CREATOR EXCLUSIVE
Dark Matter creator Blake Crouch reveals the perks of adapting his own book into a challenging sci-fi noir series
WHEN IT COMES TO NOVELISTS having their books adapted for film or television, the rule of thumb is Hollywood rarely invites them to help in that process. So when someone bucks that trend – as is the case with writer Blake Crouch – it’s worth taking note.
Since 2004, Crouch has published more than a dozen books, with three being adapted into series. With Wayward Pines and Good Behaviour, he was hired as a staff writer. For the latest, Dark Matter, Apple TV+’s adaptation of his 2016 book, Crouch is showrunner, responsible for bringing his quantum mechanics-infused mystery to life.
Crouch tells Red Alert that after years trying to adapt Dark Matter into a film, multiple script drafts made it clear that the book’s emotional relationships were getting short-changed. “It really dawned on me that it would be a real tragedy and a disservice to this book to live in that feature space,” he says.
Sony Pictures, who optioned the book, then let Crouch take it to television. “Literally the moment they said that, I suddenly had this complete vision of what the show was and where the episodes broke out, and we were off and running.”
In the series, Jason Dessen (Joel Edgerton) is a high school physics teacher in a slightly frosty marriage to Daniela (Jennifer Connelly), sharing a better relationship with his teenage son, Charlie (Oakes Fegley). When his former colleague (Jimmi Simpson) wins a prestigious prize based on theories they both worked on, Jason wonders about his path not taken – until he’s kidnapped and wakes up in an alternate version of his life where he’s now famous but has no family. Meanwhile, another version of himself (Jason 2) slips into his original life.
A story with multiple timelines and realities, Crouch says from the start they had to really dig into what show they wanted to make, because it could have gone in a number of ways. “You’re gonna see many versions of Jennifer Connelly and Joel Edgerton,” he says of their characters. “But we never wanted it to feel like a skit. We always wanted their characters – and even the other versions – to feel close to the core character we are following.
“That philosophy carried on into the worlds. We wanted Dark Matter to have this grounded, little bit of a noir aesthetic that wore its sci-fi identity proudly, but didn’t shove it in your face.”
The series gives well-known supporting actor Edgerton (Owen Lars in the Star Wars franchise) a chance to shine in the lead as the Jasons, and also to serve as an ex
