Recently, Disney released their plans for a television adaptation of High Fidelity, a film that centers around a record store owner with a horrible love life. This film was an adaptation of a novel of the same name by Nick Hornby.
While it wasn’t a popular film at the time of its release, the film has grown in popularity with audiophiles. Its cult classic status is only amplified by the stellar performances from John Cusack and Jack Black.
The bulk of the new show will center around a woman who owns a record store. Focusing on a female lead for the series, it will be quite the departure from the original concept in this regard. This adaptation also marks a considerable change for Disney, who is looking to expand into more adult-centered content, as well as establishing its own streaming services.
The premise of High Fidelity
John Cusack and Jack Black in the original High Fidelity film
This movie centers around Rob Gordon, a man who owns a record store called Championship Vinyl. The store itself is reminiscent of old-school music stores. It has vinyl on the walls, bins of 45s to rifle through, and a selection of staff who appear to know everything about music. It’s a veritable cornucopia of music, knowledge, and romantic frustration.
At the beginning of the film, Rob Gordon goes through a very bad breakup with someone he thought to be the love of his life. That all being so, Rob has had a run of bad luck in his life in relationships. To better understand why his relationships haven’t worked, he tracks down his previous partners to ask them what went wrong in the hopes that he can change. But the deeper he goes down the rabbit hole, the less he likes about himself, and the more he retreats into his passion for music, further isolating himself from love.
Why this series matters to music fans
High Fidelity was the rallying cry for many individuals whose passion for music affected their personal relationships, while framed within the context of the music that makes us all passionate. In a more modern age, the High Fidelity legacy of self-discovery will live on for younger generations.
Disney is adapting the story into a direct-to-consumer television series, to kick off the company’s attempt at becoming a streaming juggernaut. More importantly, the lead character will be swapped for a female lead (and will be written by two women to boot).
This series will kick off Disney’s latest endeavor for their own streaming service. High Fidelity is just one title in a slew of content the company hopes to launch, which is expected to debut in Fall 2019. Other titles that will be available on the service will come from the Star Wars, Marvel, Muppets, and the High School Musical franchise, in addition to their usual Disney film catalog and extensive library.
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