Ronnie Screwvala’s RSVP and Ramesh Krishnamoorthy’s Global One Studios have acquired the rights to the non-fiction book Five Past Midnight in Bhopal: The Epic Story of the World’s Deadliest Industrial Disaster by Dominique Lapierre and Javier Moro.
The producers are looking to create a series adaptation based on Lapierre and Moro’s research. Five Past Midnight in Bhopal, which is set in 1984, details the horrific aftermath of the Bhopal gas tragedy. The book weaves hundreds of characters, eyewitness accounts, and adventures into one thrilling human tapestry, according to a press release by the producers.
Screwvala referred to the volume as a breath-taking story, compellingly told. "This story needs to be adapted for the screen with the importance and scale as that of [the HBO miniseries] Chernobyl. A series that will keep you on the edge of your seat, touch your heart, provoke your anger and compassion. It will challenge the determination and implementation of international policy while also celebrating the spirit of human endeavour against all odds. There isn’t a better time for this story to be told,” he said.
RSVP’s creative producer, Sanaya Irani Zohrabi, added, “In collaboration with executive producer, Ramesh Krishnamoorthy, we’re working towards a grand-scale series adaptation of the book and are currently in talks with potential international showrunners, writers and directors.”