Ender's Game movie

[Owain Taggart]

I know, exactly. It's why I don't like the novel so much. Just felt wrong for me. Anyhow, it's why it would be difficult for the movie to be accurate to the novel as it's not going to sit well with people.

Well, it's not like the novel was saying that its right to train children to fight wars. If anything, it comes across as an anti-war novel.

Even it doesn't, it's natural that some people are going to feel disturbed by it. I'm not arguing about the morals or what the story is trying to achieve, but it's the portrayals of what is seen on the screen that will be important for many people, hence why they'll need to be very careful with this, otherwise you could imagine the uproar surrounding the movie despite the subject nature of the movie. That's what makes it hard to adapt to the screen. You know how they say a picture is worth a thousand words, well, the visual is the first thing that will stick with people. You give the visual of a kid wearing armour and using a weapon, that it's not a plaything, and you'll have people who will have very definite reactions. It's not like kids playing swords and sorcery or cowboys and indians. I just can't see the whole twist at the end sitting well with parents. I agree with Reverend. I just don't really think it can work as a movie as it would be too controversial in its imagery.

 

[propita]

The key to a good Ender's Game movie is finding some great child actors and being able to get some great performances out of them. I'm not sure Gavin Hood can do either of those things, but I guess we'll find out.

Unfortunately I assume they are going to age-up the roles, because finding an eight year old who can play Ender, then having Ender kill another kid in cold blood would probably give film distributors nightmares.

Ender killed a kid (or was it two--at the school before he was taken or in the shower), yeah, but I didn’t get the idea Ender wanted the kid(s) dead. Ender just wanted to stop him/them from hurting him.

But Ender is very good at what he does and goes to the final solution to the bullying problem without conscious realization at the time of action. Which is exactly what happens with the DR Device--a final solution without conscious realization at the time of action.

 

[Reverend]

I think some people are overstating somewhat just how shocking the imagery is likely to be. Seeing a bunch of armed and armoured kids is hardly what I'd call shocking. For one, the "armour", or rather flashsuits would be no more militaristic than an ice hockey uniform and the "weapon" *is* a harmless light gun. The only moments of true child on child brutality and violence is the two or three times Ender is cornered by bullies. If that upsets people then it probably should, but it's not what I'd call unprecedented in literature or cinema. 'Lord of the Flies' anyone?

 

[Lindley]

Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman....

We're doomed.

There'll be no escape for the princess this time.

 

[PsychoPere]

Ender has been cast. Asa Butterfield, who stars in Martin Scorsese's Hugo (out next week!), will be taking on the role.

 

[RoJoHen]

Wow, so they're actually moving along with this, huh?

 

[Kelso]

He's older than I would like... but at least he's British. That means he's a good actor.

ETA: Though judging from the Hugo trailer, he does look younger than his age.

 

[Caliburn24]

Ugh, way too old.

If memory serves Ender was 6 when he went to Battle School, and 9 when he assumed command of his army.

14, 15 by the time filming starts probably, is way too old and robs the story of so much emotional impact.

 

[Argus Skyhawk]

If he looks young for his age, I'm cool with that. I never expected them to actually cast a six-year-old.

Wait, the Ender's Game movie is actually moving forward? Isn't that one of the signs of the Apocalypse? *runs to check Revelations*

 

[The Nth Doctor]

Damn, if Ender's Game the film is actually moving forward, is there any hope that productions on Rendezvous with Rama, Ringworld, and Red Mars will move forward, too?

Or is that asking for too much?

 

[PsychoPere]

True Grit's Hailee Steinfeld is in talks to play Petra Arkanian. The article also says that Harrison Ford is among the contenders for Colonel Hyrum Graff.

 

[RoJoHen]

I realize that it's called "Ender's Game" and that he plays a game throughout the whole book...but I don't like that the article calls him a "gifted young gamer." Makes it sound like they recruited him because of his awesome skills with the Wii.

Also, I knew it was unrealistic to expect them to cast this movie with a bunch of 6-year olds, but these kids do seem a bit older than I would have prefered.

 

[Owain Taggart]

True Grit's Hailee Steinfeld is in talks to play Petra Arkanian. The article also says that Harrison Ford is among the contenders for Colonel Hyrum Graff.

Hailee Steinfield is a good choice. Though I can't really picture Harrison Ford as Graff for some reason.

I realize that it's called "Ender's Game" and that he plays a game throughout the whole book...but I don't like that the article calls him a "gifted young gamer." Makes it sound like they recruited him because of his awesome skills with the Wii.

Haha yeah. It does make it sound different than it actually is. Makes it sound like someone who's owning everyone else online at CoW.

Also, I knew it was unrealistic to expect them to cast this movie with a bunch of 6-year olds, but these kids do seem a bit older than I would have prefered.

The feeling I'm getting is that the ages might all be changed so that they're older kids in the story as there's no way it would happen as is in the book, due to some rules in Hollywood.

 

[Scout101]

Well, if it was filmed as written, it would be a pretty messed up little movie, wouldn't it? If you could get the 5 and 6 year olds to sit still long enough to make a coherent movie out of it, you'd have children killing other children, which might detract from things just a tad. If they're tweens or teenagers, at least it's ALMOST mature enough to not be so disturbing...

 

[Talosian]

The age isn't that significant. We had centuries of theater in which female characters were played by men, and Western civilization somehow produced its greatest works under those constraints. Of course, Orson Scott Card isn't Shakespeare.

Having said that, all else being equal, I would prefer somewhat younger characters. But, I'm more concerned about the fact that Hollywood will be unable to get the strange, somewhat cramped feel of the book. We view an epic war through the vantage point of a handful of small children, the most important of whom is cut off from the outside world most of the novel. Kubrick could do the story more than justice, and make a better film than the novel. This will not rise that standard, unfortunately.

 

[Mysterion]

Ed Harris would be better.

 

[Owain Taggart]

Well, if it was filmed as written, it would be a pretty messed up little movie, wouldn't it? If you could get the 5 and 6 year olds to sit still long enough to make a coherent movie out of it, you'd have children killing other children, which might detract from things just a tad. If they're tweens or teenagers, at least it's ALMOST mature enough to not be so disturbing...

Yeah, exactly. I think there are rules in Hollywood that prevent things like that from being filmed.



And Oh yes, Ed Harris is a great choice for Graff! Failing that, Gary Sinise would also be good.

 

[xortex]

I don't see this as having series potential as the kid becomes an unfortunate child abused by society's system. He's a victem of his own desires. He's not even an anti-hero. Sadistic kids will love it.

 

[Caliburn24]

The direct Ender sequels are slower with less action and get pretty esoteric and strange. I don't think they would work well as movies. The spin-off series with Bean would make much better films, but even those books are lacking many of the story hooks and pacing that Ender's Games has.

Card can't write action scenes or really build tension very well in my opinion, so I don't think any of his stuff outside the first Ender book would make for a compelling movie.

 

[RoJoHen]

While Speaker for the Dead is arguably better than the original novel, I agree that it wouldn't really make a very good movie. I think Ender's Game is going to be hard enough to adapt. A sequel that takes place a thousand years later and features the main child character as an adult, plus weird tree aliens, just isn't going to translate very well to the big screen.

No, if Ender's Game gets made, I fully expect it to be a single movie deal.