This is topic Ender's Game Movie NEWS!!! in forum Books, Films, Food and Culture at Hatrack River Forum.


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Posted by Fubeca (Member # 12662) on :
 
Since there seems to be a ton of news coming out about the Ender's Game Movie, FINALLY! I thought it would be good to have a thread focus on all of the news that keeps flowing...

"Ben Kingsley in Talks to Join HUGO Co-Star Asa Buttefield in ENDER’S GAME"
http://collider.com/ben-kingsley-enders-game/131434/

"Harrison Ford Eyed for ENDER’S GAME; Asa Butterfield Confirmed for Lead"
http://collider.com/harrison-ford-asa-butterfield-enders-game/129346/

"Hailee Steinfeld in Talks to Play Petra in ENDER’S GAME"
http://collider.com/hailee-steinfeld-enders-game/129921/
 
Posted by Geraine (Member # 9913) on :
 
Ben Kingsley for Mazer? I suppose that could work.
 
Posted by Kwea (Member # 2199) on :
 
Coool! About time!
 
Posted by millernumber1 (Member # 9894) on :
 
Hmmm. Well, it's not as bad as Jeff Bridges - Kingsley definitely has the ability to do very hard edged, but also very warm. I think I can get excited about this.

Now if we can just get confirmation on all these casting rumors!
 
Posted by The Reader (Member # 3636) on :
 
Thes rumors are very good.
 
Posted by El JT de Spang (Member # 7742) on :
 
As long as you aren't OSC.
 
Posted by Jeff C. (Member # 12496) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by El JT de Spang:
As long as you aren't OSC.

Why do you say that?
 
Posted by Yebor1 (Member # 1380) on :
 
I don't know for some reason i see malcolm Mcdowel as a better Mazar than kingsley.
 
Posted by El JT de Spang (Member # 7742) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Jeff C.:
quote:
Originally posted by El JT de Spang:
As long as you aren't OSC.

Why do you say that?
Because he was ranting on his facebook page about Kingsley being a horrible Mazer, but then he later deleted it. At least, that's what I was told by someone who is facebook friends with him. So, take that as what it is: hearsay.
 
Posted by Stone_Wolf_ (Member # 8299) on :
 
The only entry on "OSC's facebook" is from 2008 and is a request for Admins, which lots of people answered, but which never went forward even a little bit. I suspect the person who told you this is a bit confused.
 
Posted by Orincoro (Member # 8854) on :
 
LOL. I've imagined ever since I listened to the afterword of Enders shadow from Blackstone audio, how *impossible* OSC would be to work with on a film. It wasn't that he sounded like too much of a pain in the ass talking about it, but I got the definite sense that there is a certain "my way or the highway" attitude there. I would not be at all surprised if there was constant conflict over this, particularly as the preproduction stuff gets nailed down.
 
Posted by Orincoro (Member # 8854) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Stone_Wolf_:
The only entry on "OSC's facebook" is from 2008 and is a request for Admins, which lots of people answered, but which never went forward even a little bit. I suspect the person who told you this is a bit confused.

That would be his public figure page, which he may not have developed. He may well have a private page that is not even searchable. Lots of celebrities have them.
 
Posted by TheTick (Member # 2883) on :
 
Not so much a terrible Mazer, but another example of Hollywood whitewashing a dark-skinned character. The implication being that the Hollywood casting folks said "hmm, half-Maori, you say? What about Ben Kingsley? Close enough, right?" and called it a day. Who knows, that might even be true. Doesn't mean it will be bad for the movie. I just hope that the other Battle School kids are diverse the way they should be.
 
Posted by TheTick (Member # 2883) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Stone_Wolf_:
The only entry on "OSC's facebook" is from 2008 and is a request for Admins, which lots of people answered, but which never went forward even a little bit. I suspect the person who told you this is a bit confused.

