Asimov's "Foundation" Series as TV or Movie?
- Thread starter HIjol
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Miniseries.
Modern audiences would likely find the story lines unengaging so TPTB would feel it necessary to remove all mention of Psychohistory and turn it into a Star Wars clone with lots of space battles.
The BBC did an 8-part radio adaptation back in the 1970s. I still have the cassette tape version, which I ripped to MP3. I did wonder if you could use CGI software to add visuals but it's probably best to use your imagination.
The BBC did an 8-part radio adaptation back in the 1970s. I still have the cassette tape version, which I ripped to MP3. I did wonder if you could use CGI software to add visuals but it's probably best to use your imagination.
I thought I had that, and Now I'm suddenly wondering if I only have part one.
Arrrfg!
The thing about the books is that every one was smoking.
Which is why I would cast an older Dennis Leary as Hari Seldon.
Arrrfg!
The thing about the books is that every one was smoking.
Which is why I would cast an older Dennis Leary as Hari Seldon.
At this point I'd much rather see a "fan" production than Hollywood's inevitable bastardization of the material. Something along the lines of the H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society's approach with "The Whisperer In Darkness". Do it art deco futurism style and find a way to make any changes minimal, yet not too distracting. I think that's going to be the only way we ever get a fairly faithful version of the stories.
As for the BBC radio adaptation.....here it is:https://archive.org/details/IsaacAsimov-TheFoundationTrilogy
As for the BBC radio adaptation.....here it is:https://archive.org/details/IsaacAsimov-TheFoundationTrilogy
I made the mistake of trying to start this series right after getting out of a brutal sociology final in college. To this day I haven't been able to make myself read them.
Asimov's nonfiction essays were great reading, though.
That said... complex SF novels (or series of short stories edited to make novels, as this series was) deserve a well-planned, well-written, well-acted miniseries, as was done with Dune and Children of Dune.
Nobody in the Foundation books wore funny hats, did they?
Asimov's nonfiction essays were great reading, though.
That said... complex SF novels (or series of short stories edited to make novels, as this series was) deserve a well-planned, well-written, well-acted miniseries, as was done with Dune and Children of Dune.
Nobody in the Foundation books wore funny hats, did they?
I creamed myself when Hari was elected Prime Minister, it suddenly made the first chapter of the first novel made so much sense that there would be that much political resentment against his personage had actually ruled the Empire after a fashion for a couple decades.
Although it was remittant of Gaal Dornick not to mention this from the get go.
Although it was remittant of Gaal Dornick not to mention this from the get go.
I made the mistake of trying to start this series right after getting out of a brutal sociology final in college. To this day I haven't been able to make myself read them.
Asimov's nonfiction essays were great reading, though.
That said... complex SF novels (or series of short stories edited to make novels, as this series was) deserve a well-planned, well-written, well-acted miniseries, as was done with Dune and Children of Dune.
Nobody in the Foundation books wore funny hats, did they?
I was so hung over, that I could only move one arm.
Flailing, I snagged the first book, and it was 120 pages later before I could rise to my feet.
(This is the same story, different day as to how I first read preacher.)
Oh look, just after I finish downloading 1 -8, I discover that i always had one to 8.
Part of the charm of the trilogy is hard to recreate in tone in a visual medium. That being said, miniseries is the best option. I think it's too talk and exposition heavy, though.
Really? I could see that maybe being true for anything involving the Second Foundation, but the bulk of it seems fairly straightforward to me.
I don't think you necessarily have to change it to "fix" that, though. There's a lot of stuff that happens off-screen; an adaptation (especially in a miniseries format) could start showing some of that instead.
Would work best as a stage production, to be honest.
I first read it as a 12 year old about to move halfway across the world. Lost the book ( on loan from the library) and incurred my father's wrath, as the library harassing him was the last thing needed before this move.I made the mistake of trying to start this series right after getting out of a brutal sociology final in college. To this day I haven't been able to make myself read them.
Asimov's nonfiction essays were great reading, though.
That said... complex SF novels (or series of short stories edited to make novels, as this series was) deserve a well-planned, well-written, well-acted miniseries, as was done with Dune and Children of Dune.
Nobody in the Foundation books wore funny hats, did they?
Miniseries, as it's already episodic.
Mini-series. Trying to wedge the various vignettes into one overall film (for each book) wouldn't work and no doubt the film would be written to make one major overall action story.
"Ruined" is not quite the word.
Roland Emmerich has the film and TV rights to Foundation. He tried to get it made as a film without success and is now trying to develop it as a TV miniseries.
...or, we could do that...
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