Jack Thorne, writer-producer of Netflix’s “Adolescence,” discusses bringing “Lord of the Flies” to television

Jack Thorne, the writer-producer behind Netflix’s British drama series “Adolescence,” said he is now preparing a television adaptation of William Golding’s 1954 novel “Lord of the Flies.” In an interview published Thursday by Deadline, Thorne described the project as a way to translate the classic story’s conflict and moral breakdown into a format built for today’s viewers, including families watching together.

Thorne rose to national prominence in the United Kingdom last year with “Adolescence,” a series that ended its awards run with four wins at the BAFTAs last month, according to the Deadline report. The article frames his next step as quick follow-through, returning almost immediately to a new adaptation after the awards cycle for his previous work.

For “Lord of the Flies,” Thorne said the adaptation is driven by the novel’s broader subject matter, not only its plot. He characterized the story as one about “how we bring our kids up,” tying the book’s depiction of a group of children left to govern themselves to the question of what adults teach and permit before young people are tested.

Golding’s novel, widely read in schools and frequently revisited in modern cultural conversations, centers on a group of boys stranded in isolation who create their own rules and struggle to maintain order. In the Deadline account, Thorne’s comments highlight a focus on the human and family factors that shape children’s behavior, rather than a solely punishment-oriented reading of events.

The television adaptation joins a continuing wave of screen projects based on canonical literature, though Deadline did not, in the material provided here, specify network, streaming platform, cast, production timeline, or the exact episode format. Thorne’s framing suggests that he is approaching the book as a story about social learning and accountability, translating that emphasis to a serialized medium.

Representatives for the production, and the precise details of distribution and release scheduling, are not included in the excerpted information provided. As of publication of the Deadline interview, viewers and industry observers have the most confirmed information about the creative direction from Thorne’s stated goals and the fact that the project involves adapting Golding’s novel for television.

If additional reporting on the adaptation’s commissioning and production schedule emerges, it would clarify what audiences can expect in terms of casting, where the series will be released, and how the creative team intends to handle the novel’s mature themes for contemporary audiences.