Ender's Game

"The latest author-written screenplay was finished and submitted to Warner Brothers by Orson Scott Card in May 2003. David Benioff and D.B. Weiss were later signed to write a new script, working closely with Wolfgang Petersen. However, as of December 15, 2005, all previous attempts to write a script had been dropped. Card himself has announced he will be writing a new script not based on any previous one, including his own.

While Ender's Game is officially in pre-production, according to IMDB,[6] there is still no financier for the movie rights to the book[7] Nothing has been released on the content of the approved script, or casting; however, based on information from Orson Scott Card's previous scripts, it will be a fusion between Ender's Game and Ender's Shadow, both of which take place in the Battle School at the same time, but the former from Ender's point of view, and the latter from Bean's point of view."

About the movie
Ender's Game at the Internet Movie Database
Taleswapper Ender's Game Movie Update
Early Draft of Ender's Game movie script
'Ender's Game Movie Fan Blog'

I don't believe this movie will ever be successfully made. I wrote a letter to OSC (8?) years back essentially asking him if any studio would be willing to take on the kind of violence (especially the child-on-child brutality) portrayed in the novel. I was surprised when he personally responded that they would, or he would never allow the movie to be made.

So I assume he will just keep revising the screenplay and the movie will never be made.

I'm not sure even OSC could write a script that can evoke the brilliance and empathy of these children undergoing Battle School conditions...or more accurately I don't think WP can film it. Card, in many of his early works put children through tortuous conditions. Ender's Game was a high water mark. Our PC culture, vis a vis, children especially, just won't buy in. It's a shame because I'd love to see this classic told well. I still read it now and again and I'm always emotionally engaged.

As for casting, though its moot point, early on they couldnt figure out what child could play Ender but when the kid from the Star Wars I came out, he became the favorite to play the role. Of course that was years ago (funny to think that) and of course he is now too old for th role.

While I love the book, I never could take seriously that the children were so young but being that is a book I could imagine it anyway I wanted it. However, if they were to use children aged according to the book, i dont think people would buy into the story. I could be wrong

That was a great book. I hope they can do it justice as a movie.

As Ron stated, no studio would ever have the balls to take on child-on-child brutality of the kind depicted in the novel. Kids graphically killing space-bugs? Fine. Kids graphically hazing/killing other kids? No way. Not now, not especially "post-Columbine".

Funny I just finished reading the Ender Series... Well except Xenocide.. I just can't get into it for some reason..

Enders Game was a very good book though I agree it wouldn't translate well to a movie.

You're not talking about Jake Lloyd: Worst Child Actor in History are you? That kid couldn't act his way out of a paper bag and it was one of the reasons why "SW - The Phantom Menace" was so roundly panned.

I thought Jar Jar was the reason it was so roundly panned.

That's why I said "one" of the reasons. Jar Jar certainly contributed his share as well as selling lots of action figures.

All 3 SWs, including JL and HC, were just bad. I'm not sure what GL was smoking, crack or ganja, but the scripts and casting were awful. Even the professional "stars" must have been embarassed.

one of my favorites by far... unfortunately it being made into a movie has been going round and round for years and i imagine its going to continue that way for a while. last I heard, the whole Peter/Valentine storyline had been yanked from the last screenplay draft. I think the child on child violence would be a bit for some studio to take. I hope this gets made eventually, but I'm not holding my breath at all. Word on the street is though there will be a "Battle Room" game going on XBOX live before long...

I never did see the movie, but I remember it being well reviewed... how did they deal with the violence in Lord of the Flies?

yes, thats who I am talking about. They were real excited about him playing the role. They said the same about Natatlie Portman doing a bad acting job in that movie and yet she gets high marks for other movies she has made. Maybe its not the actor, but the director and script

At this point i cant remember how young the kids were, but Ender in the beginning was real young and I cant see anyone under 12 playing the roles

Not in this case. Miss Portman did fine in a role that required little of her. But Jake Lloyd was absolutely the worst child actor I have ever seen in a major motion picture. It's like he hadn't even had a part in the second grade Christmas play at that point. It's hard to understand how his performance never rose a red flag in dailies. George Lucas may be clueless but one presumes there were casting professionals involved with the film, producers, people-who-should-know; how could they have missed this?

On the other hand, he sure was a cute li'l son of a gun. I'll bet they saw another Mark Hamill there, but Hamill had already gone through puberty and was able to deliver what the part required.

I know we're straying off topic. But I thought that both actors who played Anakin were horrible. In fact I thought the older Hayden Christensen was by far the worse of the two. Dry, wooden, and unbelievable in his role.

Ender has been on my "should be a movie" list for a long time. Others include Rendezvous with Rama, Neuromancer, and the Dragonriders of Pern series.

Neuromancer is listed in IMDB as "in production", starring Hayden Christensen.

Rendevous With Rama is listed in IMDB as "in production", starring Morgan Freeman.

The Dragonwriters of Pern is listed simply as "in development", which probably means somebody has optioned the first novel for a screenplay and is looking for money.

Awesome! I look forward to seeing all three (and buying them on DVD.)

Rendevous With Rama is listed in IMDB as "in production", starring Morgan Freeman.





AWESOME!!!

Although it's been years since I read the book, I remember thinking what a great sci-fi TV show it could be since every week could deal with them finding another bizarre creature or solving another puzzle to the great ship's origins. It read very "episodically" as I recall, if that makes any sense.

Nevertheless, a movie sounds great - if it's executed properly and has an appropriate budget and director.

Ringworld would be an awesome movie that's been in and out of development for years as well. Doubt we'll ever see it.

Could they ever convey the sheer immensity of Ringworld onscreen?

As a recent W. Gibson addict I await this film with baited breath. Easily my favorite Sci-Fi book... period.

Hayden is even a pretty good fit for what I always imagined Case would look like.. though he's going to need to flesh out the emaciated druggie look... the clean cut Anakin look ain't gonna cut it

Oh yeah. Absolutely brilliant writing.

What i have been waiting for is ERB Prince of Mars and that has been going in and out of pre-pre productions for years. I think the main problem was that they couldnt figure out how to make it without costing billlions. Although with post LOTR and CGI, it shouldnt be that hard and expensive to make. I know Disney had the rights to it for years and they expired as they didnt do anything with it. Sometimes it take a long time for these movies to get made. Tom Sellek was at the time was talked about playing John Carter and not the doctor from ER

I used to be in contact with Douglas Adams many many years ago and I asked him why they never made Hitchhikers Guide to the Universe and he told me that he been trying to get it made for years and he figured it would be made but he had no idea when. That was probably over 17 years ago and he had been working on it for several years before that. I think its probably easier today as the studios seem to be looking at Scifi and comics as their source of new movies

If 'Lord of the Flies' could be done, Ender's Game can be done. For the 'PC' idiots, just make sure to show how the government is doing this to keep the human race alive, and don't like doing it one bit (as said in the book).

Chris.

^^
I assume you mean "Lord of the Rings"? "Lord of the Flies" wasn't exactly a cinematic stretch.