Books and Comics to movies. What should they do?

SubJeff on 16/3/2014 at 17:58

With so many lackluster translations of stuff into film (see much of the recent superhero stuff, Enders Game, etc) I was thinking about some great stuff that has been missed and that I'd like to see done. The mine of sci-fi and fantasy books and comics is huge; Philip K Dick They are often messed up so I'm pretty fussy about directors and casting and so on. So here are two of mine.

Slaine - from 2000AD.
I'm not sure which storyline but that's not important, the character and the setting are. I'm thinking Cronenberg as director, Christopher Lambert (or Chris Cornell!) as Slaine and a Trent Reznor-Hans Zimmerman collaboration on the score.

And no CGI. At all.

The Forever War - by Joe Haldeman.
I know this is supposed to be in pre-pre-pre-production somewhere but until I have proof it's imminent... Ridley Scott to direct, I've no idea who should play William, score by M83 or The Crystal Method. And a ton of top quality CGI.

Why not now?!

Renault on 16/3/2014 at 19:11

A couple come to mind for me, personal favorites of course.

First, genre wise, it seems like steampunk is just something waiting to be explored and devled into, and I'm a little surprised we haven't seen much at all in this category on the big screen. One of my faves is a book called Boneshaker by Cherie Priest, and there were rumors it was headed to the big screen a few years back, but it looks like that has died since. IMO, it would be perfect for cinema - it has zombies, zeppelins, and guns and gadgets - you don't get much better than that.

And, I know many disagree with me, but I think Thief would make a great movie too, but it's doubtful that would ever happen. If they did, they'd probably adapt the most recent game, and then I wouldn't be too interested.

Next would be The Dark Tower series, by Stephen King. Now, the project is in limbo but supposedly not dead, but it's been bounced around to various groups and people over the years. Ron Howard seems to be the most recent one in charge of it. They've talked movie trilogy, TV series, and a combination of both. It would be a tricky thing adapting a 7 novel series into a coherent movie trilogy, but I suppose it could be done. The coolest news as of late is that there's been mutual interest in bringing Aaron Paul aboard (Yeah bitch, magnets) to play Eddie Dean. For anyone who's read the series, they know he would be absolutely perfect for that role.

I'd also love to see The Witcher come to the big screen, using material from either the books or the games. Seems like a lot of potential there.

nicked on 16/3/2014 at 20:28

I'd love to see Iain M. Banks' Culture onscreen, but I sincerely doubt it could ever be done justice.

june gloom on 16/3/2014 at 22:48

Transmetropolitan really truly deserves to be made into a movie. But if it doesn't have Devin Townsend/Strapping Young Lad for a soundtrack they're doing it wrong.

Nicker on 17/3/2014 at 05:18

We need more teen vampires and werewolves.

Thirith on 17/3/2014 at 07:43

Quote Posted by nicked

I'd love to see Iain M. Banks' Culture onscreen, but I sincerely doubt it could ever be done justice.

I'd see those as a TV series, perhaps with a season per novel; I doubt that the big studios would put money into stories as bleak without major fiddling, but seeing how TV has developed over the last 10, 15 years I think it could be done. Once David Fincher is done with House of Cards, he might be a good fit, or Rian Johnson.

demagogue on 17/3/2014 at 08:27

Neuromancer and Stranger in a Strange Land were supposed to get treatments that got dropped, and especially the first has been famously cursed as a movie project.

Personally I want to see more movies set in obscure places and periods in history like The Painted Veil. I'm having fantasy fatigue.

Thirith on 17/3/2014 at 09:01

dema, I take it you've seen Rome and Deadwood, right?

demagogue on 17/3/2014 at 11:11

Yes, Rome was ok but somehow overplayed. Deadwood was awesome, wished it could have gone on for a few more seasons. Carnivale too. The Tudors was good, except I could never buy Jonathan Rhys Meyers as Henry VIII and he didn't carry it. Mad Men, of course. Haven't seen The Borgias yet. Boardwalk Empire is great focusing on the early mob.

Halt & Catch Fire coming up looks interesting; computing history is best history.
Also seems LA Noir is getting a show, Mob City. They should have called it LA Noir.

Edit: To mention some of my ideas, I just read a book about Belgian Congo (King Leopold's Ghost) and think that story, how the colonial government derailed into the worst atrocities & the campaign against it, should definitely be made into a movie or show. Heart of Darkness just scratched the surface.

Another book, History of the Soul, is about the history of the Uygars in west China, would be very interesting to see dramatized. Or something on the Persian & Byzantine empires from their perspective, or the inside view of other lost empires.

Gryzemuis on 17/3/2014 at 12:26

How about we leave the books the books.
And film companies write new stories and original scripts for movies ?

I don't think I could name a single film where the film added something to the book.
Can you ?