# The Foundation Trilogy, directed by Roland Emmerich **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 12, 2010, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-foundation-trilogy-directed-by-roland-emmerich/528707 "2010-02-12T14:49:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![tanstaafl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ba8739/32.png) [@tanstaafl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tanstaafl)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2010, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-foundation-trilogy-directed-by-roland-emmerich/528707/21 "2010-02-12T18:23:04Z")
Shamelessly stolen from [another board](http://forum.galacticwatercooler.com/showthread.php?p=264582#post264582). > [@wolfbyte](#): > > COURTROOM INTERIOR. JUDGE SPEAKS > > It is the finding of this hearing that this so called “Psychohistory” is nothing but the ravings of a lunatic and his deluded death-cult. You and your people may choose your own fate. Death or exile to Terminus. > > CUT TO HARI SHELDON: Something is coming and I’m telling you we won’t all survive. > > FOOTAGE OF FUTURISTIC CITY > > VOICEOVER GUY: This summer > > FOOTAGE OF SPACESHIP LANDING > > VOICEOVER MAN: Against the fall of a Galactic Civilization > > FOOTAGE OF HARI AND GAAL > > HARI: We need to save as much as we can. > > VOICEOVER MAN: One Man Fights > > FOOTAGE OF SPACE BATTLE THAT DIDN’T APPEAR IN THE BOOK > > VOICEOVER MAN: To Build The Foundation > > FOOTAGE OF HARI AND SOME SEMI-NAKED WOMAN THROWN IN TO GET A DEMOGRAPHIC > > SEMI-NAKED WOMAN: Don’t worry Hari. We can be together on Terminus. > > HARI: I’m sorry. This thing is bigger than both of us. > > VOICEOVER MAN: Of The Future > > CAMERA FADES IN AND OUT QUICKLY IN TIME WITH A HEARTBEAT SOUND. SPACESHIP CRASHING. THE WOMAN FROM BEFORE PASSIONATELY KISSING GAAL. GAAL FIGHTING SOMEONE WITH A KNIFE. HARI SHOT, BLEEDING AND WEEPING. SWEEPING MUSIC BEFORE BUILDING INTO A CRESCENDO AND FOCUSING ON A SUN GOING NOVA FOR NO APPARENT REASON. > > HARI (VOICEOVER SHOUTING): You can’t escape it. This is the Law of Mass Action! > > WHITE TEXT ON BLACK BACKGROUND > > THE FOUNDATION > In 1000 years, what will your plan be? ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2010, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-foundation-trilogy-directed-by-roland-emmerich/528707/22 "2010-02-12T18:37:11Z")
> [@maladroit](#): > > That’s the way I remember it too, most of the “action” taking place mentally. It might be time to re-read the trilogy, how many books is it up to now? I believe there are 5 in the series proper (the original trilogy, followed 30 years later by _Foundation’s Edge_ and _Foundation and Earth_). He then wrote a couple of prequels, and some crossovers with the _Robot_ and _Empire_ series, so I don’t know how many books in total have _Foundation_ material in them, but the core of it is really the original trilogy. ---
**Author:** ![mack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mack)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2010, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-foundation-trilogy-directed-by-roland-emmerich/528707/23 "2010-02-12T18:56:51Z")
> [@Nametag](#): > > This thing is going to be a disaster. Well, that’s what he specializes in, after all. ---
**Author:** ![LawMonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@LawMonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LawMonkey)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2010, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-foundation-trilogy-directed-by-roland-emmerich/528707/24 "2010-02-12T19:06:48Z")
It’s been a while since I’ve read them, but what exactly is he expecting to do with the “mo-cap?” I seem to recall it being an all-human cast. Is he just looking to introduce an entirely unnecessary uncanny valley, like the Jim Carrey Christmas Carol we just had? ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2010, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-foundation-trilogy-directed-by-roland-emmerich/528707/25 "2010-02-12T19:25:31Z")
> [@LawMonkey](#): > > It’s been a while since I’ve read them, but what exactly is he expecting to do with the “mo-cap?” I seem to recall it being an all-human cast. Is he just looking to introduce an entirely unnecessary uncanny valley, like the Jim Carrey Christmas Carol we just had? The Mule will be a talking mule. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2010, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-foundation-trilogy-directed-by-roland-emmerich/528707/26 "2010-02-12T19:26:21Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > There are also big problems with turning it into a coherent narrative; it’s really just a collection of short stories based up the Foundation. No character from the first book is alive by the third (or even by the second, IIRC). More than that, only one character from any of the short stories in the first book shows up in any of the other stories in the book (with the exception of Dr. Seldon, of course). ---
**Author:** ![Lethal\_Babydoll](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3be4f8/32.png) [@Lethal\_Babydoll](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lethal_Babydoll)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2010, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-foundation-trilogy-directed-by-roland-emmerich/528707/27 "2010-02-12T19:38:18Z")
> [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](#): > > Maybe someone can convince Roland to switch to the Lensman Series? I always thought that would make a great space opera film series. Brendan Fraser could play Kimball Kinnison. Yes. Brilliant idea! Much for fun than Foundation ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2010, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-foundation-trilogy-directed-by-roland-emmerich/528707/28 "2010-02-12T19:42:56Z")
> [@gaffa](#): > > The Mule will be a talking mule. And it’ll be revealed that his real name is “Francis.” ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2010, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-foundation-trilogy-directed-by-roland-emmerich/528707/29 "2010-02-12T20:04:52Z")
