Movie?

[Blue Ghost]

New user here.

Has anyone ever approached mister Stasheff about turning "Her Majesty's Wizard" into a film of some kind?

It's a very entertaining story.

[kf6eml]

I'd watch it

[cstasheff]

Thanks for the vote in favor. Blue Ghost. Somebody (independent) optioned WARLOCK IN SPITE OF HIMSELF about thirty years ago, but he wasn't able to secure funding to actually make the movie. Every now and then, I amuse myself by casting it in my imagination. My current pick for Rod is an actor named Joe Faust, who isn't widely known yet and needs a good breakout part. He appears on PARKS AND RECREATION now and then. They used to say that sooner or later, every actor in New York would appear on LAW AND ORDER, but Faust is Chicago-based. Mind you Harry Dresden has prooved that a fantasy hero can be a Chicagoan, but we need to have a huge letter-writing campaign to get another season made.

Thanks and good reading!

[Blue Ghost]

Thanks mister Stasheff.

I used to work in the local SF Bay Area film industry, and had offers to go down to LA and work up at ILM in Marin when I was in my 20s. I quit, but have been laboring hard to get back in.

If I do, I may try to take a crack at your work.

BG

[Nightgazer Starlight]

New user here.

Has anyone ever approached mister Stasheff about turning "Her Majesty's Wizard" into a film of some kind?

It's a very entertaining story.

Only if it's anime-style animated.

Live action sucks.

For magic stuff.

[cstasheff]

Keep up the efforts to get back into the industry, Blue Ghost -- you're needed. After all, the Doctor has proved that Shakespeare and science fiction can be compatible.

[cstasheff]

I would love to see a movie version, Blue Ghost, but so far no nibbles since about 1979. We can hope, though. If you happen to have a friend in the movie industry, you might try to work it into the conversation.

Thanks!

[Blue Ghost]

I'm hoping to get back in this coming year, but probably as an indy contractor.

My background is that I started as an intern in San Francisco right out of high school, and trained to be a Stage Manager, but also learned gripping, trained as an assistant director, did some casting for industrials, and did some SFX assisting for some of Lucas' boys who struck out on their own from ILM in the late 80s and early 90s.

Right now I don't even have a toe much less a foot in the door, as I left the industry in the 90s for a number or reasons, but have been trying to return.

What strikes me about Her Majestie's Wizard is that you have all the nuances right for a great romantic adventure, which is what I think your book is. That's the kind of stuff Hollywood just eats up, because it's a positive social message. The only downside is that there's the whole religious aspect which is indemic to your work. A producer might think it a deal breaker as the film would categorized as religious. But a savvy producer would work around it by showing Catholicism as a facet of many other religions so as not to exclude an international audience.

Me, I'm an atheist, but I'd keep all the religion in there because you're not really preaching the faith, just using it in a very clever fashion to forward a really great tale of magic, adventure and romance. I'm of the opinion that anything that is good, even if it's immersed in religion, will attract an audience. It's why the old big bible epics did so well during Hollywood's golden age.

A lot of people write fantasy scripts, or write adaptations from well known fantasy tales, but they never get sold. They tend to emphasize the details of the author's work, and eschew what people really want and need from a movie.

Anyway, I hope that helps. I've only ever read your Wizard in Rhyme series, but love it immensely. I particularly like Stegoman from the first book, and Gnarl from the second.

[cstasheff]

Thanks for the compliment, Blue Ghost. Years ago -- thirty or so -- I did have one nibble from a would-be producer, but nothing came of it. Of course, I thin it would make a great movie, or even a series for Saturday mornings -- a lot less lethal than the current fair. But until Hollywood realizes what a treasure they're overlooking, I'll have to wait and hope.

[Blue Ghost]

Hey, Mister Stasheff

Well, the dirty little secret about Hollywood is that most of the films and TV you see are designed to release emotional tension in society. That may sound like a non-sequitar statement, but it's the reason you see so many different interpretations of various books that get translated to screen.

What the producers are looking for is an emotional connection with the audience; i.e. something the audience can link to, nod their head, and feel is a part of them.

So, when you see something like a Clive Cussler sea adventure put on the big screen, you recognize the characters, the situation, but when the movie starts rolling, you wonder what you're watching because the story and plot are turned on their head.

The reason is because the producers are trying to address something in society that they believe the general viewing audience will absorb and connect with. Today that kind of film making is so prevalent pervasive that it's a wonder anything original gets produced.

How this relates to any of your work is that even if any of your books were picked up to be produced, you would have to brace yourself for when it gets hacked up and reshuffled by the producers to the point of not recognizing your own work.

There's a few exceptions; Tolkien for example. Peter Jackson and his team stuck pretty close to Tolkiens work, and the movies were a big success. Disney's classic efforts with Treasure Island, Bambi and others were big successes for the same reason, and are still watched today.

Like I said in my earlier post, a good savvy producer would just use your work as is, and only tweak it here and there to make it cinematic. But you rarely see that kind of film making anymore.

So, what I'm saying here is is that if your work does get a second glance again, be prepared for a shock when they restructure it for filming.

All the best. After I finish Foster's Icerigger series, I'm going to take a crack at your To the Stars series.