I wish they hadn’t updated the story to a contemporary setting. That’s what every WOTW adaptation to date has done, including Orson Welles’ radio play. Just once I’d like to see a WOTW movie set in 1898.
Leaving that aside, will they describe the aliens as “Martians” when we now know an intelligent civilization there is almost certainly impossible? And will they change the ending to something less predictable?
Based on the plot outline in the IMDB, and one of the trailers, it appears Cruise is going to be playing yet another “Tom Cruise character” – a self-centered jerk at the beginning of the story who learns valuable life lessons and finds some kind of redemption at the end of it. Yet again. :rolleyes:
According to an article in the Los Angeles Times today, Spielberg is aiming his movie directly from the perspective of Tom Cruise’s character, and getting away from all the stereotypical summer blockbuster schtick. As screenwriter David Koepp says, “I’m sick and tired of watching New York get pummeled in movies and reality. No scenes of beating up on New York. No destruction of famous landmarks. No shots of world capitals. No TV reporters saying what’s going on. No shots of generals with big sticks pushing battleships around the map. Let’s not see the war of the world. let’s see this guy’s survival story.”
“No spaceships. No flying saucers. Nothing remotely resembling any machine or creature from the George Lucas Universe.”
–Steven Spielberg
I admit, it sounds different, at least.
Good question, check the IMDB for details on the director
There are now three versions, the Speilberg version, the much derided (but accurate to the book) Hines version, and now a third straight to video release called “Invasion” from Asylum pictures, that seems to be on the knife edge of legality, having advertising and a DVD cover that rip off both Speilberg’s WOTW and Independence Day and seems to have also picked up a “War of the Worlds” title too somehow.
If you watch the second trailer there is a very brief shot near the end of a ferry boat being tipped over by ‘something’ coming out of the water. I think that is an alien ship.
(disclaimer, I work for one of the film companies that is putting out this movie but I’m not trying to market it through the SDMB)
Hey call me old fashioned but I like to actually WATCH movies before actually judging them…maybe not in the case of that crappy looking BBC straight to video trailer.
Man, that looks BRUTAL. I’m sure they have good intentions, but in this case, I think good taste would go a LOT further.
I’m still looking forward to the Spielberg/Cruise version, but it would have been nice if it were set in the 1890s. I think part of the charm of the book was seeing the events in the eyes of the Narrator, knowing he and his contemporaries had never even imagined anything like that before.
And I think Steve is making a good decision not to include all the objective POV of the ships, aliens, news coverage. I think the movie will work much better on that level: Through the eyes of the main character. I say that, but I am still looking forward to seeing the machines and aliens he saw from his perspective. And a good John Williams score to boot.
