Dune by Moebius and Jodorowski.
What a shame.
Silent Hill. Written, directed by, and starring David Lynch.
World War Z, made as a documentary/re-enactment style mini series. Could make it beat for beat almost identical to the book.
I just want a streaming anthology series based on the book. Every episode is a different story. I don’t mind if paths cross from time to time, but it shouldn’t fall into the traps of “Walking Dead” or the film version, where it follows the same group of people all the time. You could do some really creative storytelling set in the same universe if you hired a different writer and director each episode.
A film that stars both Nicolas Cage and Adam Sandler. I don’t care if it’s a comedy, action flick, or serious drama. Seeing those two go ballistic together would be amazing.
I’d love an X-Men film based on the proper comic book life of Lady Deathstrike, rather than the bastardisation we got in X-2.
However I can understand it would be far too gory.An adaption of Philip K. Dick’s The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch, but with no “streaming production” bullshit.
Synopsis:
The novel takes place in a future 2016 where humankind has colonized every habitable planet and moon in the Solar System. To cope with the difficult life away from Earth, colonists rely on the illegal hallucinogen Can-D, secretly distributed by corporate head Leo Bulero. New tensions arise with the rumor that merchant explorer Palmer Eldritch has returned from an expedition in possession of a new alien hallucinogen to compete with Can-D.
Either make it follow the novel closely or make it a truly creative take where it’s set in a completely different setting but follows the spirit and the themes of the novel.
I would argue the The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch in particular has a lot of potential for a full re-interpretation structured as commentary on our current reality. The synopsis does read like a pulp scifi novel, but there is a lot to it and the Can-D psychedelic (very cool description of how it works in the novel) and “difficult life away from Earth” motifs can be adapted for modern challenges. I don’t think the novel was meant to be interpreted literally, the outline is more of a foundation for other questions/points.
A well made adaption of John Brunner’s The Sheep Look Up. The Shockwave Rider would probably be a better fit for modern issues, but I think The Sheep Look Up would be more unique. Stand on Zanzibar would also be a good target but I feel the over-population concept (as described in 70s western media) hasn’t aged that well. You stand the risk of making a campy movie like Soylent Green (I like it, but it’s more a 70s scifi experience for me). That being said, I would probably be fine with any good adaptation of Brunner’s famous works.
A proper adaption of Isaac Asimov’s The Gods Themselves. Asimov was often criticized for not including aliens in his novels/series. Well he did include aliens in this one and they are nothing like your typical scifi movie. It’s not as well written as Solaris (perhaps the most intense depiction of alien life that I’ve experienced in any media), but it’s pretty damn good. The Gods Themselves is probably the easiest one to adapt into a movie since the high level plot is pretty straightforward. The lunar parts would look great and then there is the alien world and society…
All of these would probably not pass the mass market adaption requirement. And I am not cool with “fanfic for the mass market” type adaptions. Make your own creative take, but make it crazy, make it live up to the main magic of the novels.
No Poul Anderson??
Anderson’s books are perfect for filming. You’ve got an established history, fantastic characters like van Rijn and Flandry, plus scores of well researched planets with credible aliens.
Joanna Russ’s “Picnic On Paradise” could be done on a low budget.
Roger Zelazny, Philip Jose Farmer, Judith Merrill…
I would go with works by Jose Farmer and Roger Zelazny. The shortlist just reflects my personal favourites.
I actually haven’t read anything by Poul Anderson, although I am aware of his contributions. :)
War Of The Wingmen is a pretty good start.
Nicolas Van Rijn is a fat Dutchman who runs a Galaxy wide food and beverage corporation. Imagine Harry Mudd if he was actually as smart as he thinks he is. Van Rijn is trapped on a planet where the natives look like winged leopards and all the native plants are poison to humans. He’s got to talk his way through a war.
As a longtime Warcraft fan, I’d like a movie about Arthas (the Lich King) and I want Fassbender to play him because no one plays a character like that as believably as he does.
