Rod Serling is one of my heroes. His work and world view has meant a lot to me, even from an early age. I know I’m just one of many people who was heavily influenced by THE TWILIGHT ZONE and NIGHT GALLERY. Aside from being a genius television and movie writer, Serling was a strong political activist and fought for civil rights and equality the only way he knew how: with his writing. It’s no coincidence that much of his work deals with societies suffering from backwards ethics. Much of his work had a message and that’s something that his fans cherished.
There’s so much to admire about Serling. While another TWILIGHT ZONE movie is still in the works, we’re also getting a biopic about the man himself. Stanley Weiser, the man behind WALL STREET, will write the film for Andrew Meieran of Bureau of Moving Pictures. Serling widow, Carol, will produce so we can assume that this is the most authorized a movie will ever get.
I’ve always wanted a definitive biography of Serling, either on screen or in print. To be honest, I figured we’d see a book before a movie so I’m very excited by the news. Serling lived quite a life before THE TWILIGHT ZONE, fighting in World War II and working his way up through the ranks of television. His time in combat influenced him greatly and led to his fervent anti-war views.
It’s true that most people know Serling as the smoking narrator before each TWILIGHT ZONE episode but, as you can see, there’s much more to the man. I’m hopeful that Weiser is able to tell his story properly. For many people, myself included, it’s an important one.