*eyeroll* It was on his personal Facebook page, he friends back anybody who friends him first. Believe it was confirmed early on that it was really him, and other folks (like the producer o some of his audiobooks) seem to agree. (obviously I'm the person who saw it, along with whoever the lady was that actually asked him about it)

(the 'People' listing for OSC has the black and white headshot)
 
Posted by Blayne Bradley (Member # 8565) on :
 
They are probably going to ruin the ethnic makeup of battleschool; then again if Hollywood is as "liberal" and "anti america" as conservative's claim, maybe they will use a world accurate divirsity.
 
Posted by Orincoro (Member # 8854) on :
 
I'm trying to parse what that comment implies.
 
Posted by millernumber1 (Member # 9894) on :
 
Hmm. Kinda bummed that Card is upset. I personally think Kingsley is better than say, Patrick Stewart (to name other bald British celebrities) - he is, after all, (according to online sources) half-Indian - which is sort of the right quarter of the globe.
 
Posted by stacey (Member # 3661) on :
 
It would have been cool if they could have used a Maori actor for Mazer. We have a few awesome ones from little old NZ that would have fit the bill. But I guess it's hard enough finding brilliant actors who would be right for the role, let alone finding brilliant actors who are also the exact right ethnicity and look for the role. And there is such a wide variety of ethnicities in Ender's Game that it would be hard to please everyone.
 
Posted by millernumber1 (Member # 9894) on :
 
I agree it would have been fantastic to get an actual part-Maori actor - but I hope that Kingsley's cachet will bring a bonus of regonition and class to the production (with the connections to Transformers and Wolverine, I'm of the opinion that the more class added, the better).
 
Posted by Orincoro (Member # 8854) on :
 
Mazer is half of European decent anyway. In Hollywood, that means white, but "off-white". And anyway, it's all about profile.
 
Posted by Geraine (Member # 9913) on :
 
It is kind of too bad Manu Bennett isn't about 30 years older. He would've been good too [Smile]
 
Posted by chervil (Member # 12704) on :
 
What's funny is that when I originally heard Ford would be playing Graff, I wasn't to sure about it.

I had always pictured someone like Brian Dennehy or even Rip Torn in that role, so it was kind of surprising.

However I just started re-reading EG again, and I find myself hearing Ford's voice (the way he played it in Cowboys and Alien's) as I read Graff's lines, and it actually kind of fits.

I do hope that they keep the school diversified.
And I know they will have to cut some things to keep it accessible (I hear there will be no Giant's Game in the movie) but hopefully they don't skimp on the way that Graff guides Ender by isolating him at every turn.

The other concern I have is whether they will be able to portray what is going on with Peter and Valentine. While a side-story, it is pretty involved and may be difficult to slip into the movie without things becoming confusing.
 
Posted by WarStoke (Member # 12708) on :
 
sigh if they cut out the fantasy game then that means that in 20 years when they make speaker or the next several books into movies how will they explain Jane's origin .
 
Posted by Tarrsk (Member # 332) on :
 
Let the Great Whitewashing begin! Whee!
 
Posted by capaxinfiniti (Member # 12181) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Tarrsk:
Let the Great Whitewashing begin! Whee!

a la The Prince of Persia - white actors with ridiculous amounts of what looks like spray-on tan.

I don't plan on seeing the movie, regardless of actors, director, divine command, etc, but if they end up making a movie, I hope they get some fresh faces (ethnically accurate ones too) and stay true to book. I would hate to see the fantastic enderverse tainted by a poorly made film.
 
Posted by Nighthawk (Member # 4176) on :
 
Brendan Meyer cast as Stilson (with some serious spoilers... that we all know)


According to the article, Kingsley's already been cast?
 
Posted by millernumber1 (Member # 9894) on :
 
17? Really? 17?
 
Posted by Shanna (Member # 7900) on :
 
In the photo that the link provides, I would have guessed he was younger than 17. But they haven't started filming yet and everyone is aging by the day.
 
