Summary
In 1997, filmmaker Paul William Anderson took a chance to do something unique with a movie likeEvent Horizon,a sci-fi horror film that followed a crew of astronauts sent on a mission after a mysterious spaceship magically appears near Neptune. Even though the film had stars like Laurence Fishburne and Sam Neill, it released to little fanfare and earned mixed reviews. The reason for the film’s debacle was mainly due to how Paramount wanted to edit the movie for a theatrical release, and by doing so, they killed the true essence of the narrative. However, as time passed, the film garnered a cult following and became a massive name in pop culture. So much so that it became a huge hit when it was released on DVD.
Now, almost 28 years after its release, the cult horror film is set to expand its universe with a comic book prequel series, titledEvent Horizon: Dark Descent.The comic book series will dive deeper into the world explored by the 1997 movie and give fans a new perspective on several themes. Although fans are excited about the aforementioned comic, Hollywood should definitely think about exploring the film’s themes through a TV series. With streaming platforms like Netflix, Prime Video, and HBO Max leaning towards creating enthralling sci-fi stuff for their viewers, a series onEvent Horizonmight turn out to be a good decision.
What was Event Horizon all about?
Event Horizonexplored similar themes to what viewers saw inAlien,and the film’s director has always said how the iconic franchise had a huge influence on the film. Set in 2047, the film chronicles the journey of the crew of the rescue ship Lewis and Clark as they investigate the sudden reappearance of the long-lost spaceshipEvent Horizon,which vanished years ago during a secret mission to test faster-than-light travel. However, soon the crew discovers that the ship actually went somewhere far more terrifying than just another galaxy and entered a dimension that could be described as hell.
But things get from bad to worse when the crew realizes that the spaceship has been taken over by an evil force that slowly starts to corrupt the minds of the crew and drives them to madness. As the story progresses, viewers keep receiving clues about what the story is about and how dark things actually are. Most importantly, the film was not just about science, it also showcased themes such as possession and human suffering. Even though the film explored several elements, fans believed that the universe could have been expanded and a lot more could have been achieved. However, the film’s poor reception and dismal box office didn’t encourage Paramount Pictures to move further with any spin-offs or sequels.
Now that theEvent Horizonuniverseis about to get bigger with a comic book prequel series, it is not the only way this universe could grow. A well-made TV series could take the story to new depths and pull audiences deeper into its terrifying world.
An Event Horizon TV series could take the story to new depths and explore a more terrifying world
The decision to tell a story of what happened before the doomed ship reappeared in the comic book seems to be an intelligent move. ButEvent Horizoncan take a holistic approach like theAlienfranchise, which is expanding the universe with a prequel series,Alien: Earth.While the comic is a great start, telling the prequel story through a TV series would be an even better and more effective way to bring the world ofEvent Horizonto life.
A film can only explore a limited narrative in two hours, and even a comic book has page limits. A TV series, however, gives writers and makers the freedom to tell the story in greater detail. ThePrime Video seriesReacheris a good example of how things could get more enthralling when they are explored via a TV series. Before the series made its way to Prime Video, Paramount Pictures released two films based on the Lee Child novels and starring Tom Cruise playing the lead role. The first film turned out to be a hit, while the second one received mixed reviews. But, several fans believed that the franchise might grow exponentially if it were explored via a TV series, which gives the creators the much-needed time to dive deeper into a story. This might turn out to be true forEvent Horizon, too, because the spaceship has a rich and horrifying backstory, from its creation as an experimental vessel to its sudden disappearance and mysterious return.
The TV series could unfold the narrative slowly over several episodes. Viewers could get a chance to follow the original crew as they prepare for the mission, or how they have been leading their lives before they encountered the mysterious ship. Moreover, when did they activate the gravity drive for the first time and begin experiencing disturbing events?
But one of the most important things that anEvent HorizonTV seriescould do is to give viewers an in-depth look at the characters. When the movie was released in 1997, many criticized how they never got a chance to know the characters well enough before things started going haywire for them. For a story that made its characters experience hallucinations linked to their fears and guilt, the film failed to build a strong bond between the characters and the audience. In a TV series format, the makers can take the liberty to build a strong connection between the two and make viewers learn about the backgrounds and motivations of the characters. It’s always riveting to see a character’s slow descent into madness, and the narrative becomes more impactful when viewers find out what they are trying to fight for.
The Event Horizon series could investigate the ship’s descent into the cosmos' hell
One of the most terrifying aspects ofEvent Horizonwas the disappearance of the ship and what it saw when it crossed to the other dimension. Even though viewers got to see a few glimpses of what the lost ship saw, the film never fully explained what this place was, how it looked, or why they saw such terrible things. A prequel TV series could finally show more of that dark world and primarily focus on what happened to the people who accidentally entered that terrifying dimension. Consequently, the series could be more suspenseful if every layer is peeled one by one, and viewers get to know how the crew started experiencing such weird dreams. Slowly, the horror could build as the crew realized they didn’t just go to another part of space, they went somewhere far worse.
The film gave a perfect blueprint of how big theEvent Horizonworld really was. The viewers got to know about gravity drives, the secret governmental plans, and the technology that bent the rules and dynamics of physics. A prequel series could inspect these themes in a detailed manner and answer questions such as: Who designed the gravity drive? And, if the government was aware of its risks? If yes, why did the government still go ahead with the project and didn’t shut it down? By focusing on these plot lines, the show will have aworld filled with horrorto explore, and it could turn out to be pivotal for this universe’s expansion.
A comic book prequel is a good way to start, and it will only add depth to the world ofEvent Horizon.But things shouldn’t stop there because it’s one of those universes that could grow in a massive way, and moving forward with a TV series might be the perfect way to take the franchise in a new direction. It could finally give answers to the questions fans have had for years, while also bringing up new ones and making room for more stories in the future.
