Oh hell yes...HHGTG MOVIE!

Kaak · October 5, 2003, 19:55

Link

all i have to say, is that it's about time!!!

Quote:

Can we finally raise our Pangalactic Gargleblaster and drink to the promise of a Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy movie?

That's what it sounds like. Finally.

Though originally announced a few months ago, plans are now 100% full steam ahead (for the moment) to get rolling on the adaptation of late author Douglas Adams' sci-fi comedy novel(s) about a hapless British gent swept away during Earth's final hours, embarking on an interstellar adventure filled with oddities like a morose robot, a roguish two-headed space president, a hot babe, towels, babel fish and Vorgon poetry.

After bouncing around development hell for the past two decades, the film has officially been given the greenlight by Spyglass/Disney. No word yet on casting, but cameras will roll early next year in London with commercial/music video director Garth Jennings at the helm, with his "Hammer and Tongs" partner Nick Goldsmith producing (the pair previously worked on videos for the likes of Beck, Blur and Fatboy Slim). Chicken Run scribe Karey Kirkpatrick last pecked at the script.

Austin Powers director Jay Roach had long been attached to the large-budgeted project before moving on. The novel was previously adapted into a cheap-looking BBC series, which you can see on DVD and anticipate slightly better special effects for the new version.

chequita guevara · October 5, 2003, 19:59

How could they possibly capture the book in a single movie?

Kaak · October 5, 2003, 19:59

no idea, hopefully it will be all of the books over several movies....

GhengisFarb™ · October 5, 2003, 20:31

When I saw the title of the thread I thought it was referring to some tv series off the Home and Garden channel...............

alva · October 5, 2003, 20:37

I reserve to right to be sceptic on the end result though.

Verto · October 5, 2003, 20:38

Quote:

Originally posted by GhengisFarb
When I saw the title of the thread I thought it was referring to some tv series off the Home and Garden channel...............

Same here. What a disappointment the truth is.

GhengisFarb™ · October 5, 2003, 20:39

I was trying to figure out why someone was so excited about a Home and Garden movie.........

Hueij · October 5, 2003, 20:40

This is one movie I definitely don't want to see. Is there nothing sacred anymore?

General Ludd · October 5, 2003, 21:01

Too bad Douglas Adams isn't alive anymore, he was apparently trying very hard for a movie to be made (and made right), and this is probably the end work of the effort he was making to get it started before he died.

General Ludd · October 5, 2003, 21:11

His desire to make a movie is mentioned quite a bit in The Salmon of Doubt, by the way.

Sarxis · October 5, 2003, 21:12

I keep putting off reading the book..

GhengisFarb™ · October 5, 2003, 21:48

I wish they would make a movie of the Belgariad. But fat chance of that.

self biased · October 6, 2003, 01:43

Quote:

Vorgon poetry

vogon. VOGON poetry.

FrustratedPoet · October 6, 2003, 05:04

The first two books are the only good ones anyway IMHO. I think the series really loses all direction after then and, although isolated bits are funny, it simply isn't as good as the beginning.

Quote:

I wish they would make a movie of the Belgariad.

OMG I am in total and enthusiastic agreement with GhengisFarb.

I also agree that it isn't going to happen. They'd need at least 3 movies to do it properly and only Lord of the Rings has enough prestige to guarantee that kind of support from Hollywood (in fact even that was a bit of a shock when they announced it).

DaShi · October 6, 2003, 11:15

Quote:

Originally posted by chegitz guevara
How could they possibly capture the book in a single movie?

Simple, cut out the boring parts. Mainly books 4 and 5 and most of book 3.

GhengisFarb™ · October 6, 2003, 11:30

Quote:

Originally posted by FrustratedPoet
OMG I am in total and enthusiastic agreement with GhengisFarb.

I also agree that it isn't going to happen. They'd need at least 3 movies to do it properly and only Lord of the Rings has enough prestige to guarantee that kind of support from Hollywood (in fact even that was a bit of a shock when they announced it).

Are you kidding? Do you know how many people love that series?

They did a poll among the SciFi Book Club and some other literary arenas and some general populace groups a few years back when word first got out they were makine a Lord of the Rings movie.

(Disclaimer, some of these numbers are probably off as I am going from memory but they are fairly close.)

Best Fantasy Series of all Time.
General Populace "Lord of the Rings" won with approx 51% ( it was low 50's)
Fantasy Readers "The Belgariad" approx 87% (it was high 80's)
They weren't given choices they were simply asked for an answer and lot of the General Populace didn't have an answer and King Arthur came in second.

It is amazing how many people you run into that have read that series. I'm pretty sure if you were in a cinema and the previews showed a young boy, a crotchedy old prankster and then a gorgeous woman with a white lock in her hair that there would be some excited holding of breath..................