Basically a good guy who eventually goes full evil yet you still want redemption for him. (Spoiler: he does not get one)
My dream series was wheel of time but that kinda became a nighmare. meh. more a blahmare.
Mine was Mayfair Witches. They ruined that one too.
I never read the books, but… yeah.
What happened? The books are not so zombified, right?
Part of it is they changed aspects that messed with how the magic system is viewed by the characters which sorta makes the later surprise nonsensical. They really had a hard time with the reincarnation aspect with the dragon referring to himself as the dragon reborn which can’t happen until after he is reborn. They skipped over a bunch of stuff like the group going through Caemlyn and then spent a bunch of time on character interactions that never happened. It went so quickly and yet so slowly at the same time due to their weird choices. Not sure about zombified. Can’t say jordans characters are the most complex I have encountered.
Can’t say jordans characters are the most complex I have encountered.
I don’t remember anyone charismatic except rosamund pike’s character, but I figured this was the series’s doing.
If the fantasy systems are more of the appeal, which I get, that did come off as confusing too. It sounds like they sacrificed that to try and force more character interaction from what you’ve said, which… didn’t work.
A “side” movie set in the Avatar (Airbender) world. Maybe Republic City detective noir, or an adventure in some Kyoshi Era (or even more ancient) new place.
Bending, spirits, the cultural flair, the setting’s just too awesome and is begging for side stories.
Larry Niven’s Ringworld.
Yeah they made a halo TV show that should cover you. I wanna see something real weird like Mote in God’s eye turned into a movie.
A true Warhammer 40K movie. But I fear many people would find it ‘problematic’ and not understand that the whole thing is so over the top that it’s close to satire.
Discworld - Guards! Guards! Honestly done, with the Pratchett estate approval. With Paul Blackthorne as Vimes, John Cena as Carrot, DJ Qualls as Knoby, Kathy Bates as Lady Sybil, and of course Charles Dance as the Patrician. Sorry I’ve put way too much thought in to this idea.
I always pictured Alan Rickman as Vetinari, but Charles Dance is a great pick! And, you know, still possible…
Dance played the Patrician in the Sky TV production of Going Postal and he just as great as you would expect.
I think Anathem by Neil Stephenson could be a great 2 season series, if you approach it with Andor level writing and dedication, and fully commit to the twist with subtle character design.
A Star Wars movie that invalidates the sequels. Preferably based on the old EU.
No, because then we’d get the timey whimey bullshit that infects Star Trek way too much.
I’ll be honest. There’s no way to rescue Star Wars unless a big risk is taken. And no way Disney will upset their cash cow.
They just need a big timejump. Go back KOTOR era, or go to the far future.
Honestly part of the problem is that fans want original trilogy nostalgia. I couldn’t believe how much they raged over Andor.
‘Skywalker’ shouldn’t be uttered in newer stuff, but it’s required, and Disney knows it too well.
You know, I’m just going to say it: I like the Star Wars video games more than the movies. They’ve been way more consistent in quality than the movies.
I have great memories of Star Wars: Dark Forces.
+1
I am not a uber fan of the original movies TBH. They’re historical, and they’re fine. The games are littered with gems though.
It could begin with Lando waking up from a terrible dream. No need for timey wimey stuff.
But that’s even more cliche. And it will make Star Wars even worse. Because where does it stop? Did he dream the prequel trilogy too?
Besides, someone out there likes the sequel trilogy. Just like some people like the prequel trilogy.
No, Star Wars needs something bold—their equivalent to a Deep Space Nine. But I doubt that will happen because Disney just doesn’t want to take a risk.
They’ve already done that with Ahsoka though.
They need to do it for a mainline movie entry.
They do? I thought you just said you didn’t want them to.
Sorry, got your comment confused with something else. I don’t want timey whimey bullshit.
Truce at Bakura or bust, everything else after rotj was a dream c3p0 had
I’m not overly critical of the LOTR movies and actually really appreciate that they exist, but I need one that is just perfect with no other objectives but to bring the books to film. I just want something that is entirely accurate without any forced action and fluff or need for it to make lots of money.
