George Orwell’s dystopian masterpiece “1984” is getting a new audio-only treatment from Audible.
The Audible original audio drama, set to premiere April 4, stars Andrew Garfield (“Tick, Tick…Boom,” “The Amazing Spider-Man”) as Winston alongside Cynthia Erivo (“Wicked,” “Harriet”) as Julia. They are joined by Tom Hardy (“Inception,” “The Dark Knight Rises”) as the voice of Big Brother and Andrew Scott (“All of Us Strangers,” “Fleabag”), who plays the mysterious and dangerous O’Brien.
The cast also features Romesh Ranganathan as Parsons, Natasia Demetriou as Mrs. Parsons, Chukwudi Iwuji as Charrington, Francesca Mills as Syme, Katie Leung as Ling, and Alex Lawther as Ampleforth.
Audible will release “1984” audio original globally on April 4, 2024, exactly 40 years after the date of Winston’s first diary entry. Listen to the trailer at this link. According to Audible, the “1984” adaptation has been officially authorized and endorsed by the Orwell estate. Richard Blair, George Orwell’s son, called it “sensational” with a “brilliant cast,” per the company.
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The Audible original will feature an original score composed by Matthew Bellamy, producer and songwriter who is the front-man of Muse, and composer Ilan Eshkeri (BBC’s “A Perfect World,” “Ghost of Tsushima”). The score is performed by a 60-piece orchestra at Abbey Road Studios.
Audible’s “1984” is directed by BAFTA-winner Destiny Ekaragha (“Ted Lasso,” “The End of the F***ing World”) and written by Joe White (“Blackout Songs,” “The Little Big Things”). According to Audible, the adaptation remains faithful to the original text, “leaning into the horror of the dystopian setting, whilst going deeper into Winston and Julia’s love story,” the company said. “In a world where love and sex are forbidden, Winston and Julia are the last lovers on Earth.”
Ekaragha said in a statement, “This is my first experience directing an audio drama, and what an honor it was to work so closely with a cast of this caliber. I can’t wait for everyone to hear what Andrew, Cynthia and Tom have done with these iconic characters.”
Pictured above (l. to r.): Andrew Garfield, Cynthia Ervio, Tom Hardy, Andrew Scott
