When Does "The Truman Show" (1998) Take Place?
"The Truman Show" is a science fiction film written by Andrew Niccol that released June 5th, 1998. So when is "The Truman Show" set?
It takes place roughly in the years:
We know this because a “TIME” magazine cover is shown as part of a video montage dated for "1999" so we know it is currently during or after 1999 AD.
1999 AD or 2000s AD
We know this because a “TIME” magazine cover is shown as part of a video montage dated for "1999" so we know it is currently during or after 1999 AD.
If the show within the movie has been continuous since his birth, as claimed later when a newscast says "1.7 billion were there for his birth" and "now in its 30th great year" and the magazine dated for 1999 AD contains an article about it (which it certainly must because why else would it be featured in the montage), therefore the show existed in 1999 AD and has been on air for 30 years. So it is possibly as late as 2029 AD. Most likely, it is sometime between 1999 AD and 2015 AD and "The Truman Show" started in this universe at some point like 1985 AD.
1999 + 30 = 2029.
Additionally, the town of Seahaven has a local newspaper "The Island Times" and two issues' front pages can be seen during the story. Both are dated for 1996 AD.
The timeline of the film is fairly unique because the main character within its fictional world (diegesis) does not himself know what year it truly is for the duration of the story. This timeframe clearly refers only to time for Truman Burbank who accepts the false narrative they are presented: that it is still 1996 AD in Seahaven.
This StackExchange user's post examines its exact setting.
