"Earthsea" miniseries on SciFi

[Atridis]

"Sci Fi also revealed it will begin production in New Zealand on "Earthsea," a four-hour miniseries based on the Ursula K. Le Guin novels of the same name. It is scheduled to air in December."


http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=597&e=1&u=/nm/20040108/tv_nm/television_scifi_dc

 

[el-remmen]

I don't like the saound of that "based on the novels". . . Make it sound like they are going to try to cram a bunch of things in one series instead of taking a book at a time.

 

[Datt]

http://www.scifi.com/scifiwire/art-main.html?2004-01/08/11.00.sfc

This link has a bit more info. They are going to make it based on the first two books. So 2 hours per book, I am not sure if they can really get it all in there in 2 hours. I wonder who they are going to get to direct it?

 

[Rozman]

I was thoroughly unimpressed by their "Riverworld", so I won't hold my breath. I would have very much enjoyed seeing that done right.

I haven't read Earthsea in a looong time though, so maybe I could just watch it as a movie.

Mildly OT: there is an older B&W version of Le Guin's "The Lathe of Heaven" out there. Was it better than A&E's version? I'm afraid I didn't care much for that either.


Hmm...


Apparently I'm getting crotchety in my "old" age (32.) I don't think I've yet posted that I liked anything

 

[Umbran]

So 2 hours per book, I am not sure if they can really get it all in there in 2 hours.

Well, it's not like they're big books - the first one comes in at under 200 pages.

 

[Wombat]

Mildly OT: there is an older B&W version of Le Guin's "The Lathe of Heaven" out there. Was it better than A&E's version? I'm afraid I didn't care much for that either.

I don't know about the B&W part (well, except for the "grey" section), but there was an older version done on PBS a goodly number of years ago that I rather liked -- was pretty damn close to the book. Didn't see the A&E version (no tv nowadays, and very happy), so I can't really compare. I know the older version is available on DVD -- saw it down at my local vid store.

 

[GreenLantern]

You know, Peter Jackson really should try something different.

 

[Nightfall]

I really think if Sci-fi wants to do quality mini-series, they should pick up some quality people to do the adaptations. Not to mention do the entire series, not just two books. In any case Earthsea I'll see as disappointing as the Narina series was on PBS/BBC.

 

[johnsemlak]

I don't like the saound of that "based on the novels". . . Make it sound like they are going to try to cram a bunch of things in one series instead of taking a book at a time.

How else could they phrase it? I think Peter Jackson's films are also 'based on the works of' JRR Tolkien.

I'm excited about this, though I doubt the show will make to to Russia. I'll have to get someone to send me the tape.

 

[Merlion]

Hmm...2 hours per book for the first 2 earthsea's doesnt sound all that bad. They arent super long books...and I can sort of see connecting the first 2. Although I would have prefered a movie solely devoted to the first one, which is probably my favorite.
Since Earthsea has never been adapted to tv or movies before at all, I am pretty excited by this even if they do a less than perfect job. Certainly it would almost have to be a TV miniseries...I dont really think it would adapt to the screen well...probably even less so than LOTR.