Pratchett film

[hermi-nomi]

pixielass, on livejournals 'discworld' gave a link to the news on empireonline that Pratchett's Tiffany Aching book, The Wee Free Men is to be made into a film!

'Best-selling author Terry Pratchett's novel The Wee Free Men is set to be turned into a film by Sam Raimi, after he finishes work on Spider-Man 3 ... Corpse Bride and Monster House' Pamela Pettler will be writing the script. The plan is to make the book into a live action "event" film'

(quote from empireonline)
'Just thought you oughta know'
What do you guys think?

 

[Sibeling]

Why exactly this book? There could be other better choices...

 

[Adasunshine]

Totally agree with Sibeling.

Good Omens is so ripe to be turned into a film. Does anyone know why the project was abandoned?

I seem to remember hearing it was all going ahead with Terry Gilliam (is that how you spell it) to direct and now, from what I hear, he's just abandoned it.

xx

 

[dwndrgn]

Why exactly this book? There could be other better choices...

I agree. However, now that I've thought about it a bit, it does seem that fantasy geared towards children or young adults does better in theater (not counting LOTR) so maybe that's why out of all the Discworld novels they chose this one.

 

[Thadlerian]

I agree. However, now that I've thought about it a bit, it does seem that fantasy geared towards children or young adults does better in theater (not counting LOTR) so maybe that's why out of all the Discworld novels they chose this one.

Perhaps it is the rather serious and physical plot in this one. The "adult" books are more renowned for their humour, the major part of which is found in the descriptions, footnotes, thoughts, definitions and all sorts of other things that are hard to translate to the screen.

I would also believe The Wee Free Men would require less challenging sets than the more exotic Discworld books.

 

[hermi-nomi]

Thadlerian wrote;

I would also believe The Wee Free Men would require less challenging sets than the more exotic Discworld books.

I don't know enough about film making to agree or disagree with that, but filming Wee Free Men would certainly require alot of blue screen ~ the Wee Free Men are tiny wee men (six inches high ~ anyone know how tall they are?) Would alot of blue screen work be easier, cheaper?
As Dwndrgn notes, childrens fantasy does seem to do very well when released at the cinema ~ just look at Harry Potter and Narnia. However, LotR was also a massive success. I think that the WFM was chosen, firstly 'cos it is a straightforward series ~there's two books with one to follow [or is the third one already released?] and as these are geared more towards youngsters, they are less satirical so they are likely to appeal to a wider audience. Or perhaps Pratchett just didn't want to sell the rights to any of his earlier books. We can only hope that following the success of the WFM more Pratchett books will be turned into films.

 

[Sibeling]

We can only hope that following the success of the WFM more Pratchett books will be turned into films.

Let's hope that WFM will be successful, then. But I really would like them to make a film about the Watch.

 

[BUGGRIT OFFENDI]

I AGGREE....I READ THE WEE FREE MEN...AND IT STILL CARRIES ALOT OF ADULT ENUENDOUS (I SUCK AT SPELLING) SO IT WILL BE A GOOD WATCH././/..AND FOR ME JUST SEEING THE DISCWORLD ON FILM WOULD BE A TREAT..EVEN THOUGH NONE OF WFM WAS IN ANY MAJOR CITY...I THINK ITS A TESTER///AS FAR AS GOOD OMENS IS CONCERNED...I HEARD (NOT CONFIRMED) THAT THE REASON gILLIAM MADE BROTHERS GRIMM...AND MADE IT MORE FOR HOLLYWOOD AND LESS FOR HIS NORMAL WEIRDNESS,,,,WAS THAT HE WANTS A HUGE BUDGET FOR GOOD OMENS....SO EXPECT A COUPLE MORE HOLLYWOOD STYLE FILMS TO BE CHURNED OUT BY GILLIAM IN ORDER TO PAY FOR A LIGITIMATE GOOD OMENS...BUT LIKE I SAID THIS ISN'T CONFIRMED.....AS FAR AS ANOTHER BOOK TO CHOSE...I PERSONALLY OWULD LOVE TO SEE SMALL GODS...I WISH HE MADE MORE CARTOONS...BUT ALAS...SOME OF THE DISC FANS DIDINT ENJOY THEM,.,,.I THOUGHT THEY WERE GREAT/// ITS HARD NOT TO HAVE JOKES FALL SHORT ON SCREEN...ESPECIALLY WITH SO MANY LAUGHS PER PAGE IN THE BOOKS...WHEN ITS COMES TO LIFE...IT JUST FLIES BY YOU,,,LIKE ROBIN WILLIAMS'S STAND UP///YOUR TOO BUSY LAUGHING WHILE OTHER STIFF FLIES BY YOU//

