Would Terry Pratchett novels translate well into feature films?

[cerebrum]

Whats stopping Terry Pratchetts Discworld series from becoming as popular as say the Harry Potter franchise?

On a related note, what actor would play Rincewind the best? and various other characters?

[El Elvis Rojo]

Feature films? I'm thinking no. But a mini-series or two? Hell yes!

I'd like to see a few on the big screen, but reading even the shortest of his books, the stories are all way too involved that one would have to cut out too much good stuff in order to make it fit within the constraints of a two hour movie. And if you plan on making a franchise of them, then it'd be even harder to help save consistancy.

But I'm one of those people who really enjoys movies based on books that actually follow the books. Now, if Pratchett wrote a script strictly for a movie, that would be interesting to see. If I recall correctly, The Color of Magic has been made into a play. Anyone seen it and have a review?

As for who would play Rincewind, I'm sure a lot of people would say John Clease, especially considering he did the voice in the game, but personally, I think he's too old. I see him playing more the head of Unseen University, and also just randomly dispersed throughout the movie as various other characters. Sorry, I just think he's too old to play Rincewind.

[kitarak]

Someone made an animated version of a couple of them. I saw 'Soul Music'. It wasn't bad - nothing special, but certainly far above what I expected. I think animation is probably the way to go if someone was to make a film of it - Too much of it just wouldn't work with real people. Maybe the guards series would work as a feature film, but I'm rather dubious about the scenes with the dragon. I think CGI would give the wrong effect.

Who was the person who did the voice for Rincewind in the games? He'd be perfect (although I'd be dubious about watching a film with Rincewind in it - I hate rincewind as a character)

And the reason Terry Pratchett isn't as popular as harry potter is pretty simple - they're not kids books, so the world isn't being swamped with millions of screaming little brats obsessing about it (Disclaimer: I do read and like harry potter). Also, when it comes down to it, they're fairly intelligent books. This rules out 1/3 of the population absolute minimum. Once you've considered this anda bunch of other factors it puts him well below HP in popularity.

That being said, they do have a fairly large following, so I guess there's some hope for humanity after all. :)

[kferr]

Wyrd Sisters is an animated version available on DVD. I think either traditional animation or CG (like Shrek) would work better than live action.

[garius]

Me - i would play Rincewind best!

*runs away like a coward*

[irishgirl]

terry pratchett is the most shoplifted author in the UK...

if people won't pay for the books, why would they pay to see the film!!

seriously i think the temptation to cast "big names" would be too much...better to be CGI or animation, and have famous voices.

and yeah, i think a mini series would be able to stay closer to the full story (and the footnotes should be done in voiceover, they're essential)

[Barbarian]

I asked Terry this about 7 years ago. His reply:

"I've had many people want to turn my books into movies. Either they're really great, ernest people with loads of skill and no money, or they're Americans."

He went on to say that Hollywood producers wanted to take Death out of the onscreen versions, because they didn't get it and didn't think the audience would either.

[Fnoonf]

Honestly, I really don't feel that Pratchett's humour translates well from the page to the screen. To my mind at least, the thing that makes him so incredibly funny is not just the way he has with words (and characters, and setting, etc.), but the intangible humour you can find in the way he punctuates things, the comic spacing, if you will (like comic timing, only, well, on the page).

When I saw the above-mentioned animated version of "Soul Music" a few months back, I couldn't help but feel that the indefinable essence of the man's unique style of humour hadn't even come close to being captured, and quite frankly I don't really think it can.

[Kat]

Take out Death?!?!?! :eek:

I would check out a movie of a Terry Pratchett novel, whether animated, live-action or CGI, but not if they took out Death.

[Miller]

None of them. Leave the books on the bookshelf, where they belong.

Now, if Terry Pratchett wanted to write an original screenplay, I'd be keenly interested.

[Mr. Blue Sky]

We'll find out soon enough. (http://us.imdb.com/Title?0155724)

[Exapno Mapcase]

Americans don't understand how popular Pratchett is in the UK. At least until Rowling came along he was the best-selling author there. Of any and all genres. He's certainly wildly popular among sf&f fans in the US but probably unknown among the general public.

