Set in the year 2010, this iteration of the story reimagines H.G. Wells' classic Victorian horror as a near-future biotechnology thriller. The world of 2010 is depicted as one where international scientific standards have driven controversial researchers like the Nobel-winning Dr. Moreau into exile. On a remote, sovereign island, Moreau utilizes advanced genetic engineering to bypass traditional evolution, creating a hierarchical society of human-animal hybrids known as "Beast Folk."

The societal dynamic is maintained through a combination of theocratic indoctrination (The Law) and high-tech physical restraint. Unlike the novel’s focus on vivisection, the 1996 film emphasizes molecular biology and gene-splicing, where DNA can be edited to suppress animal instincts. The film suggests that while the rest of Earth is bound by bioethical laws, the lack of oversight on the island allows for the creation of sentient interspecies chimeras. This creates a divergence from our real 2010, where the Human Genome Project had been completed but the capability to create complex, talking hybrids remained purely speculative.

In terms of real-world outcomes, the film correctly identified DNA sequencing and gene therapy as the dominant frontiers of medicine by the 2010s, though it wildly overestimated the speed of phenotypic alteration. While we have not created "Beast Folk," the film's exploration of xenotransplantation (growing human-compatible organs in animals) remains a highly relevant field of contemporary medical research. Furthermore, the use of sub-dermal implants for tracking and physiological control—depicted as shock-induction devices in the film—mirrors modern developments in biometric monitoring and neuromodulation, though used for much more localized and ethical medical applications today.