Posted by Dan_Frank (Member # 8488) on :
 
Yeah they seem to be going the route of getting young looking teenagers, and probably making them up (or CGing them) to look even younger. *Shrug*

Was there really ever any other outcome? I know OSC explicitly didn't want teenagers playing everyone, but, honestly. It was the likeliest course of action.
 
Posted by BlackBlade (Member # 8376) on :
 
Stilson has an extremely important but very short lived role. Also because he's a bully you get a bit of leeway with age since age brings size which means greater intimidation. It might also shock us that much more when Ender does what he does in the movie.

This casting choice doesn't bother me nearly as much as say a 17 year old playing Bean*.

*I probably just ensured that this will now happen. I am SOOOO sorry people.
 
Posted by Nighthawk (Member # 4176) on :
 
Harrison Ford will be Bean.
 
Posted by BlackBlade (Member # 8376) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Nighthawk:
Harrison Ford will be Bean.

Release the ninja hounds with freakin' laser beams on their heads.
 
Posted by Jeff C. (Member # 12496) on :
 
I'd really like to know how they are going to pull off these kids' genius. I mean, it's gotta be tough to show how smart a ten year old is. I doubt they'll show them on their desks hacking the system over and over.
 
Posted by Bella Bee (Member # 7027) on :
 
It might be easier to show how clever a 17 year old is. I seriously doubt they're going to try to de-age these kids in the slightest. I expect the whole story to play out in about a year of their lives, somewhere around their mid-teens.
 
Posted by stacey (Member # 3661) on :
 
Just a random thought I had but do you think that the Ender's Game movie will have missed the boat boat by not coming out before The Hunger Games movie?

They are totally different books/movies of course but lots of similar concepts and themes. Not least the child brutality and children's war games ideas.

I'm sure there are movies out there already that you could compare with Ender's Game but The Hunger Games seems (to me) to be very similar and I wondered what sort of impact, if any, that might have on the success of Ender's Game.

Perhaps it will actually help to have that precedent set already?

Thoughts?
 
Posted by millernumber1 (Member # 9894) on :
 
I just hope that they'll pay attention to the success of Hunger Games (and Twilight and Harry Potter and, to some extent, Lord of the Rings), and the failure of Narnia, and realize that it's paying attention to a proven narrative that fans have already embraced, and not trying to please a certain prefabricated demographic created by marketing that will guarantee success.

Also, I think the fact that Ender's Game is in space will, you know, differentiate it from the completely terrestrial setting of Hunger Games. The title similarity is funny - I've been pushing Ender's Game on all my Hunger Games-loving friends for the past two months. :-)
 
Posted by Taalcon (Member # 839) on :
 
For those interested in keeping up on the news, Cassandra over at EndersAnsible.com has been doing an amazing job with up-to-date casting and production news.
 
Posted by millernumber1 (Member # 9894) on :
 
Thanks for the link!
 
Posted by BlackBlade (Member # 8376) on :
 
Harrison Ford officially signs on as Graff.

The article contains a truckload of other casting decisions. I'll have to look these actors up.
 
Posted by Taalcon (Member # 839) on :
 
Ender's Ansible has already compiled a bunch of pics of those actors. Wow. wow. Wow.
 
Posted by BlackBlade (Member # 8376) on :
 
Ohhh thanks for pointing that out.
 
Posted by Dan_Frank (Member # 8488) on :
 
If I cared more about preserving the races of the characters in the text, I'd likely be up in arms. I'm more annoyed about the age thing, but utterly unsurprised.

Mostly just surprised that I'm actually sort of beginning to be a little bit hopeful that the tone of the novel will actually be semi-preserved, instead of just becoming a bland teen adventure in space. That would basically be enough for me to see it. So, that's neat.
 
Posted by BlackBlade (Member # 8376) on :
 
I wonder sometimes if the movie will have a noticeable effect on the number of people registering and posting here.
 
