Apple Plans TV Adaptation of Gregory David Roberts' Novel 'Shantaram'

shantaramFollowing yesterday's news that Apple is partnering with producer J.J. Abrams on a show called "Little Voices," Variety today reports that Apple has now landed the TV adaptation rights to Gregory David Roberts' 2003 novel "Shantaram."

Multiple parties were said to be interested in purchasing the rights to adapt the novel as a dramatic series, leading to Apple's win in a "competitive situation."

Shantaram is a fictional novel based somewhat on Roberts' real life, and focuses on a character named Lin, a convict who flees an Australian prison and disappears into the city of Bombay.

Once in India, Lin's journey takes him through a hidden society of soldiers, gangsters, and criminals, all while figures from his life in prison hunt him down.

Previous plans for Shantaram had Joel Edgerton in the starring role of a feature film, but plans have now shifted into a television series. The show will be produced by Paramount Television and Anonymous Content, which also own the rights to the sequel novel called "The Mountain Shadow."

"American Hustle" screenwriter Eric Warren Singer will serve as the showrunner and executive producer of the new Apple series. Singer also worked on "The International", "Only the Brave", and wrote the script for the upcoming sequel "Top Gun: Maverick."

Popular Stories

iphone 16 display

iPhone 17's Scratch Resistant Anti-Reflective Display Coating Canceled

Monday April 28, 2025 12:48 pm PDT by
Apple may have canceled the super scratch resistant anti-reflective display coating that it planned to use for the iPhone 17 Pro models, according to a source with reliable information that spoke to MacRumors. Last spring, Weibo leaker Instant Digital suggested Apple was working on a new anti-reflective display layer that was more scratch resistant than the Ceramic Shield. We haven't heard...
iPhone 17 Air Pastel Feature

iPhone 17 Reaches Key Milestone Ahead of Mass Production

Monday April 28, 2025 8:44 am PDT by
Apple has completed Engineering Validation Testing (EVT) for at least one iPhone 17 model, according to a paywalled preview of an upcoming DigiTimes report. iPhone 17 Air mockup based on rumored design The EVT stage involves Apple testing iPhone 17 prototypes to ensure the hardware works as expected. There are still DVT (Design Validation Test) and PVT (Production Validation Test) stages to...
Beyond iPhone 13 Better Blue

20th Anniversary iPhone Likely to Be Made in China Due to 'Extraordinarily Complex' Design

Monday April 28, 2025 4:29 am PDT by
Apple will likely manufacture its 20th anniversary iPhone models in China, despite broader efforts to shift production to India, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In 2027, Apple is planning a "major shake-up" for the iPhone lineup to mark two decades since the original model launched. Gurman's previous reporting indicates the company will introduce a foldable iPhone alongside a "bold"...
iphone 17 air iphone 16 pro

iPhone 17 Air USB-C Port May Have This Unusual Design Quirk

Wednesday April 30, 2025 3:59 am PDT by
Apple is preparing to launch a dramatically thinner iPhone this September, and if recent leaks are anything to go by, the so-called iPhone 17 Air could boast one of the most radical design shifts in recent years. iPhone 17 Air dummy model alongside iPhone 16 Pro (credit: AppleTrack) At just 5.5mm thick (excluding a slightly raised camera bump), the 6.6-inch iPhone 17 Air is expected to become ...
apple watch ultra yellow

What's Next for the Apple Watch Ultra 3 and Apple Watch SE 3

Friday April 25, 2025 2:44 pm PDT by
This week marks the 10th anniversary of the Apple Watch, which launched on April 24, 2015. Yesterday, we recapped features rumored for the Apple Watch Series 11, but since 2015, the Apple Watch has also branched out into the Apple Watch Ultra and the Apple Watch SE, so we thought we'd take a look at what's next for those product lines, too. 2025 Apple Watch Ultra 3 Apple didn't update the...
iPhone 17 Pro Blue Feature Tighter Crop

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 13 New Features

Wednesday April 23, 2025 8:31 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of April 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone ...
iPhone 17 Pro on Desk Feature

All iPhone 17 Models Again Rumored to Feature 12GB of RAM

Tuesday April 29, 2025 3:36 am PDT by
All upcoming iPhone 17 models will come equipped with 12GB of RAM to support Apple Intelligence, according to the Weibo-based leaker Digital Chat Station. The claim from the Chinese leaker, who has sources within Apple's supply chain, comes a few days after industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said that the iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max will all be equipped with 12GB of RAM. ...
AirPods Pro 3 Mock Feature

AirPods Pro 3 Just Months Away – Here's What We Know

Tuesday April 29, 2025 1:30 am PDT by
Despite being more than two years old, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 still dominate the premium wireless‑earbud space, thanks to a potent mix of top‑tier audio, class‑leading noise cancellation, and Apple's habit of delivering major new features through software updates. With AirPods Pro 3 widely expected to arrive in 2025, prospective buyers now face a familiar dilemma: snap up the proven...

Top Rated Comments

citysnaps Avatar
90 months ago
T. Cook once again focusing on anything but innovation.
Apple will spend $14B on R&D in fiscal 2018. Has Mr. Cook revealed to you how that's being allocated within Apple, leading to your conclusion about innovation?
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Rogifan Avatar
90 months ago
R&D Spending Last fiscal year is below. Apple's R&D investment significantly lags the leaders Amazon & Alphabet. They are behind in key areas relative to other tech companies, and chose to buy back $100 Billion in stock with the recent tax windfall. The buy back is especially worrisome.

In Billions:
16.1 - Amazon
13.9 - Alphabet
12.7 - Intel
12.3 - MSFT
10.0 - Apple
What is included in those numbers? Do they all classify R&D spending the same way?
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
citysnaps Avatar
90 months ago
In 2017, Amazon spent more on r&d than Apple. What do you think about that?
"Amazon spent more on r&d than Apple."

Yeah. So?


"What do you think about that?"

I dunno... two different companies with different needs, and different priorities with respect to profits, etc.

I don't, but perhaps you have inside insight/knowledge about the two very different companies that for the most part provide very different products and services, leading you to draw some conclusions.

Do you feel Apple is not spending enough on R&D? If so why? Be specific. I hope your answer is not simply, "Amazon spends more!"
[doublepost=1528402324][/doublepost]
R&D Spending Last fiscal year is below. Apple's R&D investment significantly lags the leaders Amazon & Alphabet. They are behind in key areas relative to other tech companies, and chose to buy back $100 Billion in stock with the recent tax windfall. The buy back is especially worrisome.

In Billions:
16.1 - Amazon
13.9 - Alphabet
12.7 - Intel
12.3 - MSFT
10.0 - Apple
Apple will spend $14B on R&D in fiscal 2018. How does that compare with Amazon? You may not be aware Apple and Amazon are two very different companies with different products/services and objectives.

How much should Apple spend on R&D? Be very specific on the amount and reasons why, and how those R&D dollars should be allocated among Apple's different internal research efforts.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Kaibelf Avatar
90 months ago
T. Cook once again focusing on anything but innovation.
Because Apple and all it’s employees can only do one thing at a time? I suppose diversification is a foreign concept, as well as recurring revenue.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
macrooster Avatar
90 months ago
T. Cook once again focusing on anything but innovation.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
alex00100 Avatar
90 months ago
Actually sounds interesting. The only show on their list I'm cautiously excited about.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)