“Babel” is getting ready for the screen.
The bestselling fantasy novel written by R.F. Kuang, whose full title is “Babel, or the Necessity of Violence: An Arcane History of the Oxford Translators’ Revolution,” is on track for either a television or film adaptation after the independent studio wiip optioned the story. Temple Hill Entertainment is producing.
Babel follows Robin Swift, a Chinese orphan who is accepted into the Royal Institute of Translation (known by students as ‘Babel’). The setting mirrors 19th-century Oxford, and as Swift comes to understand the fantastical world of Babel, he must fight against the Institute’s imperialism and systemic oppression.
Since its publication in 2022, “Babel” has received widespread popularity and critical acclaim. It received the 2023 Nebula Award for Best Novel and the British Book Award for Best Fiction, Deadline reports. Additionally, Kuang’s prolific career has landed her #1 New York Times and #1 Sunday Times bestsellers for her work on the “Poppy War” trilogy, “Babel” and “Yellowface.” She is currently studying at Yale, where she’s pursuing a Ph. D. in East Asian Languages and Literatures. Previously, she was at Cambridge and Oxford, with a degree in Chinese studies.
Executive producers Paul Lee and Josh Stern believe “Babel” “is one of the most transporting, evocative and relevant fantasy novels since Harry Potter,” Deadline reports.
Dark academia fans, get excited and keep an eye out for updates!
