Merrick here...


You know, I remember very little about GATTACA other than I saw it at a shitty theater with a hot date I desperately wanted to bang, but didn't.

Nonetheless, the movie developed quite a following subsequent to it's lackluster theatrical release - so the news that a TV series is being built around the world depicted in the film isn't terribly surprising (revealed HERE).

Gil Grant (a writer/producer on 24 and NCIS) is scripting the spinoff for Denis Leary's Apostle Films (who brought us RESCUE ME). He recently spoke with MTV about how he approached writer/director Andrew Niccol's source material.

"I came up with a world which is populated with Valids and Invalids, the same premise [as the movie], but taken into a police department where we’re… integrating, using the analogy of the ‘60s Civil Rights struggle," Grant explained. In the movie, those born through natural means filled the blue collar ranks while their genetically superior brothers and sisters enjoyed a wealth of opportunities.

"Even though it’s technically illegal to discriminate against Invalids, just like in the ‘60s people did," Grant continued. "So it’s come to pass that [the government has] ordered the police department to hire their first token Invalid into the detective department. What we’re doing is we’re taking an Invalid and teaming him up with a Valid, a seasoned officer. You know, it’s oil and water."

...Grant told MTV HERE.