By Mallory Mattingly
C.S. Lewis’ satirical yet poignant portrayal of the human condition from hell’s perspective — The Screwtape Letters — will make its big-screen debut thanks to the Fellowship for Performing Arts.
“We are thrilled to be collaborating with The C.S. Lewis Company on this amazing project,” FPA founder and Artistic Director, Max McLean said in a statement.
“In the 1942 novel, Lewis creates a topsy-turvy, morally inverted universe seen through the eyes of ‘His Abysmal Sublimity, Screwtape,’ a senior tempter in Hell mentoring his nephew, the novice tempter named Wormwood, in the subtle art of leading an unsuspecting human soul toward damnation,” the press release’s synopsis reads.
This won’t be the FPA’s first time adapting the work; the group’s theatrical version has sold out to audiences across the U.S. and in London for nearly two decades.
“Fellowship for Performing Arts has long demonstrated a remarkable ability to enhance Lewis’s legacy for new audiences through compelling, imaginative, and faithful theatrical adaptations of his books,” said Vincent Sieber-Smith, the director of the C.S. Lewis Company. “We are excited to begin work on this screen adaptation and look forward to bringing this story to a new generation.”
FPA’s executive producer, Ken Denison, echoed, “We are honored by the trust The C.S. Lewis Company has placed in us. “This is a major creative responsibility — and a thrilling opportunity to bring one of Lewis’ most iconic characters to the big screen.”
The FPA’s latest The Screwtape Letters theatrical tour began in 2023 and this year will tour markets such as Pittsburgh, Chicago and Portland.
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But does a novel written in the 1940s really have anything to say to Gen Zers and Millennials? It does, because the devil still exploits “human weakness through subtle temptations and distractions” and general noise.
In The Screwtape Letters, Lewis explains why, from a demon’s perspective, noise is such a powerful weapon.
“Music and silence–how I detest them both!” Screwtape writes to his nephew. “[Hell] has been occupied by Noise–Noise, the grand dynamism, the audible expression of all that is exultant, ruthless, and virile–Noise which alone defends us from silly qualms, despairing scruples and impossible desires. We will make the whole universe a noise in the end…The melodies and silences of Heaven will be shouted down in the end.”
The devil loves noise because he wants to keep us from hearing from God in the silence.
Today, temptations and distractions come through social media, smartphones and a constant stream of bad news. Realizing that the devil uses those things for his benefit can encourage us to search for God amid the noise.
“The constant stream of notifications, the endless scroll of social media and the instant gratification of online entertainment leave little room for genuine silence, deep prayer or unhurried contemplation,” explained Paul Cozby writing for the FPA. “In a world saturated with digital noise, The Screwtape Letters serves as a potent reminder of the importance of intentional focus and spiritual discipline.”
The FPA’s upcoming movie inspired by The Screwtape Letters will certainly be a reminder to seek God in today’s distracted world. Casting, creative team, production timeline and distribution of the film have not yet been announced.
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