Anyway, here's to hoping Hollywood makes more movies out of great books, they sure seem to need some new storylines nowadays.

FrustratedPoet · October 6, 2003, 11:40

Ok, that's cool - I knew they were bestsellers, but not that they were quite that popular. I prefer the Elenium/Tamuli series anyway, although I suppose the Belgariad has more mass-market appeal due to the more quirky and lovable characters and more overt magic.

A good new movie version of Arthurian legend would be awesome too (not that the whole thing of course).

GhengisFarb™ · October 6, 2003, 11:43

The Belgariad has been through 15 printings in the US. Its availble in special Xmas boxed sets and all kinds of stuff. I hav the whole 13 book series. Unlucky 13............

Peril Sensitive Eyeglasses Activate!

FrustratedPoet · October 6, 2003, 11:43

Quote:

General Populace "Lord of the Rings" won with approx 51% ( it was low 50's)
Fantasy Readers "The Belgariad" approx 87% (it was high 80's)

50% of the general population is probably still more than 80% of Fantasy fans, but I take your point.

FrustratedPoet · October 6, 2003, 11:46

Quote:

Originally posted by GhengisFarb
I'm pretty sure if you were in a cinema and the previews showed a young boy, a crotchedy old prankster and then a gorgeous woman with a white lock in her hair that there would be some excited holding of breath..................

Actually it's pretty exciting just reading the description of it. *gin*

Drogue · October 6, 2003, 15:18

This is excellent news

Quote:

Originally posted by FrustratedPoet
The first two books are the only good ones anyway IMHO. I think the series really loses all direction after then and, although isolated bits are funny, it simply isn't as good as the beginning.

I agree, with the exception of Mostly Harmless. Books 1, 2 and 5 I loved. Books 3 and 4 were good but not up to the other 3 IMHO.

I think they will do the first book as one film, and then see the reaction, witha possibility of doing the others. I can't see them commissioning 5 straight off, but they cannot possibly fit 5 into one film.

FrustratedPoet · October 6, 2003, 17:27

I think they could fit books 1 and 2 into a single film.

Immortal Wombat · October 6, 2003, 17:33

It'll suck. There isn't any way you can make a HHGTG film work. The TV series was awful - it just doesn't work. Too much of the humour is completely detached from visual references, you'd either get loads of bits with no (interesting) visuals and a voice-over, or cut out the background narrative humour, or have it spliced badly into dialogue. Which would suck either way.

Also, I really really hope I'm wrong.

Japher · October 6, 2003, 17:41

Quote:

The TV series was awful - it just doesn't work

Three letters: BBC...

I hope it is good, but it will probably suck... They'll cast really lame people to play important characters.

FrustratedPoet · October 6, 2003, 17:42

Remember that it started out as a radio series and was then converted into a book, so there are a lot of scenes from the first two books that were originally intended to be acted out. It worked really well. No visuals, of course, and the temptation to put in lots of special effects may well be the downfall of the movie.

FrustratedPoet · October 6, 2003, 17:44

Quote:

Originally posted by Japher

Three letters: BBC...

1. The BBC has a very good track record of comedy television, although I admit the Hitch Hikers series sucked big time.

2. The excellent radio series was also a BBC production and the cast were (IMHO)very good.

Verto · October 6, 2003, 19:54

Quote:

Originally posted by GhengisFarb

Are you kidding? Do you know how many people love that series?

They did a poll among the SciFi Book Club and some other literary arenas and some general populace groups a few years back when word first got out they were makine a Lord of the Rings movie.

(Disclaimer, some of these numbers are probably off as I am going from memory but they are fairly close.)

Best Fantasy Series of all Time.
General Populace "Lord of the Rings" won with approx 51% ( it was low 50's)
Fantasy Readers "The Belgariad" approx 87% (it was high 80's)
They weren't given choices they were simply asked for an answer and lot of the General Populace didn't have an answer and King Arthur came in second.

It is amazing how many people you run into that have read that series. I'm pretty sure if you were in a cinema and the previews showed a young boy, a crotchedy old prankster and then a gorgeous woman with a white lock in her hair that there would be some excited holding of breath..................

Anyway, here's to hoping Hollywood makes more movies out of great books, they sure seem to need some new storylines nowadays.

We should start a petition.

GhengisFarb™ · October 6, 2003, 20:19

Another book series I've thought would make a great movie is the Swords series.

Sikander · October 6, 2003, 20:59

I have always though that these books were overrated. I read everything through "So long, and thanks for all the fish", and while short bits were amusing, I didn't care about any of the characters. I have no desire to reread any of it.

As for the movie, I'm ambivalent.

St Leo · October 6, 2003, 22:41

Burn the heretic!

/me thinks Fenchurch is hot