OT: The Forever War Movie we've all been waiting for -- I hope

[pmulcahy11b]

Fooling around on the internet, I discovered that Ridley Scott's current project is a movie adaptation of The Forever War. The reports are still sketchy, but most place the release date in late-2010, early-2011, or mid-2011. Ridley Scott plans to use CGI heavily, drawing on his experience with making Avatar. Supposedly, Scott is quite psyched up about making The Forever War into a movie.

There's no real single page for the project that I've found yet, but here's the I generated a Google web page after stumbling across the rumor on Wikipedia. I don't think a Google page link would really work here since I generated it through the search box in Firefox, but the search term I used was "forever war movie" (without the quotes).

[Raellus]

Originally Posted by pmulcahy11b

Fooling around on the internet, I discovered that Ridley Scott's current project is a movie adaptation of The Forever War. The reports are still sketchy, but most place the release date in late-2010, early-2011, or mid-2011. Ridley Scott plans to use CGI heavily, drawing on his experience with making Avatar. Supposedly, Scott is quite psyched up about making The Forever War into a movie.

Ridley Scott or James Cameron? Cameron made Avatar. Did Scott help with visual effects? I've read that Cameron's already working on an Avatar sequel. Scott just finished the much-panned Robin Hood retread.

I really like the book. Based on Kingdom of Heaven and Robin Hood, I'm a little worried that Scott is well past his prime (i.e. Blade Runner and Gladiator). I hope he- or whoever takes on the FW film project- doesn't screw it up. It's really not the stuff that CGI blockbusters are made of.

[pmulcahy11b]

It seems, from the various sources, that Ridley Scott did have a hand in the CGI behind Avatar; maybe he owns a production company, similar to George Lucas's LucasFilms? I'll have to check.

[pmulcahy11b]

Originally Posted by Raellus

I hope he- or whoever takes on the FW film project- doesn't screw it up. It's really not the stuff that CGI blockbusters are made of.

That is something I worry about -- that it will be turned into just another generic sci fi action film, like they did when they raped Starship Troopers. Despite the fact that the characters in The Forever War are soldiers in a centuries-long interstellar war, remarkably little combat is actually depicted in the book. It's more a novel about PTSD, loss, and detachment from society.

[Targan]

Originally Posted by pmulcahy11b

That is something I worry about -- that it will be turned into just another generic sci fi action film, like they did when they raped Starship Troopers. Despite the fact that the characters in The Forever War are soldiers in a centuries-long interstellar war, remarkably little combat is actually depicted in the book. It's more a novel about PTSD, loss, and detachment from society.

Paul, we've spoken before about our shared love of The Forever War. Great novel, it deeply affected me when I read it as a teenager. I still haven't gotten around to reading the sequel but I intend to. I too hope that Ridley Scott doesn't screw up his movie adaption of the novel. Fingers crossed!

[Dog 6]

Looks like it could be a good scifi movie, guess We'll have to wait and see.

[StainlessSteelCynic]

While I quite like a lot of Ridley Scott's films, his comments about a film version of The Forever War make me worry
Here's a quote from him after seeing Avatar...
"I'm filming a book by Joe Haldeman called Forever War. I've got a good writer doing it. I've seen some of James Cameron's work, and I've got to go 3D. It's going to be phenomenal."
Call me a cynic but I would change the last part of that quote to read "... it's going to completely miss the point of the novel".


Bugger! Forgot the link to Scott's quote http://io9.com/5187373/james-cameron...ts-forever-war

And after a little reading I think it's going to be not the movie we'd like, this is the brief synopsis of the film
"An elite task force returns home after a brief interstellar military operation, but discovers that 20 years have past and the planet they once knew is completely different. Based on Joe Haldeman’s 1974 novel “The Forever War”."
http://ragnarfan.wordpress.com/2010/...ver-war-movie/

[TiggerCCW UK]

Originally Posted by Targan

Paul, we've spoken before about our shared love of The Forever War. Great novel, it deeply affected me when I read it as a teenager. I still haven't gotten around to reading the sequel but I intend to. I too hope that Ridley Scott doesn't screw up his movie adaption of the novel. Fingers crossed!

Avoid the sequel. I found it in the library a few years ago, got very excited. So disappointed I really hope they don't make a dogs dick of this film!

[pmulcahy11b]

Originally Posted by TiggerCCW UK

Avoid the sequel. I found it in the library a few years ago, got very excited. So disappointed I really hope they don't make a dogs dick of this film!

I liked about 2/3 of the sequel. Very good story about what happens to soldiers when the war is over and society feels they are no longer needed or even wanted. Then when they got back to Earth and he threw in an encounter with God, he lost me...

[Gabe The Gun]

What is Forever Wars? Never heard of it. Is it a game or something?

[pmulcahy11b]

Originally Posted by Gabe The Gun

What is Forever Wars? Never heard of it. Is it a game or something?

The Forever War is a book written by Joe Haldeman, a Vietnam Vet -- a lot of people have called it the book Starship Troopers should have been. It starts with the main character, William Mandella, in basic training to fight in a recently-started interstellar war -- one that, well, if you haven't read the book, I won't spoil how the war actually started. As I said earlier in the thread, the book is not so much about the war as its effects on the soldiers. Haldeman uses the effects of time dilation to accentuate how PTSD, detachment from society, and those feelings that you don't belong anymore and that society doesn't really want you around anymore affect a war veteran. The title The Forever War refers partially to the effects of time dilation -- from Mandella's point of view, he was on active duty (depending on what source you consult) somewhere from 7-10 years. Because of time dilation, 1200 years went by on Earth, and he was no longer welcome when he was discharged. It also refers to coming home to a society you no longer recognize or understand because you have changed so much.

I recommend that you go to a bookstore or library and find it. You won't be sorry.

[Ironside]

As time-dilation is a central part of the book, do you think that typical Hollywood blockbuster fodder is going to be able to cope with that? I suspect that 'based on' means 'we borrowed the title and it's sci-fi too'. I may be wrong but I'm not holding my breath.

[WallShadow]

Originally Posted by pmulcahy11b

That is something I worry about -- that it will be turned into just another generic sci fi action film, like they did when they raped Starship Troopers. Despite the fact that the characters in The Forever War are soldiers in a centuries-long interstellar war, remarkably little combat is actually depicted in the book. It's more a novel about PTSD, loss, and detachment from society.

_Raped_ Starship Troopers? Hell, VerHoeven tortured it to death, sodomized the corpse, then ripped its skin off and danced in it! Oh, yeah, he videoed his actions and sold it to the next of kin, too. (Can you tell that the film didn't impress me?) My wife kept telling me, "It'll be just a bug-hunt movie" but I didn't want to believe that. Damned sad lost opportunity to show an interesting side of Heinlein's writing ability and character development.

I second the hope that the action doesn't overwhelm the storyline for FW. There's plenty of opportunity for both and both are worth presenting in the film. I wonder how they're going to start it off--with Iraq/Afghan vets as the DI's instead of 'Nam vets? How are they going to integrate his parents' 60's Hippie lifestyle and the reason for his name (Mandella--misspelled from "mandala", a meditation aid)
Perspiring Mimes want to know! or is that, "Conspiring Limes want to know!"?