And I also think that his flavor would never come across on film unless he himself found a way to write a screenplay that conveyed it.

On preview I see a reference to a Good Omens movie. Since I'm presuming that all of us have been referring to his Discworld books, that's a totally different thing.

[Osip]

Originally posted by Mr. Blue Sky
We'll find out soon enough. (http://us.imdb.com/Title?0155724)

Ah yes Good Omens Such a wonderful book and my personal favorite.

If they cut out "the other 4 horsemen" expecially "Man covered in fish" I will be very pissed.

[Scruff]

I think we are at the point where we could make a movie out of one or more of the Discworld books. I remember coming out of Shakespeare in Love thinking, "Well, they could do a credible job with Ankh-Morpork".

I think that the problem is, the Pratchett humor wouldn't play well in a big budget, Hollywood movie. You know,

The Color of Magik
starring
Robin Williams as Rincewind
Lucy Liu as TwoFlower
with
John Goodman as The Patrician

:smack:
But someone like the Cohn Brothers (maybe) or a smaller studio might make a go of it. Hey, what about Peter Jackson to direct? Pratchett's written more books than JRR...

[Narile]

It's not on the IMDB, but Dreamworks has Truckers in development. It will be done by the same crew that did Shrek.

Personally, I'd love to see The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents done on film, I think it would translate rather well.

[Narile]

For information on Truckers being filmed.

[Narile]

*sigh* Could a Mod please fix? Tankie.

[Mr. Blue Sky]

For information on Truckers being filmed. (http://www.writenews.com/2001/050201_dreamworks_bromeliad.htm)

How's that?

[Hodge]

Originally posted by Mr. Blue Sky
We'll find out soon enough. (http://us.imdb.com/Title?0155724) Sadly, tragically, we may not (http://www.aintitcool.com/display.cgi?id=13832).

[El Elvis Rojo]

I haven't seen the animated movies, but I really don't like the idea of a CGI version. There are some people out there who are absolutely brilliant at casting, and as Peter Jackson's shown us, with enough motivated and dedicated people, fantasy can be brought to life in a VERY effective and positive manner. When I read the books, I envision the characters as real life people, not animated figments. As a lot of people mentioned, a lot of Pratchett's humor is going to be lost in any visual adaptation of a book, so I believe they would need the extra power of real people who can convey emotions, which is something no CGI rendered figure can do effectively.
Sure, if Hollywood got ahold of it, it could turn out to be uber crap on a stick, so it would be great if a UK studio, or possibly independant group could put it together.

[owlstretchingtime]

"Guards Guards" is fairly regularly performed on stage in the UK (I haven't seen it but it has had good reviews).

As to a film...nah.

There is athread called Discworld Casting call but I don't know how to link threads.

[Charlie Tan]

re: Good Omens

I trust Coming Attractions (http://www.corona.bc.ca/films/filmlistingsFramed.html) to know what's going on, and they say it's in script stage.

I found this quote by Nail Gaiman:

"I asked Terry Gilliam how the Good Omens movie was going. His reply?

"'I'll warn you in advance that we created a very different climax. And we dropped favorite characters. We added some scenes involving cattle drives in the Old West and song and dance sequences from our favorite Bollywood films. We also tried to make the Metratron more Jewish for the sake of the financiers. Woody Allen would be perfect...or maybe Mel Brooks. Then there is the snuff movie that Crowley is producing which we get to see in utterly graphic detail...we thought it would make him more active in believable evil. And we eliminated most of the comedy. I felt it held the book back from being the 'great and profound work' which we hope the film will be.

"So I don't think we're going to have anything to worry about..."
I don't think we should take this seriously, other than as an indication that it's not coming to a CinePlex near you, during next year.

re: Rincewind

I've said this for a while, and I continue to say that Rhys Ifans (http://us.imdb.com/EGallery?source=ss&group=0219822&photo=humannature_still06.jpg&path=pgallery&path_key=Ifans,+Rhys) would be perfect. I dare you to click the link and see the photo and not agree.

[photopat]

According to a quote by Pratchett I read once, the irony of the producers wanting to remove Death from a story, is that the story in question was Mort!

