# Will there ever be a Stranger in a Strange land movie? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 15, 2006, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-there-ever-be-a-stranger-in-a-strange-land-movie/376566 "2006-10-15T21:00:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2006, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-there-ever-be-a-stranger-in-a-strange-land-movie/376566/21 "2006-10-16T23:04:19Z")
[QUOTE=iamthewalrus(:3=] Valentine was his _first_ name, wasn’t it? [/QUOTE] Yes, he’s Valentine Michael Smith. ---
**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:** [October 17, 2006, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-there-ever-be-a-stranger-in-a-strange-land-movie/376566/22 "2006-10-17T00:25:26Z")
Speaking as someone who loved the book – God, I hope not. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2006, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-there-ever-be-a-stranger-in-a-strange-land-movie/376566/23 "2006-10-17T02:05:30Z")
I think you’d have to go out of Hollywood to get a decent adaptation (heck, let’s just say that for any book or movie at this point. Hollywood is so far up their own asses it’s a wonder we can bear to watch anything they throw at us.) I would love - absolutely love - to see what someone like Ang Lee would do with a story like that. For some reason, I see Tim Robbins in the Valentine Michael Smith role. And Susan Sarandon as Jill isn’t sitting too badly, either. I think they’re both too old now, but 10, 15 years ago…? (A Fair Witness costume for halloween? I like it!) ---
**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:** [October 17, 2006, 5:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-there-ever-be-a-stranger-in-a-strange-land-movie/376566/24 "2006-10-17T05:57:32Z")
Jubal - Ron Jeremy Jill - Jenna Jameson etc. (fill in the blanks yourself, I don’t know enough actors in that genre to come up with a full cast) Emphasizing carefully selected parts of the book, I see no reason why this could not be made into a financially successful film. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2006, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-there-ever-be-a-stranger-in-a-strange-land-movie/376566/25 "2006-10-17T06:24:21Z")
[QUOTE=silenus] Besides, the whole [Man From Mars founds a religion thing](http://www.xenu.net/) has been done to death. 😃 [/QUOTE] [Are you sure?](http://www.caw.org/) ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2006, 11:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-there-ever-be-a-stranger-in-a-strange-land-movie/376566/26 "2006-10-17T11:20:04Z")
I like a lot of Heinlein’s books, but this isn’t one of them. I thought it was dreadful. Wouldn’t see a movie of it. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2006, 11:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-there-ever-be-a-stranger-in-a-strange-land-movie/376566/27 "2006-10-17T11:35:00Z")
> [@](#): > > Will there ever be a Stranger in a Strange land movie? Yes. And the final version of the script will include explosions & car chases and exploding cars being chased. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2006, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-there-ever-be-a-stranger-in-a-strange-land-movie/376566/28 "2006-10-17T13:31:54Z")
[QUOTE=Bosda Di’Chi of Tricor] Yes. And the final version of the script will include explosions & car chases and exploding cars being chased. [/QUOTE] Exploding _flying_ cars. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2006, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-there-ever-be-a-stranger-in-a-strange-land-movie/376566/29 "2006-10-17T13:53:48Z")
Don’t forget the cute kid. There’s got to be a cute kid. That tests well with focus groups. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2006, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-there-ever-be-a-stranger-in-a-strange-land-movie/376566/30 "2006-10-17T14:09:11Z")
[QUOTE=Bosda Di’Chi of Tricor] Yes. And the final version of the script will include explosions & car chases and exploding cars being chased. [/QUOTE] You guys are so funny. Hollywood wouldn’t mis-understand a sci-fi classic so badly that they think it’s an action movie with laser guns. That would just be stupid. Incredibly, mind-numbingly, completely out of touch with its audience stupid. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2006, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-there-ever-be-a-stranger-in-a-strange-land-movie/376566/31 "2006-10-17T14:16:48Z")
So you agree? ---
**Author:** ![OttoDaFe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ottodafe/32/356_2.png) [@OttoDaFe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OttoDaFe)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2006, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-there-ever-be-a-stranger-in-a-strange-land-movie/376566/32 "2006-10-18T03:56:39Z")
[QUOTE=Wile E] That’s three halves! I have no interest in seeing a movie of this since I had to finish the book only by sheer strength of will due to my lack of interest when I was about half way through. [/QUOTE] You’re forgetting how many legs an adult Martian has. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2006, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-there-ever-be-a-stranger-in-a-strange-land-movie/376566/33 "2006-10-18T13:17:11Z")
[QUOTE=featherlou] You guys are so funny. Hollywood wouldn’t mis-understand a sci-fi classic so badly that they think it’s an action movie with laser guns. That would just be stupid. Incredibly, mind-numbingly, completely out of touch with its audience stupid. [/QUOTE] …and the film should have Monkeys! Lots and lots of Monkeys! Monkeys are always funny, right? This is a comedy, right? We’re doing it as a comedy? Yes. A comedy. With monkeys. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2006, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-there-ever-be-a-stranger-in-a-strange-land-movie/376566/34 "2006-10-18T14:37:38Z")
Oooh, monkeys AND a grown man acting like a baby. That’s guaranteed comedy gold, there. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2006, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-there-ever-be-a-stranger-in-a-strange-land-movie/376566/35 "2006-10-18T19:09:09Z")
> [@](#): > > You guys are so funny. Hollywood wouldn’t mis-understand a sci-fi classic so badly that they think it’s an action movie with laser guns. That would just be stupid. Incredibly, mind-numbingly, completely out of touch with its audience stupid. Well, the last time they tried to make a movie of a Heinlein SF classic, they didn’t make it an action movie with spiffy weapons. Unfortunately, that one was _supposed_ to be an action story with spiffy weapons. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2006, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-there-ever-be-a-stranger-in-a-strange-land-movie/376566/36 "2006-10-18T19:23:02Z")
[QUOTE=Wile E] That’s three halves! … [/QUOTE] Well, there’s some overlap, right? I think Hollywood would screw it up bad. _Real_ bad. I’d only see it if it had the powered armor that “Starship Troopers” was _supposed_ to have. ---
**Author:** ![flex727](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/258eb7/32.png) [@flex727](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flex727)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2006, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-there-ever-be-a-stranger-in-a-strange-land-movie/376566/37 "2006-10-22T20:35:08Z")
[QUOTE=Sonia Montdore] Does anybody know if _SIASL_ will ever be made into a movie? Which actors would you like to see play Michael Valentine Smith, Jubal Harshaw and the other characters? [/QUOTE] If the movie was made back when it should have been, we could’ve had George C. Scott playing Jubal Harshaw. Nobody else comes close. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-there-ever-be-a-stranger-in-a-strange-land-movie/376566.md?page=1)