# Discworld Film Announced!
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discworld-film-announced/343715
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [February 9, 2006, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discworld-film-announced/343715 "2006-02-09T18:37:50Z")
**Posts on this page:** 10
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Revenant\_Threshold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revenant_Threshold)
#### Post date: [February 9, 2006, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discworld-film-announced/343715/1 "2006-02-09T18:37:50Z")
[Woo hoo!](http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-2031789,00.html)
> [@](#):
>
> Sir David Jason is to star in the first live-action treatment of Terry Pratchett’s Discworld.
>
> The author has watched Harry Potter, Narnia and Middle Earth break box-office records, but resisted all attempts to transform the 35 million-selling series into the promised “franchise goldmine”. But yesterday he said that he had agreed to turn Hogfather, the 21st book in the series, into one of the most expensive films made for television. Jason will star as Albert, “Death’s two-thousand year-old manservant”, in a £10 million, four-hour long film, to be shown in two parts at Christmas. Its special effects will be produced by the team behind Troy and Harry Potter.
😃😃😃
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### Author:  [@Ponder\_Stibbons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponder_Stibbons)
#### Post date: [February 9, 2006, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discworld-film-announced/343715/2 "2006-02-09T18:46:41Z")
Poopy. It’s a made-for-TV movie. Specifically, a made-for-_British_-TV movie.
Call me again when they’ve deigned to let us poor Americans view it, if ever. Last I heard they can’t be bothered to sell _Doctor Who_ to anybody over here … ☹
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### Author:  [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)
#### Post date: [February 9, 2006, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discworld-film-announced/343715/3 "2006-02-09T18:47:29Z")
Might be worth watching just for the visuals. Opening scene – the face of a tortoise, swimming. Pan back. There are stars behind it. Further back and you can see the elephants standing on its shell. Then the Discworld on top of that.
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### Author:  [@Trion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trion)
#### Post date: [February 9, 2006, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discworld-film-announced/343715/4 "2006-02-09T18:48:26Z")
> [@Ponder Stibbons](#):
>
> Last I heard they can’t be bothered to sell _Doctor Who_ to anybody over here … ☹
Um, Dude. Sci-Fi channel. March.
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### Author:  [@Skott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skott)
#### Post date: [February 9, 2006, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discworld-film-announced/343715/5 "2006-02-09T18:50:50Z")
> [@Finagle](#):
>
> Might be worth watching just for the visuals. Opening scene – the face of a tortoise, swimming. Pan back. There are stars behind it. Further back and you can see the elephants standing on its shell. Then the Discworld on top of that.
Kind of like the opening of the cartoons? 😉
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### Author:  [@JSexton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JSexton)
#### Post date: [February 9, 2006, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discworld-film-announced/343715/6 "2006-02-09T18:51:17Z")
> [@Ponder Stibbons](#):
>
> Poopy. It’s a made-for-TV movie. Specifically, a made-for-_British_-TV movie.
>
> Call me again when they’ve deigned to let us poor Americans view it, if ever. Last I heard they can’t be bothered to sell _Doctor Who_ to anybody over here … ☹
And heaven forbid a British author puts his work on British TV. You know, because usually we 'Merkins miss out on movies…
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### Author:  [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)
#### Post date: [February 9, 2006, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discworld-film-announced/343715/7 "2006-02-09T18:52:18Z")
> [@Ponder Stibbons](#):
>
> Call me again when they’ve deigned to let us poor Americans view it, if ever. Last I heard they can’t be bothered to sell _Doctor Who_ to anybody over here … ☹
Sci-Fi bought Dr. Who
[http://www.cinescape.com/0/editorial.asp?aff\_id=0&this\_cat=Television&action=page&type\_id=&cat\_id=270355&obj\_id=50450](http://www.cinescape.com/0/editorial.asp?aff_id=0&this_cat=Television&action=page&type_id=&cat_id=270355&obj_id=50450)
Brian
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### Author:  [@Ponder\_Stibbons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponder_Stibbons)
#### Post date: [February 9, 2006, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discworld-film-announced/343715/8 "2006-02-09T18:53:45Z")
No, no, no. That’s not my complaint at all. My complaint is that it seems to take forever for British-made TV to get shown over here. I’m sure the reverse is true for Brits who are avidly waiting for particular US-made TV.
Oh, and glad to hear about Doctor Who. My point still stands, though; why the heck did it take so long?
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### Author:  [@Ponder\_Stibbons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponder_Stibbons)
#### Post date: [February 9, 2006, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discworld-film-announced/343715/9 "2006-02-09T18:54:56Z")
Err, that last one was a response to **JSexton** ; I forgot to check the “Quote message” box.
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### Author:  [@Angua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Angua)
#### Post date: [February 9, 2006, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discworld-film-announced/343715/10 "2006-02-09T18:59:08Z")
I’ve mixed feelings about this one. It might be good, especially because from what I can tell, Pratchett will have influence on it, but I guess I’ll just have to wait till Christmas to see it, and judge then. It’ll just be odd, because I guess, like many others, I have an image in my head of what the characters look like, and seeing them as real life actors and actresses will just be wierd.