# Would Heinlein's "The Star Beast" make a good movie? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 17, 2008, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-heinleins-the-star-beast-make-a-good-movie/473078 "2008-11-17T02:43:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2008, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-heinleins-the-star-beast-make-a-good-movie/473078/1 "2008-11-17T02:43:39Z")
[Re this story](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Star_Beast)I always thought it would make a good movie. Anyone familiar with the story have an opinion? ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2008, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-heinleins-the-star-beast-make-a-good-movie/473078/2 "2008-11-17T02:56:18Z")
It is a good story but it is little known these days. Would you be looking for a live action or animated movie? I have been holding out for “The Moon is a Harsh Mistress” or maybe a real version of “Starship Troopers” ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2008, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-heinleins-the-star-beast-make-a-good-movie/473078/3 "2008-11-17T03:01:12Z")
I think it might make a really good animated movie. I immensely enjoyed it as a teenager. ---
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2008, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-heinleins-the-star-beast-make-a-good-movie/473078/4 "2008-11-17T03:16:01Z")
I’d read _The Star Beast_ some years ago. After reading the recap in that wiki article from the OP, it sounds like I’ve seen some variations on this plot before, on Star Trek or other vehicles. It has a certain “things are not like they seem” vibe that the old Twilight Zone or Outer Limits might go after. And the ending is sheer _Star Trek: the Motion Picture_. So, I think a lot of this book has been done, to a certain extent. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2008, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-heinleins-the-star-beast-make-a-good-movie/473078/5 "2008-11-17T04:23:29Z")
I really like the story, but I’d think there would have to be some pretty extreme suspensions of disbelief required with a faithful and _serious_ ( even if humourous ) version. I’m not sure a modern audience would go for it ( outside of the Heinlein devotees ). Do it as a silly kids version and _I’d_ be annoyed :D. ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2008, 10:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-heinleins-the-star-beast-make-a-good-movie/473078/6 "2008-11-17T10:34:05Z")
I’d love to see it as a movie. But it would probably have to be animated, Pixar maybe, because of the difficulty of presenting Lummox, (and her kin) The other aliens were a little closer to humanoid, but if Lummox wasn’t done _just right_ I’d be disappointed. ---
**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:** [November 17, 2008, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-heinleins-the-star-beast-make-a-good-movie/473078/7 "2008-11-17T14:39:46Z")
So a guy has a pet that everybody thinks is a dumb animal, but it’s dangerous and they want to kill it, but then it turns out to be a member of a galactically powerful race, and woohoo. That’s supposed to fill two and a half hours? ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2008, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-heinleins-the-star-beast-make-a-good-movie/473078/8 "2008-11-17T14:45:57Z")
> [@Ethilrist](#): > > So a guy has a pet that everybody thinks is a dumb animal, but it’s dangerous and they want to kill it, but then it turns out to be a member of a galactically powerful race, and woohoo. > > That’s supposed to fill two and a half hours? Easily, actually the good thing about the book is that it is relatively short. It has teens fighting the adult world. Mother’s that just don’t understand. Flying vehicles. A strong pretty female character (Betty Sorenson). Aliens of course and the lovely twist of who the pet really was. (thus the Twilight Zone like storyline before the Twilight Zone existed.) ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2008, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-heinleins-the-star-beast-make-a-good-movie/473078/9 "2008-11-17T14:51:16Z")
While I would love to see TSB made into a movie, I think Tunnel in the sky would make a better (and more popular) movie. ---
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2008, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-heinleins-the-star-beast-make-a-good-movie/473078/10 "2008-11-17T15:30:22Z")
> [@Rick](#): > > While I would love to see TSB made into a movie, I think Tunnel in the sky would make a better (and more popular) movie. It would make a decent movie, but it could also be adapted as _not_ science fiction, by stranding some teens in a remote place on Earth and throwing in some “newly discovered” mammals. Even Rod Walker entertained the idea that he hadn’t left the home planet! ---
**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:** [November 17, 2008, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-heinleins-the-star-beast-make-a-good-movie/473078/11 "2008-11-17T16:01:13Z")
Brad Bird could do a great job with this at Pixar. I’d pay ten bucks to see that, no questions asked. But first, I’d rather see _The Moon is a Harsh Mistress, Double Star_ and _Time for the Stars_ on the big screen, and a decent version of _Starship Troopers_ with real powered armor, talking bombs and skinnies. But that’s just me. ---
**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:** [November 17, 2008, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-heinleins-the-star-beast-make-a-good-movie/473078/12 "2008-11-17T16:03:21Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > Easily, actually the good thing about the book is that it is relatively short. > It has teens fighting the adult world. Mother’s that just don’t understand. Flying vehicles. A strong pretty female character (Betty Sorenson). Aliens of course and the lovely twist of who the pet really was. (thus the Twilight Zone like storyline before the Twilight Zone existed.) Oooh. I just remembered… pretty girls with _jetpacks._ I’m in. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2008, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-heinleins-the-star-beast-make-a-good-movie/473078/13 "2008-11-17T16:22:30Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > Brad Bird could do a great job with this at Pixar. I’d pay ten bucks to see that, no questions asked. But first, I’d rather see _The Moon is a Harsh Mistress, Double Star_ and _Time for the Stars_ on the big screen, and a decent version of _Starship Troopers_ with real powered armor, talking bombs and skinnies. > > But that’s just me. Not just you, not just you. I thought Dave was a fairly good version of _Double Star_ though. 😉 > [@Ethilrist](#): > > Oooh. I just remembered… pretty girls with _jetpacks._ > > I’m in. 😃 Hey where’s **Silenus** , he is drawn to Heinlein threads the way I am to Tolkien threads. ---
**Author:** ![History\_Geek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b19c9b/32.png) [@History\_Geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/History_Geek)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2008, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-heinleins-the-star-beast-make-a-good-movie/473078/14 "2008-11-17T18:50:56Z")
_The Star Beast_ could be a decent flick, but if I could have my druthers, I’d rather see (as would most of us) a proper _Starship Troopers_. Plenty of other good Heinlein stories mentioned upthread would be good flicks too. I’ll throw _Citizen of the Galaxy_ into contention for silver screen treatment. The ending gets a little wonky, but it could be tightened up without destroying its integrity. ---
**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:** [November 17, 2008, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-heinleins-the-star-beast-make-a-good-movie/473078/15 "2008-11-17T19:12:24Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > Hey where’s **Silenus** , he is drawn to Heinlein threads the way I am to Tolkien threads. I’m trying to teach sophomores about Napoleon right now, actually. Be back in an hour when I can devote some time to the topic. 😃 ---
**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:** [November 17, 2008, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-heinleins-the-star-beast-make-a-good-movie/473078/16 "2008-11-17T19:19:42Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > Not just you, not just you. I thought Dave was a fairly good version of _Double Star_ though. ;)… Right you are. One of my all-time favorite political movies. ---
**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:** [November 17, 2008, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-heinleins-the-star-beast-make-a-good-movie/473078/17 "2008-11-17T20:19:19Z")
_Star Beast_ is old hat by now. It would be a better use of resources to make _The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress_ or _Citizen of the Galaxy_. _Starship Troopers_ would make a great HBO miniseries. That would give time for character development and exploration of the underlying themes. And time for more power armor!