Earthsea movie on Sci-Fi Channel

[MountainLaurel]

Does anyone have info to share about this: Any pre-release scuttlebutt, particularly the movie as compared to the books? Was LeGuin involved in the production at all? How likely is it that the film will be true to the tone of the books?

Tell all!

[Khephra]

1. It's been a quiet production

I haven't heard anything about how it went down yet.

[MountainLaurel]

2. Thanks Kef.

[Khephra]

3. Anytime!

:hi:

[LWolf]

4. When do they start showing this?

My son called me awhile back to let me know it would be on; he knows I'm a fan of Earthsea (and Ursula Le Guin). I have to remember to dust the tv, warm it up, and turn it on for this one.

[MountainLaurel]

5. December 13, Sunday

Here's the official Web site at SciFi Channel:

http://www.scifi.com/earthsea/

[LWolf]

6. Thanks!

I'm marking it on my calendar right now, so I don't forget. Oops; except that December 13th is a Monday. I'm off to the site to doublecheck.

:hi:

[Astarho]

7. LeGuin was not involved at all

11/13/2004

"Miss Le Guin was not involved in the development of the material or the making of the film, but we've been very, very honest to the books," explains director Rob Lieberman. "We've tried to capture all the levels of spiritualism, emotional content and metaphorical messages. Throughout the whole piece, I saw it as having a great duality of spirituality versus paganism and wizardry, male and female duality. The final moments of the film culminate in the union of all that and represent two different belief systems in this world, and that's what Ursula intended to make a statement about. The only thing that saves this Earthsea universe is the union of those two beliefs."

Sci Fi Magazine
December 2004


I've tried very hard to keep from saying anything at all about this production, being well aware that movies must differ in many ways from the books they're based on, and feeling that I really had no business talking about it, since I was not included in planning it and was given no part in discussions or decisions.
That makes it particularly galling of the director to put words in my mouth.
Mr Lieberman has every right to say what his intentions were in making the film he directed, called "Earthsea." He has no right at all to state what I intended in writing the Earthsea books.
Had "Miss Le Guin" been honestly asked to be involved in the planning of the film, she might have discussed with the film-makers what the books are about.

more...

http://www.ursulakleguin.com/UKL_info.html

[LWolf]

9. This was an interesting read.

And it brings up one of my life-long pet peeves; I wish they wouldn't make books into movies. I've seen some done well; a small fraction of those made.

I want people to read; it requires using your brain. Thinking, imagining, making connections, etc.. Watching is passive; everything is done for you, presented on a platter for your emotional reaction.

If all they keep making great books into movies, who will read them? And, of those that do read them, who will read them first, and who will compare the movie to the book to see if it was done with integrity?

I don't think it's asking too much of screen writers to be able to come up with their own original material.

And, if an author chooses to allow their work to be put on film, they should be the ones making the decisions in the process.

Just my book-loving point of view.

I'll probably still watch; I'm a huge fan of LeGuin, and have been for a couple of decades. I'll want to be able to bring her story into discussions of the film.

[Astarho]

10. Sometimes movies bring people to the books

I know it happened when Scifi did the movie Riverworld. I know it led a lot of people to go and actually read the books.

Also, they adapt so many books to movies I don't see nearly as many original movies anymore (but that's another rant).

[LWolf]

11. I know you're right.

I know it logically, and intellectually. I should be glad that they lead people to books.

Emotionally, though, I wish they could at least not put books on film outside the author's control.

[yellowdogintexas]

8. saw a preview w/Isabella Rosselini on Daily Show Monday

it looks good.

[Beetwasher]

12. I've Been Looking Forward To It, It's On Tonight!

I read the books a while ago and I'm glad it's been a while so I'm not pissed off if they stray too much...I won't know if they do or don't, so I'll be judging solely on the merits of it's screen adaptation.

[LWolf]

13. I was not impressed.

I wasn't home from work yet when I got a call from my son, who lives a couple of hours away. He said, "Don't bother. It's almost unrecognizable."

I watched anyway. <sigh>

I recognized many things, but was unhappy with the treatment. In my opinion, it was butchered. Stuff was added that I don't remember at all, other stuff was modified unnecessarily, and the jumping back and forth between concurrent actions was awkward. The focus was off.

I'll watch the second half, just to see where they go with it, but I don't have great hopes.

The one thing it did was convince me that, as soon as I'm done with my current book, I'm going to pull out my earthsea books and reread them; putting the story straight again, so to speak.

[Beetwasher]

14. I Agree, And Good Lord! The Casting Director Should Be Strung Up!

Ged's father has to be the worst actor I've ever seen, I was actually really uncomfortable watching that guy "act"...And Ged's none to good himself...I'll still watch it though, if only because I'm a masochist...

I actually pulled out my books as the movie was on because I was like "Whuh? I don't quite remember it that way..." and started skimming the books during the movie...

I will say this though, the actress they got to play the young priestess :wow: Hubba hubba...

[Astarho]

15. I agree

I read the first one a week ago so it was fresh (don't have either of the other two). I only made it through the first hour, becuase it didn't start here until 10. I agree about the awkwardness of jumping from Gont to Atuan was irritatiing.

There was so much stuff that was changed or added. One thing that particularly irritated me, was that they swapped hius names. Ged was now his common name and Sparrowhawk was his true name, WTF?

I thought the performances were alright. Danny Glover and Isabella Rosselini were good. Kristen Kreuk was good although most of what she had to do (at least in the part I saw) was run down a corridor and look back. Shawn Ashmore was alright, although it seems the character was changed so much it was hard to tell. Ged had a girlfriend?

I'll probably watch the end as well, or at least as much as I can, since I have to go to work tomorrow. I'm curious where they'll go with it, and I'll try not to compare it to the book.

[luaneryder]

16. Watched an hour

that's all I could take.

[robbedvoter]

17. More from the author on what the series did to her book:

http://slate.msn.com/id/2111107/fr/rss/

[LWolf]

18. Great article.

...I don't know what the film is about. It's full of scenes from the story, arranged differently, in an entirely different plot, so that they make no sense. My protagonist is Ged, a boy with red-brown skin. In the film, he's a petulant white kid.

...A far cry from the Earthsea I envisioned. When I looked over the script, I realized the producers had no understanding of what the books are about and no interest in finding out. All they intended was to use the name Earthsea, and some of the scenes from the books, in a generic McMagic movie with a meaningless plot based on sex and violence.

She says it better than I, and with the best of reasons.

"McMagic movie," lol.