Posted by Orincoro (Member # 8854) on :
 
Dink is being played by a black actor... for some reason, and it appears that Alai, who *is* black, is being played by an Arian/Arab/Persian (can't really tell) actor- definitely not black. And Bonzo is being played by a Colombian, which might make sense.

This is just odd. Dink is from Holland (still could be black) (or was it Australia?), and Alai is black, definitely not western Asian. That is how the characters were written. It's just a little odd to depart that far from the basis of the characters, for no evident reason.

Hell, I'm just sort of glad there doesn't seem to be any really obvious bad stunt casting amongst the kids. None of Will Smith's kids are present, so far.
 
Posted by Dan_Frank (Member # 8488) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Orincoro:
Hell, I'm just sort of glad there doesn't seem to be any really obvious bad stunt casting amongst the kids. None of Will Smith's kids are present, so far.

Not just that, but they seem to be actively courting young actors who have previous legitimate accomplishments. That's actually pretty cool.

See my above comment about cautious optimism re: tone.
 
Posted by Kincaid (Member # 12715) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Orincoro

Hell, I'm just sort of glad there doesn't seem to be any really obvious bad stunt casting amongst the kids. None of Will Smith's kids are present, so far. [/QB]

To be fair, they probably couldn't afford to cast one of Will Smith's kids.

Casting Harrison Ford and Abigail Breslin probably had a lot more to do with having some bigger names in the cast than anything else.
 
Posted by Aros (Member # 4873) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Orincoro:
Dink is being played by a black actor... for some reason, and it appears that Alai, who *is* black, is being played by an Arian/Arab/Persian (can't really tell) actor- definitely not black. And Bonzo is being played by a Colombian, which might make sense.

This is just odd. Dink is from Holland (still could be black) (or was it Australia?), and Alai is black, definitely not western Asian. That is how the characters were written. It's just a little odd to depart that far from the basis of the characters, for no evident reason.

Are you just quoting this from memory, or can you reference somewhere? Alai is a Muslim, and he led the Muslim nations in the Shadow series. According to Wikipedia, he's from "North Africa". North Africa's main ethnic groups are the Arabs and Berbers -- I'm certain that this kid could pass for Arabic descent.

Not sure that it really matters, anyway. If the writing's good, acting's good, and characters are good. Ender could be purple, for all I care. At least the cast is diverse -- that speaks well to the international feel of the series.
 
Posted by millernumber1 (Member # 9894) on :
 
That's...a lot of actors...and a lot of bigger names I did not expect.

I really, really hope they push to make the kids play young.
 
Posted by Mucus (Member # 9735) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Orincoro:
..., is being played by an Arian/Arab/Persian (can't really tell) actor- definitely not black.

If it helps, his webpage says that his name and favourite song are Indian.

[ December 21, 2011, 07:30 PM: Message edited by: Mucus ]
 
Posted by Geraine (Member # 9913) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Orincoro:

Hell, I'm just sort of glad there doesn't seem to be any really obvious bad stunt casting amongst the kids. None of Will Smith's kids are present, so far.

I whip my hair back and forth, I whip my hair back and forth!
 
Posted by Dan_Frank (Member # 8488) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Geraine:
quote:
Originally posted by Orincoro:

Hell, I'm just sort of glad there doesn't seem to be any really obvious bad stunt casting amongst the kids. None of Will Smith's kids are present, so far.

I whip my hair back and forth, I whip my hair back and forth!
Just remember, the enemy's hair is down.
 
Posted by Orincoro (Member # 8854) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Mucus:
quote:
Originally posted by Orincoro:
..., is being played by an Arian/Arab/Persian (can't really tell) actor- definitely not black.

If it helps, his webpage says that his name and favourite song are Indian.
As I say, he looks to be either northern Indian or Persian, whereas Alai is written as a black African muslim. The idea is slightly complicated by the idea that in the later books he is Caliph in the Arab League, which would indicate that he was probably born in an Arab state, which could mean that he isn't actually of full black African descent, or that he is a member of a minority black population from North Africa, or some such. Still, he is consistently referred to as being black.
 
