Everything We Know About the ‘The Bonfire of the Vanities’ TV Series
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Rachel KingThu, April 2, 2026 at 7:51 PM UTC
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The Bonfire Of The Vanities TV SeriesArchive Photos - Getty Images
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One of the most acclaimed bestsellers of the 1980s is about to be adapted for the small screen. Deadline reports that Apple TV is developing a new series based on Tom Wolfe’s 1987 novel, The Bonfire of the Vanities. The renowned satire, critiquing greed and social classes in 1980s New York City, has had a long history of its own of being shopped around Hollywood. Here’s what we know so far about the comingseries.
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David E. Kelley is developing the show.
Prolific writer and producer David E. Kelley has been tapped to write the scripts, per Variety. Many of Kelley’s shows fall within the wheelhouse of legal dramas with a twist, including Ally McBeal, Boston Legal, The Practice, and The Lincoln Lawyer. Some of his more recent credits include Nine Perfect Strangers at Hulu and Big Little Lies at HBO.
The book has been adapted before.
The Bonfire of the Vanities was originally published as a serial in Rolling Stone beginning in 1984 before being published as a complete novel in 1987. The book follows Wall Street bond trader Sherman McCoy, whose privileged New York City life unravels after an incident in the Bronx.
Warner Bros. later acquired the rights and hired Carrie director Brian De Palma to helm what was expected to be a major studio hit. Tom Hanks played McCoy, Melanie Griffith played his mistress, and Bruce Willis played a disreputable journalist. So confident was De Palma in the project that he gave Wall Street Journal critic Julie Salamon full access to chronicle the production. (She later wrote an exposé about what went on behind-the-scenes of the film in the book, The Devil's Candy: The Anatomy of a Hollywood Fiasco.)
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American writer Tom Wolfe in 1988.Sophie Bassouls - Getty Images
The 1990 film became one of the era’s most infamous box office failures. “A big problem for the studio was that the novel lacked any sort of likable or sympathetic character,” Oliver Macnaughton wrote for The Guardian in 2021 about why the film was seen as a flop. “Wolfe’s book was deliberately cynical, examining the various institutions of New York with disdain.”
Tom Hanks, Melanie Griffith, and Bruce Willis in a promotional image for The Bonfire of the Vanities.Archive Photos - Getty Images
In 2016, Chuck Lorre, creator of the CBS hit sitcom Two and a Half Men, attempted to develop a limited series version at Amazon, although nothing materialized in the years since.
The show will be helmed by the director of The Batman.
Matt Reeves is set to return to his television roots, having co-created the WB drama series Felicity with J.J. Abrams. The Cloverfield director will reportedly direct the series. Reeves is currently writing and directingThe Batman: Part II, which is scheduled to begin filming this spring and is set for release on October 1, 2027.
No release date has been announced.
Apple has not publicly confirmed any details about development of the series, including casting or a release date, just yet.
We’ll update this as we learn more about The Bonfire of the Vanities.
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Source: “AOL Entertainment”
