Apple TV is adapting Tom Wolfe's acclaimed 1987 novel "The Bonfire of the Vanities" into a new television series, with writer/producer David E. Kelley and "The Batman" director Matt Reeves attached. Kelley, best known for creating "The Practice" and "Ally McBeal," previously wrote Apple TV's "Presumed Innocent" and "Margo's Got Money Troubles," bringing his expertise to this project about Wall Street greed and moral decay.

The novel has proven difficult to adapt successfully, with a 1990 film starring Tom Hanks directed by Brian DePalma flopping badly, and an Amazon series attempt in 2016 written by Chuck Lorre never entering production. Kelley reportedly plans to write all episodes himself, with Reeves directing the entire series—unusual for a streaming production. The story follows Sherman McCoy, a bond trader whose carefully constructed life unravels after a single wrong turn into the Bronx.

Apple has not commented on the news or provided a release timeline for the series. This marks Kelley's second collaboration with Apple after the successful "Presumed Innocent," which despite being adapted from a standalone novel, earned a second season based on an entirely different book. The adaptation faces the challenge of Wolfe's novel, which critics note lacks a strong finish, instead fading out gradually.