I think the Bromeliad trilogy could work very well CGI, and I know Johnny and the Dead was made into a series on BBC. Has anydoper seen it?

[Daylon]

Hmm.... my cast:

Vetinari - Gary Oldham

Carrot - Howie Long

Vimes - Rutger Hauer

CMOT Dibbler - Steve Buscemi

Cohen - Sam Elliot

Rincewind - David Hyde Pierce

Angua - Angelina Jolie

The Librarian - CGI / Computer efx

DEATH - the voice of James Earl Jones

whatcha think?

[El Elvis Rojo]

Originally posted by Daylon
Angua - Angelina Jolie


This is why I think Hollywood should stay away from the movies. Personally, I don't think she's anything like Angua. Of course, we all have our own envisions of what the characters look/act like, but there isn't a single aspect of this actess that fits my perception of the character. Also, although there have been several drawings of many of the characters, I don't think she resembles any of the ones I've seen. She's a big name actress, that I just don't think fits. Plus, I just fucking HATE Angelina Jolie.

I do agree with you about Gary Oldman, though, and I definitely concur with The Gaspode about Rhys Ifans.

[Charlie Tan]

I can see Cate Blanchett as Angua.

The rest of the cast (provididng they can get the accent right):


Vetinari - Alan Rickman

Carrot - Brendan Fraser (who can do comedy, action and have that perpeptually surprised face)

Vimes - Harvey Keitel (or maybe Tommy Lee Jones)

Nobby - Steve Buscemi

Colon - John Goodman

DEATH - the voice of Sean Connery

[kaiju]

I saw Terry at a convention in San Jose this fall. He said there'll be no more animated BBC movies. He loved them but they were shown at some rediculous hour like 2 AM, so no one saw them. Felt good shows were wasted by bad scheduling.

But the dreamworks project was in the "serious folding money" stage. He toured Dreamworks studio, got a private showing of Shrek in their screening room, which was almost perfect, but did not allow popcorn. He was very impressed with the enthusasm and talent at Dreamworks and seemed happy.

He didn't say a word about Good Omens, but I heard that was stalled because of money.

And he was very happy with the various stage productions of his books. Went on and on about the excitement of live theater.

[js_africanus]

With all due respect, I find movies to be an inherently eye-candy medium, completely unsuited to any text longer than a short story. With that in mind, I think seeing Pratchett butchered by any film maker, whether he be from America or New Zeland, would make me cry. And I haven't cried since I broke my femur in 3rd grade...

[GuanoLad]

I think if any movie was made, casting should be (as in Harry Potter) 110% British, and use the plays as the strongest of starting points. The thing about the Theatrical versions is that the shows strengths lie in the characterisation and the dialogue/situation/reactionary humour, and not on stars or effects, and also can bypass the literary jokes that wouldn't translate well to movies.

It is therefore possible, and I'd love to make a fanfilm of a scene or three, but I have not the time nor resources. Darn it all.

[owlofcreamcheese]

I don't know... nothing really much HAPPENS in his books... often thats very funny... alot of the humor isn't even in the dialog.... his genius is more in the commenting on the action and dialog.

[Charlie Tan]

[A THOUSAND ELEPHANTS!!!!!]
*splat*
"what was that?"
"Some guy saying nothing happens around here...."
[/A THOUSAND ELEPHANTS!!!!!]

[El Elvis Rojo]

Originally posted by owlofcreamcheese
I don't know... nothing really much HAPPENS in his books...


Okay, admittadely, I've only read about ten of his books, but you can't be serious. Every story with Rincewind is nothing BUT stuff happening...that's the whole point of his character, is that all he wants is a boring life, yet he keeps getting thrown into wild, crazy adventures. I honestly wouldn't mind seeing The Color of Magic performed. And although they do sometimes start off slow, the four nightwatch books I've read were great crime stories with a good amount of action towards the end, especially Feet of Clay. Admitadely, the stories with the Witches tend to move rather slowly, but stuff still happens in them.
If someone were to be dedicated enough to doing a Pratchett story, and kept as true to the form like those doing The Lord of the Rings, I would love to see Small Gods acted out. This is another fairly slow one, but it's a great, great story.