Favorite Book into Film, Not Yet Done?
POSTED BY: Indigo
UPDATED: Tuesday, September 4, 2007 17:39
VIEWED: 57073
PAGE 16 of 19
Yep, Ringworld is the first that came to my mind too. I'm perplexed it hasn't been done, in fact. Thirty years ago it was a case of "wouldn't it be great, but you couldn't, how could you possibly do Nessus and Speaker and make them look right?" Nowadays they would be well within CGI state of the art (though it could be done well and could be done badly -- doing it well would involve actually thinking hard about alien skeletal structure, musculature, and so on. Start with Bonnie Dalzell's pictures and work from there...) Let's face it, Ringworld would be a special effects extravaganza with plot and character a distant second, but what a feast for the eyes it could be if done right.
And yes, a lot of the Known Space stories could make good movies. My Niven guilty pleasure is Protector; the biological premise is preposterous (I keep waiting for it to be retconned in the Ringworld sequels -- after all, the premise was stated by a space miner who'd been told it by an alien; the miner could've misunderstood, the alien could've lied) but it's a great story and could be a great movie... possibly two great movies.
Speaking of novels that could be several great movies... Stephenson's Baroque Cycle. Just the first few chapters of The Confusion (the part up through Cairo) could be the basis for a wonderful movie -- though, I admit, one with little or no SF/fantasy content.
What else? (I admit I haven't read this whole thread, so excuse any redundancy.) Practically any of the Discworld books, naturally, but even more so Good Omens; Terry Gilliam was going to do that one, and it would've been brilliant, but that project died, alas.
Any of the earlier Miles Vorkosigan books by Lois McMaster Bujold. The later ones are good, but I don't think they'd translate to film as well. You'd kind of have to start with The Warrior's Apprentice and go on from there, but the one I'd really look forward to as a movie is Brothers In Arms. Come to think of it, I know who might be a great choice to direct. Initials are J. W.
And for something completely different, Connie Willis's To Say Nothing of the Dog.
NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | PERMALINK | TOP | HOME
They actually did make a movie of the book I'm thinking about back in the sixties, but it was a poor adaptation. They actually left out the most important aspect of the story. The book is "The Spiral Road" by Jan de Hartog. The scenes he discribes in the book are so vivid. The people go through such unbelievable epiphanies. He reminds me of John Irving. I was so disappointed in the treatment of the story when that horrible movie came out. Hartog deserved so much more. But we have new authors, like Irving, who are having their day. Jan de Hartog has been passed up and forgotten.
Traveler
NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | PERMALINK | TOP | HOME
I'd like to see a book by Stephen King called "From a Buick 8" made into a movie. I had drifted away from Stephen king for a long time, but the title caught my eye (I am an unabashed motorhead), and this turned out to be just one hell of a dandy story. Strongly recommend it to anyone.
Simon: "Were there any Feds?"
mal: "No, no Feds, just an honest brawl between folk."
NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | PERMALINK | TOP | HOME
Okay I'm not going to read through ALL of these posts so I don't know if it's been said yet but I think The Legend of Drizzt books would make great movies. Drizzt is the shizznit!
NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | PERMALINK | TOP | HOME
Oooh! I just remembered... There's a new sheriff in town, and his name's Scalzi, John Scalzi!
http://www.scalzi.com/books/
NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | PERMALINK | TOP | HOME
Nooooo way I'm reading this whole thread...
Anyways:
Some of the Pern books by Anne McCaffery.
His Dark Materials by Phillip Pullman (actually, it's in production, but I wanted that to be a movie before it even got going, back when I was Lyra's age)
Brightly Burning by Mercedes Lackey
The Magic of Recluce and The Towers of Sunset by L.E. Modesitt, Jr.
Ender's Game
Anything by Hemingway (hehehehehe)
RPG launcher bought in third world country illegally - $10
Landmines - $50 per
Attack/track dogs bred 1st class - $250-500 per
Highpowered assault rifles - $600 per
The look on your face when I show up on your doorstep with a bigfoot - ... Priceless
When watching Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban in theaters:
In the Shrieking Shack, with Sirius Black (Quote #1) and Harry Potter (Quote #2):
"It's Jesus!"
"Harry Potter's the AntiChrist!"
NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | PERMALINK | TOP | HOME
Quote:
Originally posted by seryn:
The other books i'd love to see done are American Gods by Neil Gaiman, I could see Matthew Fox from Lost as Shadow (as long as they didn't try to play on his looks), And some gruff grizzled blonde guy as mr Wednesday...
I knew someone on here would beat me to this one, but I definately second it. It would be great. I know they never really pinpointed his nationality it in the book, but it was implied that Shadow was at least partially black (mention that in prison a guard was asking) so though I like Matthew Fox, I could never accept him as Shadow in the movie. That being said, I think Leonard Roberts would be perfect for Shadow (didn't really know him before his role on 'Heroes') and for some reason the whole time I was reading the book I kept picturing Charles Dance (Benedict from The Last Action Hero) as Mr. Wednesday. As for who to direct, I'd have to go with Michel Gondry (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind). He wouldn't get obsessed with big budgets and would, in my opinion, do the characters justice.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I'll be in my bunk.
http://www.myspace.com/babywiththepower
http://members17.clubphoto.com/michael809717/guest-1.phtml
NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | PERMALINK | TOP | HOME
really? See all through the book the second time i read it (after the post up there) i was seeing him as slightly native american (or indian, or american indian or whatever)
which now i think of it, is kind of ridiculous seeing as
Select to view spoiler:
his dad is a norse god
But there you go.
so, all in all, Matthew Fox is out.
If we're going the
Select to view spoiler:
norse heritage
route, keeping the lost cast in jobs, can we have the guy who plays Sawyer? Not cause i think he's like an oscar winning actor or anything, but just cause i'd enjoy two hours of big screen him.
what?!?
EDIT: did i get any of that right? am i talking about another book? I'm loosing the ability to trust my own brain...
Isn't sanity really a one trick pony, anyway? I mean all you get is one trick, rational thinking! But when you're good and crazy...ooh hoo hoo hoo... the skys the limit!
http://www.myspace.com/seryndippyt
NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | PERMALINK | TOP | HOME
Anything Star Wars:Young Jedi Knights or beyond. I'm uncertain about who to cast though.
Edit: Did I REALLY forget that I had already responded to this thread a few post up? oh, well.
Fe'nos Tol
JOSSIS(Most Definitely)AGOD
Self appointed Forsaken! Been on the list for a while now!
98% of teens have smoked pot, if you are one of the 2% that haven't, copy this into your signature.
"Look at me, I'm STUPID!" The Doctor.
NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | PERMALINK | TOP | HOME
Quote:
Originally posted by seryn:
EDIT: did i get any of that right? am i talking about another book? I'm loosing the ability to trust my own brain...
I'll have to read it again to be sure, which isn't a bad thing in my mind, I've read it like four times. I think you have the right book, but I can't remember all the details. I just remember that Neil was ver vague about his ethnicity, and I think he was on purpose. I think we need to call in Hell's Kitten for a ruling on this one.
Also, I assume you've seen Neverwhere. I couldn't have been happier with the casting. I wish the cinematography was a little richer, but the grittyness definately added something.
Quote:
Originally posted by jossisagod:
Anything Star Wars:Young Jedi Knights or beyond. I'm uncertain about who to cast though.
Another great series of books. *hangs head in shame for forgetting about it*. It's too bad Jewel Staite has already done Kaylee because I think she'd be a perfect Jaina Solo. For anyone that hasn't read the series she's a Jedi with a knack for machinery. She built a working TIE Fighter out of scrap and added a sublight engine to it, all by the time she was 15. Jacen Solo is a little tougher, though I think Joseph Gordon-Levitt (10 things I hate about you, 3rd Rock From the Sun) could pull it off. If he was younger I'd say Heath Ledger for Zekk. Tell me he doesn't look perfect in this pic (sans the long hair):
As for Tenel Ka, you'd need someone who is powerful, both in body and mind, beautiful and believable in all the transitions Tenel Ka makes throughout the series. This is by far, in my opinion, the hardest character to cast. Had the movie been made back in 1988, I'd say Joanne Whalley (Sorsha from the movie Willow) would have been perfect. But as this is not the case, I'd have to say I'd like to see Lucasfilm take their normal stance and cast an unknown and bring a new actress with all those qualities into the lime light.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I'll be in my bunk.
http://www.myspace.com/babywiththepower
http://members17.clubphoto.com/michael809717/guest-1.phtml
NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | PERMALINK | TOP | HOME