UFO TV Series Headed For The Big Screen

[diankra]

The big problem is that I don't see any way we get Straker - the strong leader in public, the very troubled man in private - onscreen in a movie. But without that, it's just another aliens-attack-Earth movie, with lots of very cool hardware.
I hope that my cynicism will be contradicted... but I just don't think they'll be using Mindbender or Timelash or Confetti Check A-OK as the template for a movie.
But A Question of Priorities... yeah, that could make a great third act for a movie if they did want to do it seriously, rather than just as Big Spaceships With Guns.

 

[Steve Roby]

I dunno about a remake. The trouble is the temptation will be to play up the camp

That often seems to be the case for remakes of material the mainstream audience is still familiar with, but UFO is pretty obscure. The producers don't really need to worry about audience expectations or attitudes, because most of the movie's audience won't have any experience with the TV series. By the same token, they may well jettison the show's more thoughtful and quiet moments, too. Realistically, I'll be surprised if we recognize anything of the original in a new movie.

They'd better keep the groovy soundtrack, that's all I'll say!

I find the music for UFO pretty repetitive (the same melody played at different tempos and with different arrangements) compared to Barry Gray's work for the first series of Space: 1999, but it's repetitive good stuff, at least. They've got to have the main title theme even if only as an easter egg for the fans.

 

[RJDiogenes]

I hope that my cynicism will be contradicted... but I just don't think they'll be using Mindbender or Timelash or Confetti Check A-OK as the template for a movie.

You're right. This is the problem with turning a series into a movie. I was just thinking about this in connection with the nu Trek movie; you'll never see one that's reminiscent of "Amok Time" or "Devil In The Dark," or "Measure Of A Man" or "Inner Light." There must be many splosions and quips and MTV-style direction.

But a series reviving UFO, showing what their world is like 40 years later could be very cool.

 

[Klaus]

Well "Confetti Check A-OK" might work in a tortured Dark Knight kinda way, but you're right. It'll probably end up being directed by McG.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

But a series reviving UFO, showing what their world is like 40 years later could be very cool.

Wasn't there a Doctor Who novel that did something like that?

 

[arch101]

But will Moonbase still be crewed by gorgeous women in purple wigs and tight silver outfits?

Tight silver outfits with removable pieces!
Seriously, though. I'm all for this. It could be REAL cool if done right. Hardware-heavy films mostly do well. UFO is more hardware heavy than most, with all the vehicles, planes, spacecraft, submarines, moonbase, satellites, etc. etc. A marketing cash cow if successful.

 

[QuasarVM]

Well "Confetti Check A-OK" might work in a tortured Dark Knight kinda way, but you're right. It'll probably end up being directed by McG.

After seeing Terminator Salvation -- I actually would not mind it being directed by McG. Better than Michael Bay...

 

[Steve Roby]

Wasn't there a Doctor Who novel that did something like that?

Haven't read it yet, but I suspect you're thinking of The Indestructible Man.

 

[RJDiogenes]

Well, that sounds like an interesting pastiche. It's out of print, but I'll probably pick it up at some point....

 

[diankra]

Well, that sounds like an interesting pastiche. It's out of print, but I'll probably pick it up at some point....

It's worth reading: it gets the balance right in that it's both a fun pastiche, and also a critique of the Anderson series (what would it really be like to be Captain Scarlet - an immortal alien copy of the real dead man? What sort issues would Jeff Tracy inflict on his sons, and how would they react if a Thunderbird was shot down and one of them died, etc).
In an awful lot of ways, it does to the Anderson series what nu-Galacica did to old galactica. But with the second Doctor as central character.

 

[RJDiogenes]

It seems kind of like the Philip Jose Farmer/Wold Newton approach. Which is a good thing.

 

[Procutus]

Well "Confetti Check A-OK" might work in a tortured Dark Knight kinda way, but you're right. It'll probably end up being directed by McG.

After seeing Terminator Salvation -- I actually would not mind it being directed by McG. Better than Michael Bay...

I'd agree with you on that. We saw Terminator: Salvation last night, and I thought it was rather well done. My level of respect for McG has risen considerably. They could certainly do worse coming up with a director for a UFO remake.