Posted by Dan_Frank (Member # 8488) on :
 
Orincoro is right. Alai is absolutely black in the books. In fact, the people that betray him in the Shadow series specifically call him a black African dog, or some similarly racist slur.

But again, personally, I don't actually care all that much about preserving the races of the cast, as long as the tone is preserved. I know this is a common bugbear for people, but it's not one that troubles me.
 
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Dan_Frank:
Just remember, the enemy's hair is down.

[ROFL]

I am finding the fact that they are completely ignoring the characters' racial/ethnic backgrounds (as written) very discouraging. Not just because I do care, but because it makes me wonder about the degree of changes in the plot. Which I care about much more.
 
Posted by Dan_Frank (Member # 8488) on :
 
Yeah, that's fair. My expectations were unbelievably low, so that may effect how much this stuff is bothering me.
 
Posted by Blayne Bradley (Member # 8565) on :
 
Better than Last Airbender so far though.
 
Posted by Aros (Member # 4873) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Blayne Bradley:
Better than Last Airbender so far though.

That's not exactly setting the bar very high.
 
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Dan_Frank:
My expectations were unbelievably low

I keep trying, but unquenchable optimism keeps surfacing. I don't know why.
 
Posted by DDDaysh (Member # 9499) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by rivka:
quote:
Originally posted by Dan_Frank:
My expectations were unbelievably low

I keep trying, but unquenchable optimism keeps surfacing. I don't know why.
Because, seeing Ender's Game, done right on the big screen would be awesome!

Unfortunately, there's almost zero chance that it will happen...
 
Posted by millernumber1 (Member # 9894) on :
 
I think Ender's Game done on the level of Lord of the Rings films would be really good (as someone who really, really disliked Return of the King). Ender's Game done on the level of The Chronicles of Narnia (recent films) would be a major disappointment. On the level of The Last Airbender, it would make my inner squirrel wither like...well, I'll leave the squirrel where it is...
 
Posted by Orincoro (Member # 8854) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Aros:
quote:
Originally posted by Orincoro:
Dink is being played by a black actor... for some reason, and it appears that Alai, who *is* black, is being played by an Arian/Arab/Persian (can't really tell) actor- definitely not black. And Bonzo is being played by a Colombian, which might make sense.

This is just odd. Dink is from Holland (still could be black) (or was it Australia?), and Alai is black, definitely not western Asian. That is how the characters were written. It's just a little odd to depart that far from the basis of the characters, for no evident reason.

Are you just quoting this from memory, or can you reference somewhere? Alai is a Muslim, and he led the Muslim nations in the Shadow series. According to Wikipedia, he's from "North Africa". North Africa's main ethnic groups are the Arabs and Berbers -- I'm certain that this kid could pass for Arabic descent.

Not sure that it really matters, anyway. If the writing's good, acting's good, and characters are good. Ender could be purple, for all I care. At least the cast is diverse -- that speaks well to the international feel of the series.

Sorry, I missed this originally. Yes, I'm referring to my memory. Ender refers to Alai as "a really small black kid," and then refers to him obliquely as "nigger," (this was apparently sanitized in later editions, sadly). In later books, Alai's betrayers refer to him as "Black dog," and there are multiple other references to his black African decent.

I am not accountable to what wikipedia has to say about it. Anyone can post surmise there, and frequently people do just that. There are of course pure black Africans in North Africa, it's just clear to me this particular kid is not black. I find it an odd choice considering the preponderance of actors available- and I suspect, though I have no way to prove it, that he was cast as middle eastern to cater to religious stereotyping.

[ December 22, 2011, 08:38 AM: Message edited by: Orincoro ]
 
Posted by Kama (Member # 3022) on :
 
they also had this exchange where Ender told Alai his ancestors would have sold his first or something.
 
