I'm not sure if I've ever heard of a song being adapted to film, but I suppose if you're going to adapt a film, you might as well pick one that's insanely long! Well, Radar Pictures is doing just that, as Deadline reports they've secured rights to "Karn Evil 9," the 29-minute song by prog-rock band Emerson, Lake & Palmer, to develop it as a sci-fi feature.
The track appears on the 1973 album Brain Salad Surgery and consists of three parts (called "impressions"). It tells the story of a futuristic war between humans and computers in a world that has fallen into decay.
"Centered on a society that has drained all its blood with a dependence on technology, the film will explore the world controlled by a pervasive and dictatorial technocracy. The annual “Karn Evil” — a macabre rite of passage — is a young person’s once-in-a-lifetime chance to experience unbridled freedom, before subjugating themselves to the ruling class. When people stop returning from their Karn Evil experience, fear drives a revolution to topple the status quo and the artificial intelligence discovered at its heart."
Author Daniel H. Wilson (Robopocalypse, The Andromeda Evolution) has been hired to adapt the screenplay. Michael Napoliello and Maria Frisk will produce for Radar, with Ted Field (Jumanji franchise, Riddick franchise) as executive producer.
"I’m incredibly excited to partner with Ted and Radar to explore Karn Evil 9—a unique and thrilling world," Wilson told the site. "I couldn’t ask for better collaborators and I can’t wait to help add the Karn Evil 9 franchise to the Radar family."
Brain Salad Surgery featured cover art from the legendary Swiss artist H.R. Giger (Alien).