Bag, which, again, shopping (See: Price). Follow the money. Follow the numbers. They lead to Ramin Bahrani. No premiere date for Fahrenheit 451 has been set.