Posted by Aros (Member # 4873) on :
 
It may easier to portray the Muslim kid as Arabic, using a stereotype rather than waste time on explanation.
 
Posted by Samprimary (Member # 8561) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by rivka:
quote:
Originally posted by Dan_Frank:
My expectations were unbelievably low

I keep trying, but unquenchable optimism keeps surfacing. I don't know why.
It's the casting. The casting alongside the incredibly necessary decision to not maintain the original ages of the kids in the book for the movie. Months ago I even literally named Hailee by name as a hypothetical example of the rare few who could, alongside good direction, make a project like this work.
 
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
 
It's not the casting. While some of it is ok (or even cool), too much of it is making me grind my teeth.

Try again.
 
Posted by Mucus (Member # 9735) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Aros:
It may easier to portray the Muslim kid as Arabic, using a stereotype rather than waste time on explanation.

Not sure it makes sense that they intentionally cast what looks like an Indian kid to portray a "stereotype" about an Arab Muslim.

Looking across the whole list, it looks more like they simply didn't care about the original backgrounds.
 
Posted by Sihnon (Member # 12668) on :
 
Aside from being pissed off about Alai.

Abigail Breslin is to play Valentine. Fine. She's 15, at least she close to the right age.

Hailee Steinfeld is slated to play Petra Arkanian. Fine. She is great, but she's of Filipino descent. Petra is Armenian in the books. Remember, "Mountain Goddess" ...all throughout the Shadow series, being Armenian is very important. I guess I should just be happy they didn't cast a Krap-dashian? But, still.

Ben Kinsley? Again, awesome actor... but Cliff Curtis, who like Mazer is actually Maori! And is already "Hollywood approved." Oh well. I guess they wanted a big name.

Bean has black hair, is Greek with some African roots. So, I think the kid 'looks like' Bean. But, Bean is my all-time favorite character in novels... so I'm just on the edge of my seat -- seeing that this is actually a combination of both "Ender's Game" and "Ender's Shadow". Or at least that was what OSC said it would be... we all shall see.
 
Posted by BlackBlade (Member # 8376) on :
 
It's not known if the current script is incorporating Mr. Card's Ender's Game/Shadow merger. The current script is by Gavin Hood the director, and we have no idea what he kept or tossed out from previous attempts.
 
Posted by BlackBlade (Member # 8376) on :
 
And I am ashamed to admit that I just realized the reason the buggers are also called "The Formics" is because the scientific name for the ant family is formicidae.
 
Posted by Blayne Bradley (Member # 8565) on :
 
I never knew!
 
Posted by Dan_Frank (Member # 8488) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Samprimary:
Months ago I even literally named Hailee by name as a hypothetical example of the rare few who could, alongside good direction, make a project like this work.

Named her by name, eh? Well, better than naming her by anything else, I suppose.
 
Posted by JamReads (Member # 12717) on :
 
Just found this on the website for the magazine called Variety.

Harrison Ford locked for 'Ender's Game'

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118047827
 
Posted by Marek (Member # 5404) on :
 
"Set in Earth's utopian future, "Ender's Game" stars Asa Butterfield ("Hugo") as a genius strategist recruited by the government to help destroy an insect-like alien race."

How exactly is Ender's Game set in a Utopian future? The Earth and it's nations are still full of problems in the books, and all large scale wars between nations have been put on hold by a shaky global truce to allow fighting a common enemy. The other books make it pretty clear it is still a word full hunger, starvation poverty and violence, no less than it is now, it's just the huge wars of whole nations that are on hold, while the hostility behind them is likely still there. Yeah I know, weird thing to be bugged by, but did anyone else think it was supposed to be a Utopian future?
 
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
 
More utopian than dystopian, I think.
 
Posted by Mucus (Member # 9735) on :
 
"Set in Earth's rather middle of the road future ..."
 
Posted by Marek (Member # 5404) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Mucus:
"Set in Earth's rather middle of the road future ..."

that seems fair, or "set in Earth's not too distant future..." or simply "... set in Earth's future..."
 
