Apple TV’s Neuromancer Redeems An Underrated William Gibson Cyberpunk Film

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Despite a compelling cyberpunk adaptation from the 1990s being largely forgotten, Apple TV+’s new show has the potential to bring it the recognition it deserves.

Cyberpunk stories haven’t been widely told in live-action films and TV shows, largely because creating the genre’s futuristic look is usually very expensive. But Apple TV’s new adaptation of William Gibson‘s popular novel hints that this might be about to change.

As a huge sci-fi fan, I’m really excited about this new show on Apple TV. It feels like it could bring a lot of attention back to the cyberpunk world, which I’ve always loved. Even better, it might finally get people to appreciate a fantastic, but often overlooked, Keanu Reeves sci-fi film – it really deserves more recognition!

Apple TV’s Neuromancer Can Help Redeem Johnny Mnemonic’s Movie Adaptation

Before Apple TV and Prime Video started adapting William Gibson’s novels, there was the 1995 film Johnny Mnemonic, starring Keanu Reeves. Based on a short story, it’s essentially a backstory to his more famous work, Neuromancer. However, the movie wasn’t well-received, and it still has a low score of 19% on Rotten Tomatoes.

Okay, so this movie didn’t exactly set the box office on fire initially. But honestly, it’s become a bit of a favorite among certain crowds – and I totally get why. It’s wonderfully cheesy in a way that works, and it really swings for the fences with its vision of a cyberpunk future. It’s a film that’s found its audience, and it’s become something special because of it.

Despite being released long ago, this film hasn’t received the recognition it deserves, largely because it came out around the same time as huge sci-fi hits like The Matrix in the late 90s. However, the new Neuromancer series on Apple TV could introduce a new generation to this overlooked Keanu Reeves movie and finally bring it the attention it deserves.

For years, many thought William Gibson’s Neuromancer was too complex to adapt into a film, and the new Apple TV show faces similar challenges to the failed Johnny Mnemonic adaptation. But if the show succeeds, it could open the door to a larger franchise, potentially including the story of Johnny Mnemonic as well.

If a new live-action version of William Gibson’s Johnny Mnemonic is made, it would likely encourage people to revisit and enjoy the original Keanu Reeves film.

Johnny Mnemonic Was Ahead Of Its Time

Looking back at William Gibson’s early sci-fi, especially when he was really building the cyberpunk world, it felt like pure imagination. Even something like Johnny Mnemonic, the movie, seemed like a fun, far-off fantasy. But honestly? Seeing it now, Gibson’s work—and even that Keanu Reeves film—feels surprisingly predictive. It’s uncanny how much of his vision is starting to feel…real. It’s not just about cool tech anymore; he saw where we were heading, and it’s a little unsettling.

Although parts of the movie Johnny Mnemonic haven’t held up over time, its depiction of a sickness caused by being overly connected to technology—called Nerve Attenuation Syndrome—surprisingly resonates with what people now refer to as “brain rot.”

Just like Neuromancer, Johnny Mnemonic accurately predicted the rise of powerful corporations and their willingness to ignore ethics in pursuit of profit. The film and story’s depiction of technology like brain implants, surveillance, and virtual reality now feels surprisingly relevant to our world.

The book Neuromancer by William Gibson, which Apple TV is turning into a series, was groundbreaking for its time, and that’s why the show is generating so much anticipation.

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2026-01-15 05:28