Movie Challenge - $300 Million USD = A new Epic franchise.

[ssampier]

They've also condensed LotR, but Wheel of Time is very long and... I'm not sure how much you can condense - two books per movie? Even then, we'd get five movies.

LotR also succeeded, because it convinced the readers of the book, it captured a lot of the feel. With such a heavy shrinking, I'm not sure how good a WoT movie can get. And the alternative, a semi-series (5+ movies) isn't very appealing as well.

....

Cheers, LT.

I frankly would spend the money on the Eye of the World movie, the first in the series; no sequels. Sacrilege, I know, but I think it's for the best.

Failing that, a good D&D movie, probably set in a generic milieu, using some relatively unknown, but good actors/actresses.

 

[Silver Moon]

I'd do a Marvel trilogy - the 1st Movie would be set during WWII and feature Captain America, Submariner and the original Human Torch plus some other Marvel WWII-era heroes vs. Nazis. The 2nd movie would be set in the present and feature the same three characters plus some new heroes (possibly grandchildren of former allies) vs. the Red Skull. The 3rd movie would be set at some point in the near future and feature them against an alien invasion.

 

[Joker]

In all seriousness, I do think a Warcraft movie would make a pretty penny.

That's probably why they want to make one .

"Thrall will be in the movie. It will be told primarily from the Alliance point of view The time of the movie is set about 1 year before World of Warcraft begins. The film is mainly about cultures in conflict. It won't be an adventure movie like LoTR, more of a war film."

 

[drothgery]

Wheel of Time would be the best option for an "epic" series. A lot of the other stuff is too niche, too dark, or too adult. Wheel of Time with its characters, epic plot and over the top sword duels and magic system would be the best.

It would be tough to do in movie format though without making like 5 three hour films. Although one advantage of the movie format is you could cut out a lot of the slow parts and really condense things to the core elements like the LotR movies did.

You need a director and a producer who really take the material seriously though and give it the same operatic treatment that Peter Jackson gave LotR.

My idea for how to put WoT on screen was 3 or 4 seasons of an hour-a-week TV series. I think it could work.

 

[cignus_pfaccari]

Honestly I think Warriors of Ultramar could be turned into a truly kick ass SF-action movie. If done well by someone who loves the setting (you know like PJ is a fan of LoTR) it could strike like the one that killed the dinosaurs. But there was an entire thread about that a while ago, I know since I started it.

Personally, I'd think that Gaunt's Ghosts would make a very nice, Band of Brothers-ish movie series.

Brad

 

[The Grumpy Celt]

Dark Tower. Humonganiod series on cable (18 hours or so) with; monsters, shooting, billybumblers, wizards, shooting, crazy women, towers, metaphors, a insane train, New York accents, destiny, hope, despair, blood, sweat, tears and shooting!

And who knows, maybe Stephen King will make a cameo appearance in, on say, book six.

 

[jester47]

The new epic franchise?

Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser, baby. Epic fantasy buddy movie with comedy and a touch of the sinister. Done right, it could be the James Bond franchise of fantasy.

You'd probably want to stick to use "Swords Agsinst" in all the titles, as i don't think the name "Fafhrd" is really movie gold.

We have a winner. And you could argue that it has precedent in the success of Conan the Barbarian.

Hollywood loves "buddy films."

You could totally get a trilogy out of them too... but you might have to do some rewriting mergeing of stories, etc. I think you could do a Ill Met combined with Theives house, Two Best theives. Lean times combines well with their sea journeys, but integrating it into a big plot might be hard. A version of Swords of Lankhmar would be good (I would make the rats rat men and change the ghouls to be true undead, but that is just me). For the sake of film I would combine all the bits having to do with the theives guild and Lankhmar and drop the rest.

 

[ssampier]

Dark Tower. Humonganiod series on cable (18 hours or so) with; monsters, shooting, billybumblers, wizards, shooting, crazy women, towers, metaphors, a insane train, New York accents, destiny, hope, despair, blood, sweat, tears and shooting!

And who knows, maybe Stephen King will make a cameo appearance in, on say, book six.

Sure why not? I never read the books, but it sounds fun.

 

[Orius]

Actually - the Belgariad is not a bad candidate. A tolerable cross between a Harry Potter coming of Age Story and epic quest LotR. You might make be able to sell that one.

(And no massive Battle of the Pellinor fields in there as I recall).

Hypersmurf beat me to it, but there is the Battle of Thull Mardu near the end of the story. It's nowhere near as cool the Pellinor Fields, but you got the disciples of Aldur using their sorcery against the Grolims and the duel between Cho-Hag and Taur Urgas.

But it might work, it's not too wierd, so it'll have more mass-market appeal. Edding's cultural stereotypes might actually make it easier to pitch to dim-witted producers.

It's not family unfriendly. That's going to be a huge point with trying to sell fantasy movies, since a lot of people are going to see it as family fare no matter how dark and mature it is. You make a mature fantasy movie, and chances are it will probably bomb, and fantasy is probably the riskiest venture in Hollywood to begin with.

You've got plenty of fantastic locations in the world -- like the caves of Ulgo, the cave of the gods, the Vale of Aldur, Rak Cthol, Riva, and the ruins of Cthol Mishrak.

 

[John Crichton]

I'd certainly go see the Shannara movies.

And something that would actually get name recognition would be RA Salvatore and Drizzt, or a more likely move title, the Heroes of Icewind Dale (or, um, something). It's got buddy elements later on and you could easily pick and choose which parts of the books you would want to use. And it's got the foundation for a franchise that could run for a while if the studio wanted to go that route.

Piers Anthony's "Incarnations of Immortality" could also draw very well but I have no idea how to sell it.

I would then see if I could acquire the X-men license and reboot that franchise. It's not too soon for something like that as comic book movies are still huge draws. Cast younger actors for the main roles and have then sign on for 5-6 movies. Use all the X-men material as source including the Ultimate books.

All these ideas in the thread should also assume to have competent directors attached to them, yes?