Results tagged “adaptation”

It is rant time for the ole bald man.

When I learned that the 1981 classic Clash of the Titans was going to be given the Hollywood remake treatment, I just shook my head, growled under my breath, and moved on with my day.

I was annoyed for a week.

First, here is the newly released trailer for Clash of the Titans:

So second, why does this remake irk me so?

Remakes have littered Hollywood for decades. Some stories have been told more than five or six times. Every version has a different take on it but the story usually stays the same. I know how they begin. I know how they end. Sometimes it can be a great thing; sometimes it can be a terrible failure of intention.

Recently Hollywood seems to have been relying on the remake more and more. It’s not the cost of the recession; it has been happening for years now. Originality has gone to the wayside. Remakes have become as prevalent as H1N1, and I have no doubt they will destroy the world.

No, I don’t actually believe that. Well, not entirely.

Here is the new movie poster for the forthcoming movie, The Road.

The Road is one of the finest novels I have read. It is dark, gritty, real and depressing with an enormous amount of literary merit. The Pulitzer Prize winning story by Cormac McCarthy is of a nameless father and son who trek across a post-apocalyptic America to find safer shores.

It is one of a handful of novels that has reduced me to tears.

Yes, the big bad scary bald man does cry on occasion.

The movie poster is what I expected this time around. The first two were in grayscale, a black and white style that showcases the dreary, ash-choked lifestyle the two main characters endure. This new one has the yellow-orange of fire in the background, a dangerous color, one that reflects the threat in the world around them.

The Road opens in movie theaters on November 25th.

Mark my words: It will be up for Oscars.

And if you haven’t read it, do yourself the favor.

I am back in the Territories!

The Talisman: The Road of Trials #0 is published today in fine comic book stores for $1.00!

I read and reviewed Issue #0 of the Stephen King / Peter Straub comic book adaptation two months ago. I enjoyed it a great deal. It is a prequel to the novel of the same name, a look at events that helped shape young Jack Sawyer before he took his first step into the Territories. I reviewed the San Diego Comic Con edition of #0, a black and white issue given away for free at the convention.

The #0 released today is in glorious full color.

I received my copy a few days ago and I opened it immediately. I wanted to see if Nei Ruffino, the colorist on the project, could bring Tony Shasteen’s artwork alive similar to how Richard Isanove colors for penciler Jae Lee on the Dark Tower comic book adaptations. In short, she does. Nei brings a vibrancy to Tony’s intricate pencil work, leaving any last apprehensions I had about this project behind.

And today is not only the release of Issue #0 for $1.00, but MTV.com has also posted an exclusive early look at the first six pages of Issue #1!

It is easy to see why Del Rey hired the creative team they did. Those first six pages of The Talisman: The Road of Trials #1 have me even more excited than before.

Accompanying the release of Issue #0 and the posting of the Issue #1 excerpt, plotter and writer Robin Furth has a new interview at Lilja’s Library where she talks about the adaptation of The Talisman in greater detail.

Get out there! Locate the closest comic book store today and buy Issue #0 for $1.00!

M-O-O-N! That spells Issue #0!

Dark Tower fans, get ready.

In November the battle of Jericho Hill begins!

Gilead has fallen. Few survive. Roland and his ka-tet flee the horde of the Crimson King, who is bent on reducing reality to utter chaos. The battle of Jericho Hill looms and nothing for Roland will ever be the same again.

Those who are Dark Tower fans know the significance of Jericho Hill. It was mentioned in the novels but much of it is still a mystery. When Marvel announced they would be adding new stories of Roland and his search for the Dark Tower to canon, all Dark Tower fans I can safely say wanted the battle of Jericho Hill told.

And it is coming. On November 25th.

And not only that, but Jae Lee returns to penciling duties!

So not only does the new Stephen King epic novel Under the Dome (Nov. 10th) and The Talisman #1 (Nov. 25th) comic book adaptation come out in November, but the Dark Tower: The Battle of Jericho Hill #1 does too!

What a great month to be a Stephen King fan, eh?

Let the horn be blown!

Adapting a book into a movie or television series is always a frightening prospect—but can be exhilarating as well in the right hands!

