Let's pitch a Liaden movie

[rolanni]

I mentioned in my last post that July would be perfect to nail down a movie deal, because, yanno, we've got nothing on the schedule except catching up from the rest of the year, whereupon isabellag posed the following cogent question:

Which book are we doing the movie deal for, huh, huh, huh???? C'mon, don't keep me in suspenders!

My own thought is that the trilogy formed by Local Custom, Scout's Progress, and Mouse and Dragon might make good Costume Drama cinema.

So, what do you think? Which book(s) are likely movie pitches?

Comments

[leecetheartist.livejournal.com]

That would be a great trilogy!

[verana1111.livejournal.com]

Agent of Change would be perfect.

[keristor.livejournal.com]

As an "action movie", possibly followed by Carpe Diem (although a lot of the latter involves language stuff which may be difficult to translate to film, I'd love to see it).

Balance of Trade could make a good "young adult" movie, again with enough action to keep interest.

[aspidites.livejournal.com]

My vote's for Agent of Change, because, ya know, turtles!

It could be adapted nicely as a science fiction espionage-thriller, though I suspect none of us would be terribly happy at the kind of cuts that would have to be made to make a comprehensible (to the general public) single-film, stand-alone story.

[baggette.livejournal.com]

ANY of the books would make great movies.
Lets do them all!(please, please, please, please)
But lets start with the authors' choice of the trilogy.

[serge-lj.livejournal.com]

Maybe a mini-series? Who are your casting choices?

[masgramondou.livejournal.com]

I'd think that the Crystal duology might be a good movie option. Even though I don't really like them as books you've got the whole "save the entire universe" theme running through them.

Realistically a movie mght be better coming from one of the chapbook stories because typically movies work better from shorter stories.

[keristor.livejournal.com]

That's true, if a book takes 3 hours to read it will probably have to be cut as a 2 hour movie.

In that case I vote for Misfits, as being self-contained and having a good amount of action and suspense (probably leaving out the "current day" frame, though, because explaining that would need most of the rest of the series).

[sleary.livejournal.com]

Ideal, if they can get the turtles right.***

*** I think that's my favorite sentence I've typed on LJ, ever.

[brock-tn.livejournal.com]

I see the trilogy as being TV-miniseries material. For a theatrical release, I'd think that Agent of Change/Carpe Diem would work. The Crystal Soldier/Drystal Dragon duology has too much material in it for a single theatrical film, but would make a lovely mini-series.

For that matter, Balance of Trade would make a GREAT miniseries.

[hapaxnym.livejournal.com]

I agree that AoC would make a great pitch, though the cuts would break our hearts. Plan B would also work -- the basic story of a ragtag group of mercenaries and leftovers throwing out a planetary invasion force -- though you'd have to cut all the terrific backstory.

What's the short story about Natesa's childhood? That would make a lovely film.

But oh, to see on the screen the climax of I DARE, with all of the universe arriving at Liad to claim Balance on the Department of the Interior!

Because I like the action flicks

[(Anonymous)]

I would love to see Agent of Change on film. HOWEVER, there
are certain climactic scenes that I would adore on film:

Jon and Clonak bent over the radio as Tower/Orbit Control asks
Aelli to put her nav computer on-line, pretty-please.

Pat Rin facing off with the Department over the skies of Surebleak
and stating, firmly, "Flaran Chementhi" as he fires.

Miri racing to the 'rescue' with the Juntavas at her back and Val
Con engaged with the local LEOs.

I think, after Avatar and the Harry Potter movies, that they can
and will get the Turtles and Tree Just Right. Not to mention Jason
and Beautiful. Now the cats? That depends on the whim of the
cat-actors. :)
Lauretta@ConstellationBooks

[kinzel.livejournal.com]

Yes, that scene had us giggling as it was discussed *and* as it was written.

[gryphonlsb.livejournal.com]

Damn...my first thought was Agent of Change because its an action romp and many people cant think long enough to get a story with layers

but after reading some of the comments above...a maxi-series would rock. Maybe longer than the 'V' mini series that just started the new series

[angela-n-hunt.livejournal.com]

Agent of Change, hands down. Turtles. Come on! TURTLES.

[sraun]

It would make a good mini-series! As I understand it, the ideal length for converting nearly intact to a movie is the novella.

For a single stand-alone movie - I'd nominate Misfits. Although the short form of Balance of Trade might do nicely also.

[rolanni.livejournal.com]

*thinks about Changeling...*

[cailleuch.livejournal.com]

Scripts are 90 - 110 pages --so says Cami the screenwriter.

I just want turtles, ever since I saw the original AoC cover I have wanted 8 foot turtles.

[rolanni.livejournal.com]

Casting choices is a Whole 'Nother ball of wax. Me, I don't know any of the current actors, though most of them are sooooo pretty that I don't think they'd. . .do.

Steve and I are working our working our way through "Have Gun, Will Travel" (with pleasure, I'll say), and it struck me that how Very Much Not pretty Richard Boone is. I wonder if he'd be able to get work today...

[sraun]

Oooh - I like the way your mind thinks! (Which really shouldn't be a surprise.)

Balance of Trade!

[darkfoxprime.livejournal.com]

Balance of Trade would make a wonderful set of movies or miniseries.

[amm-me.livejournal.com]

OK -- short, with turtles. How about the very first chapbook, I think, that I read -- Val Con as a stripling, on his solo assignment, meeting Edger. And the t'carais'amp (sp?) -- not only turtles, but BABY TURTLES! Add in enough scenes of Liaden life to explain who this kid is, and maybe a prologue of the much later scene where the turtles do in the Juntavas boss, just to show the power young Val Con was messing with. Ooh, I think it could work...

I personally think that the Crystal doxology would be perfect

[(Anonymous)]

But do it as a Mini-series on HBO or Showtime, Then you could take a week to do one 3 hr show and three 2 hr shows and not leave any of the back story out.

[hapaxnym.livejournal.com]

Hmmm. I love that story, but doesn't it depend on being very familiar with Liad -- the importance of Clan, the idea of contract-marriage, the lofty status but wobbly reputation of pilots, the tension between Liadens and Terrans, the powers of the dramliz, etc. -- for the whole thing to work?

[rolanni.livejournal.com]

As written, perhaps it does. But since it's going to have to be adjusted anyway, there's room at the front for one of Ren Zel's sisters to be just going or just returning from a contract marriage. I think that the dismay of Ren Zel's delm at having a pilot in the House could be brought up to explain that it's not just the tuition money. And a comment dropped in somewhere -- maybe in conversation between Ren Zel and his wife -- about how one doesn't go to the Terran side of port, or that a mutual acquaintance had fallen so low that he/she had to fly for Terrans. ..

In short, it could be made to work for Liaden newbies with only a very little bit of effort, writing-wise. Whether anyone would care to actually produce it is another question.