UFO TV Series Headed For The Big Screen

[Carpe Occasio]

Robert Evans is teaming with ITV Global on a feature film based on the 1970s British TV series UFO, Variety reported.

Evans is producing with Avi Haas and Henri M. Kessler. Ryan Gaudet and Joseph Kanarek are penning a script.

The series debuted in 1970 and ran for three years, with characters created by Gerry Anderson. It was set in 1980 and revolves around Shado (Supreme Headquarters Alien Defense Organization), a covert military organization that thwarts an alien race that has been kidnapping and killing humans for decades, then using the body parts.

Shado headquarters is hidden beneath a Hollywood studio, and the studio mogul is actually the Shado commander. The movie will be set in the year 2020.

http://scifiwire.com/2009/05/the-british-ufo-tv-series.php

 

[Alpha_Geek]

INTRUDER ALERT - INTRUDER ALERT - THIS IS S.I.D. LAUNCH MOONBASE INTERCEPTORS - UFO APPROACHING...

 

[Lonemagpie]

Fuck me, when did those other two seasons turn up?

 

[Mistral]

Oh, God, I had a Corgi Toys Interceptor as a child-please let them recapture that classic design!

 

[The Badger]

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

 

[Klaus]

Reminds me, I need to get my next UFO review done for my review thread!

We'll see about a movie, it's been tried before. I'll have to hear more details before I get excited or indignant.

 

[Mistral]

Reminds me, I need to get my next UFO review done for my review thread!

We'll see about a movie, it's been tried before. I'll have to hear more details before I get excited or indignant.

Just so long as Will Ferrell doesn't get involved....

 

[Klaus]

Just so long as Will Ferrell doesn't get involved....

If THAT happens, you'll get to see me on the news. I'll be the one with the shotgun and grenades.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Neal McDonough as Ed Straker. You know you want it.

 

[Mistral]

Neal McDonough as Ed Straker. You know you want it.

Oh, yeah! Bring some of that love to the producers, they need to know! That's what I'm talking about! How to make a conflicted character look conflicted!

 

[QuasarVM]

Robert Evans is teaming with ITV Global on a feature film based on the 1970s British TV series UFO, Variety reported.

Evans is producing with Avi Haas and Henri M. Kessler. Ryan Gaudet and Joseph Kanarek are penning a script.

The series debuted in 1970 and ran for three years, with characters created by Gerry Anderson. It was set in 1980 and revolves around Shado (Supreme Headquarters Alien Defense Organization), a covert military organization that thwarts an alien race that has been kidnapping and killing humans for decades, then using the body parts.

Shado headquarters is hidden beneath a Hollywood studio, and the studio mogul is actually the Shado commander. The movie will be set in the year 2020.

http://scifiwire.com/2009/05/the-british-ufo-tv-series.php

If executed properly this could SO RULE!!!

 

[Marc]

Robert Evans is teaming with ITV Global on a feature film based on the 1970s British TV series UFO, Variety reported.

Evans is producing with Avi Haas and Henri M. Kessler. Ryan Gaudet and Joseph Kanarek are penning a script.

The series debuted in 1970 and ran for three years, with characters created by Gerry Anderson. It was set in 1980 and revolves around Shado (Supreme Headquarters Alien Defense Organization), a covert military organization that thwarts an alien race that has been kidnapping and killing humans for decades, then using the body parts.

Shado headquarters is hidden beneath a Hollywood studio, and the studio mogul is actually the Shado commander. The movie will be set in the year 2020.

http://scifiwire.com/2009/05/the-british-ufo-tv-series.php

If executed properly this could SO RULE!!!

I wouldn't hold my breath on that though - remember the dogs breakfast they made of Thunderbirds (what the hell was Frakes smoking on that one???)

Speaking of Thunderbirds, apparently Gerry Anderson is in talks for an animated remake but hopefully it won't suffer the same fate as the recent animated Captain Scarlet.

 

[QuasarVM]

Robert Evans is teaming with ITV Global on a feature film based on the 1970s British TV series UFO, Variety reported.

Evans is producing with Avi Haas and Henri M. Kessler. Ryan Gaudet and Joseph Kanarek are penning a script.

The series debuted in 1970 and ran for three years, with characters created by Gerry Anderson. It was set in 1980 and revolves around Shado (Supreme Headquarters Alien Defense Organization), a covert military organization that thwarts an alien race that has been kidnapping and killing humans for decades, then using the body parts.

Shado headquarters is hidden beneath a Hollywood studio, and the studio mogul is actually the Shado commander. The movie will be set in the year 2020.

http://scifiwire.com/2009/05/the-british-ufo-tv-series.php

If executed properly this could SO RULE!!!

I wouldn't hold my breath on that though - remember the dogs breakfast they made of Thunderbirds (what the hell was Frakes smoking on that one???)

Speaking of Thunderbirds, apparently Gerry Anderson is in talks for an animated remake but hopefully it won't suffer the same fate as the recent animated Captain Scarlet.

Yeah, that was AW-FUL!!!

I hope UFO has a better fate, but I've always thought it would make a very successful film franchise if given the proper respect and treatment.

It's welcome news -- but as you say, we should keep on top of this production and watch with a wary eye.

Casting will -- as usual -- have a lot to say about the quality of the film and I'll be curious to see who they pick to direct, who will be doing the FX, etc...