 

[CarlottaVonUberwald]

i honestly thin kthere isn't one pratchett book that wouldnt make a good film.... and it's not often that can be said about novels.

 

[purple_kathryn]

Thadlerian wrote;

I don't know enough about film making to agree or disagree with that, but filming Wee Free Men would certainly require alot of blue screen ~.

They could simply use the techniques employed in LOTRs for making the dwarves and hobbits seem smaller?

 

[alicebandassassin]

I think pratchet is ideal for movies because of the wide age appeal. The adults will get slightly different aspects of the film that the kid miss

 

[dragula_66]

They could simply use the techniques employed in LOTRs for making the dwarves and hobbits seem smaller?

I think blue/green screen may prove to be the better tecnique for making six inch tall ppl. In LOTR they used a combination of midgets (e.g. at the beginning of the fellowship when frodo first greets gandalf, there is a shot from behind frodo, in that shot its a midget, not elijah wood you see hugging gandalf), and forced perspective (for example: 1 character stands behind another which makes that character seem smaller) Trying to make 2 people of similar height appear as tho 1 is six inches tall and the other 6 foot tall, may be going a bit far with this technique, regarding how real it looks.

 

[stinking_dylan]

The last I heard regarding the Good Omens film by Terry Gillaim was that he couldn't get a production studio to back him. Even though Johnny Depp and Robin Williams had agreed to play. He said that it was at that point that he really didn't understand the rules of Hollywood.

Personally, I think Terry Gilliam would be the perfect director for any of Pratchetts books. With his background with Python and his previous films, he'd have the best understanding of Pratchetts style of slapstick and how to bring it to the screen without it looking goofy.

Oh, and their both called Terry.

 

[sanityassassin]

just found this on IMDb

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0765458/

the hogfather is coming to tv

 

[amy why?]

thats gunna b great!!!!!!!! cant wait for that!!!!!!!

 

[stinking_dylan]

Just found this on the August Discworld newsletter :-

-----------------------
It is looking more and more likely that a Good Omens movie will go ahead this winter. In recent interviews Terry Gilliam has said that he is working with Stephen Evans and the project will be going ahead.

The timing prevents Gilliam's preferred stars: Robin Williams, Johnny Depp and Jonathan Pryce from being available due to other work commitments.
-----------------------

 

[Morpheus42]

This sounds all very nice. Will keep eye out on it.

 

[Princess Ivy]

but will they be able to stop it being pure farce? i love pratchett, but it's hardly subtle humor. Wee free men, good omens or hogfather, while i loved all three, could end up looking like a three stoges film with the less obvious getting lost in translation.
(also i don't think granny weatherwax will enjoy having only a cameo role in the first pratchett film)

 

[CarlottaVonUberwald]

what would be wrong with farce? when done right farcial films can be very funny..

and i dont think good omens could go that way.

 

[Princess Ivy]

i have no problem with farce, in its own place, although it can turn to toilet humour very quickly, but i'd prefer something better for pratchett. a more subtle humor from the ignorance and sillyness for the characters and situations rather than a constant stream of one-liners and pies in the face.