I agree that most of the juveniles would work, and I’d put “Have Space Suit…” on the top of the list. But I’d make it a period piece. Kids now aren’t space happy, the way they were in the 50’s (and I think there was a feedback loop, in which RAH was a major factor in making them space happy). The Iron Giant was set in the 50’s and then there’s Back to the Future. Lessee…
Granddad telling young spuds about an adventure he had as a kid… Princess Bride sorta… Never clear if it’s just a fantasy or could really happen.
As for casting TMiaHM:
Manny could be any sub-intelligent hunky Hollywood male, with a vage latino look. His job is to be kinda stupid.
Mike should be a voice, whereas Adam Selene could be played by Alec Baldwin (creepy and crappy, he may be, but with age, his gotten some gravitas and would look right).
Prof - Morgan Freeman?
Wyoh - Sadly I can’t come up with a tall powerful, strong blonde in the right age working in Hollydumb right now.
Stuie - Only one choice (and I dislike this guy too, but he does look right): Jude Law.
It all depends on the director. Who would have thought that the newest Batman movie (while having a few explosions) would spend what seemed like 90% of the movie looking at the psychological motives of the main character?
Besides, a lot of Heinlein could be done on a modest budget since there are no explosions and those kinds of films seem to attract interesting and interested directors the most.
Yes, it’s possible, but that doesn’t mean that it will be done.
I mean, heck, even Heinlein couldn’t really do it. There’s much to admire in Destination Moon, but today it’s a pretty dull flick. Operation Moonbase has much to admire, too, but that’s overshadowed by the abysmal way it treats its female characters, Briteis especially. MST3K duid tghis as one of their oldest shows, and it gets a stinging rebuke in their book on the series.
For what it’s worth, I think Stranger in a Strange Land would make an awful movie, even if they didn’t screw it up (which they very definitely would).
(And I seriously doubt that Dave was based on Double Star. The idea of politicians switching places with doubles has been around at least since “Prince and the Pauper”, and probably well before.)
But I could see good films cioming out of Moon is a Harsh Mistress or Double Star or one of his juveniles. Or maybe one of his short stories.
Wyoming Knott: Geena Davis
Professor de la Paz: Morgan Freeman
Manny Davis: George Lopez
Mimi: Olympia Dukakis
Grandpa: George Gaynes
Sidris: Kim Cattrall
Hazel Meade: Jenna Boyd
Greg: Ed Begley Jr.
Stuart Rene La Joie: Gérard Depardieu
To answer the OP, the only way it could happen is if, in a LOTR-like scenario, some quirky director managed to come up with the right timing and the right studio to take it to the house. It’s possible, but not likely.
I think they’d have to make it interstellar, or else the jungles on Venus would be an unfortunate anachronism. But, yes, a reasonably faithful version would be nice.
I agree with other posters that A Door into Summer and The Moon is a Harsh Mistress could be done quite well without clashing with modern sensibilities. (I’d pick Russel Crowe for Manny. Mostly because I want to see him oiled up in tights. ROWR!)
IMHO, as regards Stranger: Do. Not. Go. There. It would suck ass as a movie unless it was mangled beyond recognition.
I like the ideas of juvies as animated features—or stepping-off points for a series. There’s a fine precident there, as The Red Planet was adapted reasonably well as a CBS Storybreak, and the execrable Verhoeven Starship Troopers at least paved the way for Roughnecks, which was marginally better than a sharp stick in the eye and at least had freakin’ powered armor.
Wyoh married two brothers, got pregnant, had a baby that “was a monster,” divorced men, lived on her own, had EIGHT children as a host mother, before she met Manny the night of the riot.
Let’s say she married at a Loonie-respectable fifteen, divorced at 20. Three or four years of living on her own as a Free Woman, plus eight children with a year’s rest between each child (unhealthy to plop them out consistently faster). Wyoh is at LEAST 40.
I like Geena Davis for the part but she’s 49 and showing it. Sigourney Weaver has the right build and charisma too, but she’s 56. There aren’t many very tall statuesque blondes between 35-40 (I agree on the age, Rick) working in Hollywood. I’m one of the few Dopers who like Ncole Kidman, but she’s not zaftig enough.
I’m sticking with Jude Law. The French sounding name doesn’t mean anything, and I’ve always perceived Stuart as quite the playboy, with a casual, laissez-faire attitude. GD is wrong for that.
Another vote for The Door Into Summer. It’s a tight and interesting plot that doesn’t require a great deal of exposition, with enough gadgetry, suspense, and action for a movie. It’s not his deepest book by any means, but it’d make a great transition to film.
Job would also fit well, but I expect there would have to be a lot of scenes cut to make it film-length, as well as some creative rewriting to translate the important parts of the protagonist’s internal narration, something that’s always struck me as very hard to do.
I suspect it’s hit you by now (I never notice these things until after I post), but SWTWC was by Ray Bradbury.
Good flick, though. Bradbury hasn’t generally fared very well in adaptation, either, for the most part.
I agree that Wyoh is probably 35 or a bit over that.
Remember that when Mannie travels back to earth with the Prof, people are shocked at how old he is. I think the line was that he’s been married for longer than they guessed he’s been alive? It was mentioned a few times in the book that Loonies don’t age as quickly, due to the lower gravity on the moon, and that it’s not at all uncommon to live longer than 100 years.
I think they’d have to make it interstellar, or else the jungles on Venus would be an unfortunate anachronism. But, yes, a reasonably faithful version would be nice.