'99 Homes' Director Ramin Bahrani To Helm 'Fahrenheit 451' For HBO

Ray Bradbury's classic "Fahrenheit 451" was both perfectly of its time and chillingly ahead of its time. While books aren't literally being burned in the street, it speaks to the culture at the moment that we have an annual Banned Books Week. And with knowledge increasingly politicized (see the ongoing battle of evolution vs. creationism in classrooms), Bradbury's book still resonates, and now it's getting ready for a brand new cinematic treatment.

HBO has tapped Ramin Bahrani ("99 Homes," "At Any Price") to write and direct a new adaptation of the novel. Francois Truffaut previously brought his vision of Bradbury's work to cinemas in 1966, telling the story of Guy Montag, a fireman tasked with burning contraband material, who suddenly has a crisis of conscience. Here's the book synopsis: 

Guy Montag is a fireman. In his world, where television rules and literature is on the brink of extinction, firemen start fires rather than put them out. His job...