Real-Life “Lord of the Flies” Story Being Adapted for Film

New Regency will be adapting the story for the screen

Mr. Peter Warner with his crew (L-R) David, John, Peter Warner, Luke, Bill, Stephen, Jim Kolo and Mano.
Mr. Peter Warner with his crew (L-R) David, John, Peter Warner, Luke, Bill, Stephen, Jim Kolo and Mano. January 06, 1968.
John Raymond Elliott/Fairfax Media via Getty Images

Earlier this month brought news of a thrilling rescue on a Pacific island several decades ago. To many observers, the parallels with the novel Lord of the Flies were clear. Both the real and fictional incidents involved a group of teenage boys stranded on an island and left to fend for themselves. But while William Golding’s novel offers a deeply bleak view of humanity, its real-life counterpart offered more grounds for hope. Rather than reverting to a constant state of conflict, the young men stranded on an island near Tonga worked together to keep each other safe and happy.

Writer Rutger Bregman spoke to several of the participants, including one of the men stranded on the island and the boat captain who found them stranded there. It’s not hard to see why this story has captivated so many people — and now it’s set to potentially captivate many more.

At The Guardian, Andrew Pulver reports that production company New Regency had bought the rights to the event. As befits a story of cooperation, Bregman noted that the decision to sell the rights was not his alone:

… he, the four survivors still living, and Australian sailor Peter Warner who rescued them, took a collaborative decision to accept the studio’s offer.

New Regency Productions is no stranger to turning historical narratives into critically acclaimed films: they produced the Academy Award-winner 12 Years a Slave, among others. And it’s not hard to see how this piece of history could be turned into compelling cinema in the near future as well.

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