Pern Movie?

Diya · April 15, 2011, 09:08:38 AM

I'm not joking!

http://io9.com/#!5791506/watchmen-writer-adapting-anne-mccaffreys-dragonriders-of-pern-to-film
http://www.deadline.com/2011/04/david-hayter-to-adapt-scifi-book-series-dragonriders-of-pern/

For those for whom the links are blocked/can't access:

"David Hayter has been set to write the script for Dragonflight, the first novel in a series that includes 22 novels generated by Anne McCaffrey. Steve Hoban's Copperheart Entertainment has teamed with Hayter and Benedict Carver's Dark Hero Studios and Angry Films partners Don Murphy and Susan Montford on the project. Entertainment One is also a partner and has gotten the project off the ground by acquiring distribution in Canada, with talks ongoing to acquire numerous other territories that will include the UK and Australia."

and

"Hayter's sci-fi/fantasy script credits include X-Men and Watchmen, while Murphy and Montford's work includes Transformers, At the Mountains of Madness and the upcoming Shawn Levy-directed Hugh Jackman starrer Real Steel. It was Hayter and Carver who brought in Entertainment One's Patrice Theroux. Hoban said that the conceptual art has been generated and Hayter should have a script later this year. The plan is to get the flying dragons off the ground by next year. "

Anaria · April 15, 2011, 10:56:32 AM

I have mixed feelings about this. If the movie is good, and if it's true to ANNE'S canon, it could be very good. Especially because more interest in the books = more people for fandom.

I do have a fear that they will try to "modernize" it, by adding some of Todd's Canon as well, or try to monopolize on the "Harry Potter effect" and make Lessa's mental "pushing" seem more magical. Both of which will result in a ton of people for fandom who won't understand why we cling to the old books so much.

I am certainly glad that they didn't do it back in the 90s when the dragons would have looked crappy.

Diya · April 15, 2011, 08:14:38 PM

Quote from: "Erin S"I have mixed feelings about this. If the movie is good, and if it's true to ANNE'S canon, it could be very good. Especially because more interest in the books = more people for fandom.

I do have a fear that they will try to "modernize" it, by adding some of Todd's Canon as well, or try to monopolize on the "Harry Potter effect" and make Lessa's mental "pushing" seem more magical. Both of which will result in a ton of people for fandom who won't understand why we cling to the old books so much.

I feel similarly. As long as they're explicit about precisely which book it is being done. Since the same scriptwriter wrote Watchmen, I'm hoping that they won't pretty it up - Lessa will still get slapped and do some slapping, the fights will still be nasty fights, Fax will be a wretched beast of a ruthless tyrannical man, drudges won't be "treated equally", etc. The biases that make Pern clearly something that's not just "Earth with Dragons" should be present, and with this scriptwriter, he won't be toning them down. What the studio does... that I'm a bit more worried about.

Now would be the time for those of us in Pern fandom, who have been in it for however long, to drop some letters/e-mails of encouragement his way and let him know we hope for a faithful adaptation, and are curious if Ms McCaffrey will be getting an opportunity to comment on the proposed screenplay, if changes are being made.

Suzee · April 15, 2011, 08:57:59 PM

Quote from: "Diya"I feel similarly. As long as they're explicit about precisely which book it is being done. Since the same scriptwriter wrote Watchmen, I'm hoping that they won't pretty it up - Lessa will still get slapped and do some slapping, the fights will still be nasty fights, Fax will be a wretched beast of a ruthless tyrannical man, drudges won't be "treated equally", etc. The biases that make Pern clearly something that's not just "Earth with Dragons" should be present, and with this scriptwriter, he won't be toning them down. What the studio does... that I'm a bit more worried about.

Now would be the time for those of us in Pern fandom, who have been in it for however long, to drop some letters/e-mails of encouragement his way and let him know we hope for a faithful adaptation, and are curious if Ms McCaffrey will be getting an opportunity to comment on the proposed screenplay, if changes are being made.

One of the articles indicated they were working on Dragon Quest as the first movie. There have been other attempts in the past that have not come to fruition because of Anne's strict sense of what it should and should not be.

I can only hope that she still retains some control or influence.

Chelle · April 17, 2011, 07:57:46 PM

I read the bit that Todd himself posted. He also mentioned something about this back at DragonCon in September. I think the idea is to do the original three books if the first one does well (Dragonflight, Dragonquest, The White Dragon).

I have high hopes though I know this has been in the works for awhile. The scriptwriter can do amazing things. If they get a good enough cast and director, the CGI stuff would be easy enough.

Paula · April 18, 2011, 01:31:01 AM

Again? You know, they have been trying to get it to the big screen for ever!

Diya · April 20, 2011, 02:34:57 AM

I have faith in this one... they're not trying to make it a trilogy-in-one, and they're capitalizing on nostalgia and SFX with authors of a fantasy/sci fi bent. There's Game of Thrones; talk about an American Gods HBO series... Pern is a viable combination of sci-fi and fantasy (most people throwing dragons in as fantasy, though McCaffrey is SF) and I think they realise the money in the bank if they can pull it off.