The success of this film will be vital for any potential Space:1999 remake...and my support thereof -- because you KNOW it will be next on the remake list.

 

[Starkers]

Neal McDonough as Ed Straker. You know you want it.

Probably the best casting they could get outside of cloning Ed Bishop

I dunno about a remake. The trouble is the temptation will be to play up the camp- but actually the purple wigs and silver jumpsuits weren't intended as campy, it was Silvia Anderson's real belief that that's how people would dress in 1980, and the series could actually be really dark (Straker having to choose between using SHADO to save his son or to fight off an alien attack, the couple planning to murder the woman's husband till an alien gets in the way etc...)

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

 

[RJDiogenes]

but actually the purple wigs and silver jumpsuits weren't intended as campy, it was Silvia Anderson's real belief that that's how people would dress in 1980

And she was right.

Is there any indication that this will be a remake, or might it be a sequel?

 

[Australis]

I want Neal McDonough as Straker too.

I was watching some eps a while ago, and you know, for puppets, the UFOs were bloody effective.

And on Thunderbirds, I can tell you exactly what the mistake was.

When the movie was about to be released, there was a big poster up at a local shopping mall. Who stopped and looked at the poster in some detail? Not kids and teens - guys in their 30s and 40s. That was the market they should have aimed for.

Keeping in mind that Evans as a producer was behind Rosemary's Baby, Love Story, Chinatown, The Out-Of-Towners, The Phantom (which I like), and How To Lose A Guy In Ten Days. Not a lot of SF there.

Which raises the question, what market would this movie be aimed at?

 

[diankra]

I want Neal McDonough as Straker too.

I was watching some eps a while ago, and you know, for puppets, the UFOs were bloody effective.

And on Thunderbirds, I can tell you exactly what the mistake was.

When the movie was about to be released, there was a big poster up at a local shopping mall. Who stopped and looked at the poster in some detail? Not kids and teens - guys in their 30s and 40s. That was the market they should have aimed for.

Keeping in mind that Evans as a producer was behind Rosemary's Baby, Love Story, Chinatown, The Out-Of-Towners, The Phantom (which I like), and How To Lose A Guy In Ten Days. Not a lot of SF there.

Which raises the question, what market would this movie be aimed at?

Let's be realistic: it'll be aimed more at the flashs-and-bangs, look at this cool hardware market (and it's got loads of cool hardware to show off). Much as I love the more cerebral and dramatic episodes of UFO, they're very unlikely to head it over in that direction (and even if they did, film critics who know no Tv would simply dismiss it as a Solaris rip-off).

 

[Marc]

I want Neal McDonough as Straker too.

I was watching some eps a while ago, and you know, for puppets, the UFOs were bloody effective.

Anderson knew how to get same damn good model workers for his tv shows.

And on Thunderbirds, I can tell you exactly what the mistake was.

When the movie was about to be released, there was a big poster up at a local shopping mall. Who stopped and looked at the poster in some detail? Not kids and teens - guys in their 30s and 40s. That was the market they should have aimed for.

Yeah Thunderbirds shoudn't of been done as a kids movie. It should of been done as a, dare I say it, a family movie. One that the adults who grew up with Thunderbirds could enjoy with their kids.

A few years back Thunderbird 6 got shown at a Cinema in Adelaide. It was aimed during a schoool holiday but in the session I went to there were men there with their young sons and others like me who would of grown up watching it in the 60s and 70s.

Which raises the question, what market would this movie be aimed at?

I don't think the original was ever campy (wigs aside). If they could do it the vein of the original and not have the multi 100mil budget then it could be aimed at the sci-fi market and do quite well.

 

[Ptrope]

I've also pushed for Neal McDonough, but a strange revelation came to me this weekend at WonderFest - we saw a video that included Mark Hamill, and it struck me that his eyes and his voice could make a great Straker! Of course, I'm still a fan of Neal in the post, but if they can't get him, do you think Hamill would turn it down if offered?

I don't know if the silver screen is the best place for UFO - I could see it easily slide into the sort of realistic-ish shows like the CSIs or Fringe and be a real knock-out. Frankly, I'd like to see it set present day - heck, that's already 30 years after it was supposed to take place. Keep it in England (surely there's a place in Vancouver that could double for the day-after-day shooting, right? ), but have Straker emphasize his American roots by driving a Viper .

 

[Starkers]

I want Neal McDonough as Straker too.

I was watching some eps a while ago, and you know, for puppets, the UFOs were bloody effective.

And on Thunderbirds, I can tell you exactly what the mistake was.

When the movie was about to be released, there was a big poster up at a local shopping mall. Who stopped and looked at the poster in some detail? Not kids and teens - guys in their 30s and 40s. That was the market they should have aimed for.

Keeping in mind that Evans as a producer was behind Rosemary's Baby, Love Story, Chinatown, The Out-Of-Towners, The Phantom (which I like), and How To Lose A Guy In Ten Days. Not a lot of SF there.

Which raises the question, what market would this movie be aimed at?

The best bit of Thunderbirds was the title sequence Actually, sadly I quite enjoyed the film. It was a lousy Thunderbirnds film, but as a kids adventure I thought Frakes directed it well in that it rattled along at a good pace--It didn't bore me...it just wasn't really a TB film!