posted
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. :-)
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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.
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posted
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.
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posted
I wonder sometimes if the movie will have a noticeable effect on the number of people registering and posting here.
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posted
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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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!
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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.
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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.
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posted
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.
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quote:Originally posted by Dan_Frank: Just remember, the enemy's hair is down.
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.
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posted
Yeah, that's fair. My expectations were unbelievably low, so that may effect how much this stuff is bothering me.
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Blayne Bradley
unregistered
posted
Better than Last Airbender so far though.
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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...
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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.
posted
they also had this exchange where Ender told Alai his ancestors would have sold his first or something.
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It may easier to portray the Muslim kid as Arabic, using a stereotype rather than waste time on explanation.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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posted
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.
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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.
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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.
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"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?
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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..."
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Blayne Bradley
unregistered
posted
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.
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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.
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Blayne Bradley
unregistered
posted
Whatever the age of the kid actress who plays Arya from Game of Throne's thats a good age, she's good.
posted
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.
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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.
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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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