Matt Shea
RubySoho
Morgan Bell
Cibbuano
David O'Connell
Mountain Fog
Ridley Scott adapting Joe Haldeman's The Forever War
October 15th 2008 22:41
Joe Haldeman's 1974 sci-fi novel, "The Forever War", is one of my all-time favourites - it depicts the evolution of a war between humanity and an alien species over hundreds of years.
We follow the life of one soldier who enlists in the army, fights in one skirmish, then gets on a ship to come home. Because of the mechanics of light-speed travel, time for him has remained still, while hundreds of years have passed on Earth.
The novel is a witty discourse on the evolution of species and the futility of intergalactic war. Absolutely wonderful.
/Film is announcing that Ridley Scott is looking to direct an adaptation of "The Forever War", as Fox 2000 has bought the rights to the novel. Scott has been itchin' to make the film for years, he says:
"I first pursued ‘Forever War’ 25 years ago, and the book has only grown more timely and relevant since,” Scott told the trade. “It’s a science-fiction epic, a bit of ‘The Odyssey’ by way of ‘Blade Runner,’ built upon a brilliant, disorienting premise."
The question is: does Scott have the voodoo powers to pull off a sci-fi epic like this? Fans of "Alien" and "Blade Runner" would scream yes, yes, oh, glorious yes, but I'm skeptical... the aesthetic of "Alien" and "Blade Runner" both combined a future that was worn and dirty, making the universe seem lifelike and tangible. This could work nicely in "The Forever War", but my fear is that Scott has lost his feeble grasp on the thread of originality.
Will Scott's adaptation live up to the source material? Or will it be a product of test audiences and merchandising rights, modified to ensure that there's a token black supporting character, a teary death scene and at least one battle scene invoking memories of American heroism in Vietnam and Iraq?
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Comment by Cheryl J
Rhythmatism
Budget Centsability
I fear Ridley will botch it, I'm with you that Scott has lost his originality. Who do you think would be best to direct it? I'd love your take on it.
Comment by David O'Connell
Screen Fanatic
You've got to admire the man's work ethic though, he's become an incredibly prolific filmmaker, but he's certainly made nothing of importance in recent times - and one truly horrible film in A Good Year.
Comment by Cibbuano
Hunt Famous
Orble Post of the Day
Fat Cult
Techbreak
Who would do a better job? I liked the look of Paul Verhoeven's "Starship Troopers", but "The Forever War" needs a grittier look...
David, yeah, Scott's work of late lacks style and originality. I dunno, where's the effort?
Comment by Movie Mall
Movie Catcher
The Invisible Sky
Ridley, I reckon, needs to go for quality and not quantity. He's churning out films like there's no tomorrow - all shapes and sizes. I also read somewhere he was in line to direct Sleeper, based on the graphic novel.
Thanks for the heads up Cibby.
Comment by Cibbuano
Hunt Famous
Orble Post of the Day
Fat Cult
Techbreak
yeah, definitely - Scott seems to want to churn out movies at the moment...
Comment by Anonymous
From across the mindbridge,
G
Comment by Cibbuano
Hunt Famous
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Fat Cult
Techbreak
Comment by Anonymous
Haldemann makes it very clear that the future is very multi-racial and cultural.
I also kinda always envisioned Sgt Cortez to be black, or at least Hispanic.
The final battle is also arguably in a way, heroic and climatic so scratch another one off the list.
The book is far more realistic and gritty than Starship Troopers, but it is not an outright rejection of heinleins heroics.
These men and women are in fact heroes for what they are forced to go through by their government.
Just my two cents
Forever war is one of my favorite books (2nd or 3rd) and I think only him James Cameron could do it. Also, I'm glad Scott decided to pass on Blood Meridian, as its the best book I have ever read and a completely as well as completely unfilmable.
Comment by savo
Of course there will be. The author is a Viet vetran. His whole purpose of writing initially was to purge himself.