Science fiction books that I think could really benefit from “Avatar technology” would be some from Larry Niven’s Known Space series, particularly Ringworld. But Foundation? I don’t see why it _needs_ 3-D. On the other hand, I agree with control-z: just because a certain technology is new doesn’t mean it should only be used for big epic movies. It would be like when movies were able to be made in colour: many movies didn’t _need_ to be in colour, but there was no reason to film them in black and white either. In this case, Roland Emmerich seems to be approaching it from a business point of view: if you want a movie with lots of special effects, it will cost money, and that kind of money won’t be made available to you unless you are making a 3-D movie. The Foundation series does represent the future after all, and there are things (like the plane Trantor) which would require special effects. How many scenes will be “epic” in scope will depend on the script. I do agree that the Foundation series seems like one SF story well-suited to the smaller screen. ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2010, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-foundation-trilogy-directed-by-roland-emmerich/528707/30 "2010-02-12T20:28:23Z")
> [@gaffa](#): > > The Mule will be a talking mule. of course, of course. ---
**Author:** ![smiling\_bandit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@smiling\_bandit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smiling_bandit)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2010, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-foundation-trilogy-directed-by-roland-emmerich/528707/31 "2010-02-12T20:32:15Z")
One difference between this and I, Robot, is that I Robot was not intended to be I, Robot. The movie was an entirely different film with no relation to the books, when the studio realized they could be about ready to fling themselves into the path of an oncoming lawsuit and quickly bought the rights and tweaked the plot a bit to fit. And, regardless of the action sequences, it did have a strong relationship to the stories’ themes and ideas. This movie is intended from the beginning to be a CGI actionfest based around… a very pedestrian and slow-moving work of thought and contemplation. This is only about a million times worse than I, Robot could have been (which, for the record, I _liked_!) ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2010, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-foundation-trilogy-directed-by-roland-emmerich/528707/32 "2010-02-12T21:17:23Z")
Words of one syllable department, from the linked article > [@](#): > > “I would not know how to shoot this thing in real.” The 3D doesn’t bother me. He’s right, everything big will be in 3D. Why doesn’t he do the three sequels by the 3 Bs and film them. They already have Hari Seldon as an action hero. I also think the Lensmen series would make excellent movies - all action and plot, no annoying characters. One thing for sure - if Emmerich isn’t haunted by the ghost of Dr. A, it will prove that there is no life after death. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Some\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ad7895/32.png) [@Just\_Some\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Some_Guy)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2010, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-foundation-trilogy-directed-by-roland-emmerich/528707/33 "2010-02-12T23:08:05Z")
Emmerich is the man who wasn’t capable of adapting Godzilla which has to be the single easiest adaptation ever. We’ll be lucky if his version of Foundation isn’t about building construction. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2010, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-foundation-trilogy-directed-by-roland-emmerich/528707/34 "2010-02-12T23:17:16Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > But New York doesn’t even appear in the trilogy! How can Emmerich destroy it? By the grace of Zeus, Roland Emmerich has been granted the power to destroy anything. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2010, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-foundation-trilogy-directed-by-roland-emmerich/528707/35 "2010-02-12T23:44:18Z")
> [@Roland Emmerich](#): > > I wouldn’t know how to shoot this thing in real. At last, we have the technology to film _Cyrano de Bergerac!_ ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2010, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-foundation-trilogy-directed-by-roland-emmerich/528707/36 "2010-02-13T01:06:26Z")
> [@Captain\_Amazing](#): > > More than that, only one character from any of the short stories in the first book shows up in any of the other stories in the book (with the exception of Dr. Seldon, of course). This is not true. IIRC, there are two sequential stories which involve the same prime mover for the Foundation. ETA: Misread that. I thought you meant Seldon was the only one. My bad. :o ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2010, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-foundation-trilogy-directed-by-roland-emmerich/528707/37 "2010-02-13T01:09:28Z")
Coming Up Next: Quentin Tarantino’s _Little Women_ and David Lynch’s _It’s a Wonderful Life._ ---
**Author:** ![Windwalker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/5e9695/32.png) [@Windwalker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Windwalker)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2010, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-foundation-trilogy-directed-by-roland-emmerich/528707/38 "2010-02-13T04:01:22Z")
Why couldn’t they have gotten, say, the director of **Gattaca** to do this? Or hell, any director that has proven even remotely interested in dialogue and philosophical conflict. I guess a lot will depend on the script and screenplay, but I don’t hold out much hope for any writer they’ve got working with Emmerich… I hope he at least reads the damned books… ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2010, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-foundation-trilogy-directed-by-roland-emmerich/528707/39 "2010-02-13T04:24:27Z")
> [@Windwalker](#): > > Why couldn’t they have gotten, say, the director of **Gattaca** to do this? Or hell, any director that has proven even remotely interested in dialogue and philosophical conflict. > > I guess a lot will depend on the script and screenplay, but I don’t hold out much hope for any writer they’ve got working with Emmerich… > > **I hope he at least reads the damned books** … Read the source material? Have you gone mad? ---
**Author:** ![LiveOnAPlane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3d9bf3/32.png) [@LiveOnAPlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LiveOnAPlane)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2010, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-foundation-trilogy-directed-by-roland-emmerich/528707/40 "2010-02-13T04:29:39Z")
> [@Windwalker](#): > > … > I hope he at least reads the damned books… I think that might pollute his vision. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-foundation-trilogy-directed-by-roland-emmerich/528707.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-foundation-trilogy-directed-by-roland-emmerich/528707.md?page=3)