WHAT COULD POSSIBLY GO WRONG? David E. Kelley to Develop Bonfire of the Vanities Series at Apple TV, Matt Reeves to Direct.
David E. Kelley is setting his sights on a TV adaptation of “The Bonfire of the Vanities,” Variety has learned from sources.
Kelley is set to write a TV adaptation of the beloved Tom Wolfe novel for Apple TV. Kelley will also executive produce under his David E. Kelley Productions banner. Matt Reeves is attached to direct and executive produce via 6th and Idaho Productions. Sarah Geismer will also executive produce for 6th and Idaho, and Matthew Tinker will executive produce via David E. Kelley Productions. Warner Bros. Television is the studio.
Reps for Apple TV declined to comment.
“The Bonfire of the Vanities” was originally published as a serial in Rolling Stone beginning in 1984 before it was published as a whole in 1987. The book explores life in New York City in 1987 from the perspective of Wall Street bond trader Sherman McCoy, whose yuppie lifestyle begins to fall apart following an incident in the Bronx. The book was previously adapted into a film in 1990 starring Tom Hanks, Kim Cattrall, Melanie Griffith, and Bruce Willis.
Curiously, there’s no mention in the Variety article of what a spectacular train wreck that film was. Julie Salamon’s brilliant book, The Devil’s Candy, documents all of the poor decisions and disastrous politically correct choices Brian De Palma made to neuter his adaptation of Wolfe’s seminal 1980s novel. Can this miniseries produce an even bigger flaming wreck? Survey says…maybe!
There is no way this won't end up as liberal swill in which the Al Sharpton character is a hero, the way the upcoming ANIMAL FARM is about the evil of capitalismhttps://t.co/F5qRId6l8u
— John Podhoretz (@jpodhoretz) April 6, 2026