JMS to update "Forbidden Planet"

[CommodoreKong]

I can't wait to see what JMS does with Forbidden Planet, it's a great film and I'm sure he will do a great remake.

I've been underwhelmed by much of jms' previous work and downright disappointed by "Babylon5," which had a lot of promise in its first season (and perhaps, into its second).

You liked the first season but not the others? Now I've seen it all.

 

[Tyson]

Why make silver out of Gold?

Right on. Let's see Hollywood remake forgotten movies that had interesting concepts but didn't work as well as they should. That way the term 're-make' might have a meaning besides 'superfluous'. The more they regurgitate these so-called updates, the more I am drawn to the original works.

Holy fuck, this. Some things need to be remade, like the original BSG which pissed away damn near everything about it's premise. But Forbidden Planet? No goddamn way modern Hollywood isn't going to fuck that up, JMS or no JMS. I mean fuck, look what they did to I, Robot.

 

[AJBryant]

Well, maybe we'll actually get to see Altaira skinny dipping.

That wouldn't suck.

 

[Psion]

"What's a bathing suit?"

 

[bintak]

Why make silver out of Gold?

Right on. Let's see Hollywood remake forgotten movies that had interesting concepts but didn't work as well as they should. That way the term 're-make' might have a meaning besides 'superfluous'. The more they regurgitate these so-called updates, the more I am drawn to the original works.

Holy fuck, this. Some things need to be remade, like the original BSG which pissed away damn near everything about it's premise. But Forbidden Planet? No goddamn way modern Hollywood isn't going to fuck that up, JMS or no JMS. I mean fuck, look what they did to I, Robot.

Yeah, the only thing they needed to completely trash that PoS that they made of I, Robot, was to include Patrick Stewart as a character in it somewhere. Him as Elijah Bailey?

 

[Maurice]

I've often thought that Forbidden Planet was ripe subject matter for a retelling, and a good smart writer could do great things with it. I'm not convinced that JMS is that writer.

 

[JuanBolio]

Nice! Forbidden Planet is one of my all-time favorite sci-fi movies, and JMS is a great sci-fi writer with a talent for putting a hard scientific edge on his work - something that's rare in the genre these days.

 

[Reverend]

Before we loose touch with reality, let us not forget that 'Forbidden Planet' is in itself a "remake" of Shakespeare's 'The Tempest', so it's hardly sacrosanct.

 

[Neroon]

Perhaps.... but it is a rather different tale told in a completely different medium, hence the separation.

For my part, I am VERY reluctant when I find out a remake is being made, especially something so time-honored a standard as "Forbidden Planet". When the film is so highly regarded, you're just asking for trouble by attempting a remake. Case in point: "Psycho". However, I'm convinced that at least as far as the story goes, jms is a great choice. In part because I have enjoyed his writing for the most part. However, it's also because he seems to have a reverential regard for the classics, whether in film or television. From that perspective at least, I'm cautiously optimistic like Starship Polaris. The fear some of us - well, many of us have is well-founded. For the time being I'm going to be looking forward to this... but with my fingers crossed.

However, I'm like you Dane, in that I'd rather see remakes of those films that have been forgotten or tried and didn't quite make the mark for whatever reason.

 

[arch101]

More fully-functional Krell doors! Joy!

 

[The Wormhole]

Having never seen the original Forbidden Planet I could hardly care if it gets remade. However, another remake? Can't Hollywood get off its ass and make something original for once?

 

[CommodoreKong]

Having never seen the original Forbidden Planet I could hardly care if it gets remade. However, another remake? Can't Hollywood get off its ass and make something original for once?

Since you post on a Star Trek message board you should check it out, there's no doubt in my mind that Roddenberry was heavily influenced by Forbidden Planet when creating TOS.

 

[Amaris]

Interesting. I'm not sure if it would work, but I would give it a chance. I'm actually watching the original right now on my DVR.


J.

 

[Psion]

Having never seen the original Forbidden Planet I could hardly care if it gets remade. However, another remake? Can't Hollywood get off its ass and make something original for once?

[sputters with indignant rage and righteous self-importance]
You've. Never. Seen. Forbidden Planet?!

You are NOT of the body!

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Having never seen the original Forbidden Planet I could hardly care if it gets remade. However, another remake? Can't Hollywood get off its ass and make something original for once?

[sputters with indignant rage and righteous self-importance]
You've. Never. Seen. Forbidden Planet?!

You are NOT of the body!

I've never seen it either.

I have, OTOH, seen ENT's "Oasis".

 

[Psion]

Having never seen the original Forbidden Planet I could hardly care if it gets remade. However, another remake? Can't Hollywood get off its ass and make something original for once?

[sputters with indignant rage and righteous self-importance]
You've. Never. Seen. Forbidden Planet?!

You are NOT of the body!

I've never seen it either.

I have, OTOH, seen ENT's "Oasis".

WTF?!

I'm surrounded by POD PEOPLE!

 

[Steve Roby]

WTF?!

I'm surrounded by POD PEOPLE!

Maybe they're not TOS fans. To me, being a TOS fan who hasn't seen Forbidden Planet would be like being a TOS fan who's never seen "The Cage." So much of early TOS comes from Forbidden Planet that it's almost like finding someone who likes the animated Clone Wars but has no interest at all in the actual Star Wars movies. But there's really not a lot of FP influence on the later Trek series at all.

Which reminds me: the problem with remaking Forbidden Planet is that, as great and influential as it is, it's also very dated. A starship crew that's all white, male, and heterosexual; the crew's reactions to and interactions with Altaira; the heavy emphasis on Freudian psychology; the focus on Robbie the Robot as amazingly high tech... a lot of that is going to look terribly dated to a 21st century audience.

The first question is, how can you update something like Forbidden Planet without radically changing everything from the characters to the plot structure, while staying faithful in some way to the original?

The second is, if you're sure the first can be done, who do you get to do it? JMS is a relatively old-fashioned kind of writer; his attempt at giving Marvel's classic Doctor Strange character a modern makeover in a comics miniseries not too long ago was unconvincing, trying to balance a middle-aged man's idea of what's hep with the kids of today with staying faithful to the essence of the story and character, and not really pulling off either. I can't help but think that a JMS take on FP will be similar -- too retro and stodgy for young viewers, too full of desperate attempts at updating for fans of the original.

 

[Philo]

^ Well put. That's exactly what I was thinking. Even without what you said about JMS specifically, I think that kind of failure of approach typifies remakes in general. Lost in Space, anyone?

I'm putting myself in the 'expecting the worst, hoping for the best' camp.

 

[Cutter John]

You guys really need to go pick it up. They put out a really nice remasted dvd just last year. Looks gorgeous, and the stories held up a lot better than most 50's SF.

Hmmm, I should go watch it again.

 

[Philo]

Even just the sound design by itself is so good you could play it on the radio and still come out having had an enjoyable experience.

Speaking of which, that's something else that I wouldn't expect to come out favourably in any remake. Not to say it couldn't be good, just that it couldn't be as good. Hell, if it were my choice, they could dramatically change everything else (even the iconic visuals), but I'd recreate the sound work note for note. I think that'd actually play very well. It'd be dynamic and unique.