First, I will always be one of those people who believes the book will always be better than the movie. Since each of us have been blessed with a movie theater behind our eyes, we are given the opportunity to envision characters exactly as we believe them to be upon reading a book. That is part of the fun of reading. But the sad reality is we all “see” characters differently and, in giving a casting director power over those thoughts, can influence or sometimes outright destroy what we ourselves saw on the silver screen in our heads.

Second, despite the first point, I am utterly excited about what is happening with the pilot episode of A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin!

HBO, the cable network that has brought us such hits as The Sopranos, Deadwood, Rome and now the vampire-fantasy hit True Blood, has not only purchased the rights to produce seasons of episodes based on A Song of Ice & Fire series by George R. R. Martin, but they have already begun production and casting for the pilot.

As a fan of A Game of Thrones this has been scary and exciting at the same time!

George has been slowly releasing the casting information as it has been confirmed. Rather than go into each actor cast and post my thoughts on each—mostly because I know what I see in my head probably contradicts what you see in your head—I decided to gather together some of the better news stories about what is occurring and post those links here for your perusal:

• Not A Blog
• A Dribble of Ink
• The Wertzone
• The Hollywood Reporter
• Westeros Casting
• IMDB

I have no doubt, as news progresses, that George will keep us all in the loop. And since his fan base is legion, I also have no doubt we will start seeing some pictures from Northern Ireland where the pilot will soon be shot.

Is this exciting for you? What do you think about all of this? Are you scared about the prospect of an HBO series? Would you rather George not have any distractions and finish A Dance With Dragons?

Winter is Coming—to HBO!

M-O-O-N! That spells badass adaptation!

It has been a number of years since I read The Talisman by Stephen King and Peter Straub. I first read it when I was fourteen or fifteen and fell in love with the entire story—the premise, its style of writing, its characters and its magic. Semi-considered a part of the Dark Tower saga, The Talisman is one of those foundational pieces to my reading life.

It wasn’t until Black House published in 2001 that I read it for the second time. With adult eyes. And, happily, it held up to wiser eyes.

So when I found out Del Rey Books had snagged the rights to adapt the book into a comic book series, I was ecstatic. I’ve worked with Del Rey on various projects for years and the people there are dedicated to seeing all projects done correctly and with passion. When I learned editor-in-chief Betsy Mitchell would be overseeing the project, I knew it would be in good hands. When I learned that Robin Furth would be involved as adapting writer—Stephen King’s former research assistant and plotter of the Dark Tower comic book series—I grew more excited as she could be utterly trusted with the material. And when I saw the artwork for Tony Shasteen and Nei Ruffino, I could not wait to see the first issue.

Well, now I have! And I am happy to report I enjoyed it immensely.

Here is the cover to The Talisman: The Road of Trials #1. The Talisman is the comic book adaptation of the bestselling Stephen King and Peter Straub novel.

The cover was painted by the incredibly talented and fan favorite Massimo Carnevale (Y: The Last Man and Northlanders).

Beautiful, isn’t it?

Issue #0 will be published in October, with #1 following in November!

Forthcoming: My review of Issue #0.

The second half of this year has been the one I’ve been waiting for at the movie theater.

And all because of books that I love being adapted to the silver screen!

First up, The Time Traveler’s Wife.

Yes, I am a sap for romantic drama and if this movie can be adapted right it will assuredly be a favorite. I also have a minor love affinity for actress Rachel McAdams so… there you have it. The movie comes out next week. Time to get a date, I guess!

Second, The Road.

Unbelievably written book, post-apocalyptic fiction. Has some of the best literary writing I’ve read and has a torturous tear-jerking ending. The movie stars Viggo Mortensen and will be out in October.

And lastly, The Lovely Bones

This is the one I a most looking forward to! It is the story of a young girl who is murdered and must watch her family cope with her loss as they try to discover her killer. Director Peter Jackson and his wife Fran tackled this adaptation, and undoubtedly they will put their signature great stamp on it. Plus, Jackson’s vision of Susie’s heaven should be a beautiful wonder to watch on the big screen.

Happily, Jackson just released the first trailer for The Lovely Bones! Watch it HERE!

A warning: The trailer has a great deal of spoiler scenes in it.

What are you looking forward to?

Robin Furth is one of the more interesting people I have met.

I mean, how could she not be having once been Stephen King’s personal assistant!

