Although he was, of course, best known for playing Spock, Leonard Nimoy had many great sci-fi roles outside of “Star Trek.” On one occasion, he traded strange new worlds for a “Brave New World” when he starred in the 1998 TV movie adaptation of Aldous Huxley’s seminal dystopian sci-fi novel. A loose adaptation of the 1932 novel, the NBC TV movie had the same basic premise. Both are set in a futuristic society where social and genetic engineering, plus widespread use of euphoric drugs, have given the government total control over a seemingly utopian society.
The story follows Bernard Marx (Peter Gallagher) after he has an encounter with an outsider named John (Tim Guinee) who threatens to disrupt society. Nimoy plays Mustapha Mond, the main villain and leader responsible for maintaining stability. A New York Times review of the film, which premiered on April 19, 1998, criticized the movie for reducing Huxley’s idea-rich tome to a basic plot about illicit love persevering. The movie changes the ending of the novel in a big way, too, giving Bernard and his lover Lenina (Rya Kihlstedt) a happy ending.
Peacock’s Brave New World limited series bombed in 2020
The movie with Leonard Nimoy was not the only attempt to bring “Brave New World” to the small screen. On July 15, 2020, when NBCUniversal launched Peacock, the streaming service debuted with a glossy new “Brave New World” series. “Solo: A Star Wars Story” lead Alden Ehrenreich starred as John the Savage, while “Game of Thrones” alum Harry Lloyd played Bernard Marx (Peter Gallagher in the ’90s film). Mustapha Mond, Leonard Nimoy’s character, was gender-flipped for the series, with Nina Sosanya playing the World Controller.
Reviews for Peacock’s “Brave New World” were not kind and the series was canceled after one season. The novel is tricky to adapt to begin with. Unlike another iconic dystopian novel, “1984,” the plot is far more meandering and the nature of the dystopia is less cinematic or dynamic than George Orwell’s Big Brother. A Hollywood Reporter review dragged the show for being a slog to watch, lacking relatable characters, and not having a clear thesis. In the end, the series joined the heaping pile of instantly forgotten streaming TV series, just as the movie was left behind alongside the countless other mediocre made-for-TV movies from the ’90s.