Posted by Blayne Bradley (Member # 8565) on :
 
Yeah its not dystopian sure although there are some evidence of such, but definately not utopian. Its 20 Minutes Into the Future no more no less.

Evidence for Dystopia:
-Poland has sanctions on it for refusing the 2 Child Policy turning it into an overcrowded third world country.
-The internet basically seems like SOPA and Protect IP and beyond have been passed and the internet has massive government regulation.
-Anyone family with more than 2 children without permission are isolated and ostracized.
-China had a hundred million dead, something that never seemed to be touched upon ever again in the books, which is sad as it could've made for great characterization for Han-Tzu and provide motivations for Chinese adventurism.
-The International Fleet has sweeping powers in the name of Earth's security that makes the Patriot Act pale in comparison and ignores national borders.
-A supernational government in the office of the Hegemon that at its height could've made Stalin seem nice.
-The Low Countries are a massive ghetto.

That none of this seems to lead to massive corruption and abuse of power is probably an unfortunate weakness of Card's writing, it is a very rosy future with a benign dictatorship that never seems to start needing to play whack a mole.

It can be excused considering the relative brevity of each book and the brisk nature of the plot preventing there being time I imagine to fully explore just how badly things could have or should have been considering the above stuff described but it is truly unfortunate we didn't get that chance.
 
Posted by Strider (Member # 1807) on :
 
One man's utopia is another man's dys...
 
Posted by Orincoro (Member # 8854) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Blayne Bradley:
That none of this seems to lead to massive corruption and abuse of power is probably an unfortunate weakness of Card's writing, it is a very rosy future with a benign dictatorship that never seems to start needing to play whack a mole.

I always thought the weakness was revealed in the Shadow novels.

In Ender's Game, the oblique and child-perspective references to world affairs are frankly fascinating and enticing. You want to know more. Later, Card sweeps away most of the moral ambiguity of a worldwide hegemony and the attendant corruption and political persecution and plays "risk," as he says, with modern day nation states, in alignments not dissimilar from what they are today.

Which is disappointing in its lack of originality, but also incongruous with the style of Ender's Game, which presents a both simpler (less detailed), but also more depth-promising view of what the world might be like under such a regime. Sadly, yes, he essentially abandoned most of that thinking when he wrote the shadow books, and made up a new world to tell his story in. Which disappointed me as someone fascinated by the world that Ender's Game hinted at.
 
Posted by Blayne Bradley (Member # 8565) on :
 
Whatever the age of the kid actress who plays Arya from Game of Throne's thats a good age, she's good.

I would want her to be Petra.
 
Posted by krynn (Member # 524) on :
 
Arya from GoT is a good actress IMO. I think she would be a good cast for the movie. Hasn't Petra already been cast though? I still can't decide if I'm more happy or scared for this movie. Telling people Ender's Game was my favorite book growing up and then having people go see the movie...

I really want this movie to be good.
 
Posted by BlackBlade (Member # 8376) on :
 
Ender's Game release delayed to Nov 1st, 2013 from March 15th, 2013.

:\

Guess that gives them a lot more time to make the movie.
 
Posted by Jeff C. (Member # 12496) on :
 
I'd rather have a delayed movie than a bad one. I really hope it doesn't suck...
 
Posted by Aros (Member # 4873) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by BlackBlade:
Ender's Game release delayed to Nov 1st, 2013 from March 15th, 2013.


That's probably a good sign -- a show of studio support. November's a much better slot than March. They did pretty much the same thing with Star Trek (same screenwriters). They'll probably have a lot bigger box office numbers.
 
Posted by SteveRogers (Member # 7130) on :
 
That was more or less my view on the matter as well. Higher budget movies which get put in the November or December slots are generally trying to stay fresh to campaign for some of the technical awards at the Academy Awards, so I'm hoping that might be another good sign.
 


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