I bet she has stories galore!

Being an expert on all things King-related, Robin has been tapped to fulfill some of King’s creative endeavors. She has plotted four Dark Tower comic book series, bridging the time period between Wizard & Glass with The Gunslinger. She has also been hired by Del Rey Books to write the comic book adaptation to the Stephen King and Peter Straub novel The Talisman, which I am really excited about since that is one of my favorite books!

I sent Robin a short interview a few weeks ago, just to get her initial thoughts on the new project and how it was going.

M-O-O-N! That spells interview!

Suvudu: Where are you at in The Talisman project?

Robin Furth: So far I’ve written a prequel, which we call Issue 0, a detailed overview of Talisman Graphic Novel Volume I (that’s issues 1-6 of the comics, and Parts I and II of the novel), as well as the panel by panel breakdown and the script for the first issue. I’m working on the script for the second issue now. I’m really enjoying this adaptation, though I must say I bite my fingernails every time I hand in a script. In some ways Issue 0 was the scariest. As you can imagine, it isn’t every day you’re asked to write the backstory for a novel that you love! And to make the whole thing even scarier, I wrote the script and then—after the editors had gone over it and given their very helpful feedback—it was sent directly to Steve King and Peter Straub to get their approval. They gave it the thumbs up, and I think I nearly passed out with relief. I won’t tell you what happens in Issue 0, except that it takes place while Jack’s dad is still alive. Since in the actual novel Phil Sawyer’s memory is a big influence on Jack, I thought it was really important for new readers to learn a little bit more about him. It was also a great way to bring in all the flashbacks that we’re told about in the book but which we would have a very difficult time fitting into the comic books.

My overview for the first six issues took a LONG time. I think I had the editors a little scared! I can work quickly when I have to (and in comics, your back is often up against the wall since deadlines are all-important) but sometimes I really feel that to do the story justice I have to take my time and think things through. Since in comics the old adage show, don’t tell really holds true, I had to spend a lot of time deciding which scenes were crucial, and then how I could get additional information into those scenes, so that readers of the comics would get the ambiance of the original novel. Then, as the editor Betsy Mitchell can attest, after the dialogue was written, we had to go back through and chop half of it away, since I had the characters talking so much that the letterer would have had a heart attack!

S: What have you liked so far about adapting Steve’s and Peter’s book?

I cannot believe we are already in June! It seems just yesterday when I was at the February NY Comic Con and had the chance to meet, interview and hang out with Stephen King comic book writer Robin Furth and The Talisman artist Tony Shasteen!

Remember the NYCC Suvudu videos?

- Robin Furth
- Tony Shasteen

Well, since February, Robin and Tony have been hard at work on The Talisman, the comic book adaptation to the long-time bestselling novel by Stephen King and Peter Straub!

The Talisman #0 will launch the series on October 21, 2009, but those who are attending the San Diego Comic Con will get the true first look at the comic book series, where Del Rey Books will be giving away FREE black and white copies of Issue #0!

We also now know who will be supplying the comic book adaptation cover artwork and who will be supplying the interior coloring! Thanks to the Official June 16th Press Release, we know Massimo Carnevale (Y: The Last Man) will be supplying the cover artwork! He is an extremely talented artist and makes an excellent and award-winning addition to the creative team. And coloring the black and white artwork supplied by Tony Shasteen will be Nei Ruffino, who is currently working on Supergirl and Green Lantern for DC Comics!

The exclusive Comic Con The Talisman #0 can be found at the Del Rey booth (#1129) this July 22-26! To get it, you will have to attend the convention!

Or know someone who is going!

More to come soon!

Here is a movie I probably should have placed into my Remaining Top 5 Summer Movies.

The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger has been a bestseller for several years now. It is a story about a man with a genetic disorder that causes him to time travel unpredictably, and about his wife who has to cope with his frequent absences and dangerous experiences. The book’s love story is only eclipsed by its unique take on the time travel motif, crossing the boundaries of both romance and science fiction.

Hollywood saw the cross merchandising possibilities immediately. The movie rights were snatched up and on August 14th Eric Bana and Rachel McAdams star in the movie adaptation.

The first movie trailer has been released! So check it out HERE!

Looks like a perfect date movie!

What do you think? Gonna see this?