Wheel of Time optioned

[Ashrem Bayle]

I don't know, the first three book were pretty self contained. They could probably mess with it a little and get it to the point where it would stand on it's own.

If it were up to me though, I'd love to see the whole series it animated like the Final Fantasy movie. Or a mini-series, though the funding would probably be too tight.

 

[Ranger REG]

I think that realistically speaking, this is a very bad idea... Not once was there an actual film series even close in length to what you'd need to do a book by book adaptation of the Wheel of Time. (Bond movies and Star trek don't count, since there's no continuity to speak of, there) A book by book adaptation of the whole thing is never going to happen.

Realistically speaking, you may be right. But there is always a thing about risk. Case in point, Peter Jackson's adaptation of The Lord of the Rings.

I mean, LotR is, what, 900 pages? They still ened up (in total) cutting a couple of hours out of three 3-3.5 hour films, and even with that footage added back in, it doesn't come close to covering the story in detail.

And yet it managed to draw in mainstream audience as well as those that are fans of Tolkien's work (note I said "fans," not "purists"). Of course, let us not count the many Oscars it took home (including the mind-blowing 11 statues for ROTK).

Granted, that film trilogy set the bar for almost all epic fantasy films. But it all started as a risky gamble.

 

[mmu1]

Realistically speaking, you may be right. But there is always a thing about risk. Case in point, Peter Jackson's adaptation of The Lord of the Rings.

Sure - but there's a difference between taking a risk adapting a great book, and taking a risk several times greater adapting a mediocre book. (or rather, a mediocre series - WoT starts strong, but his latest books have been crap)

What purpose would doing a book by book adapation of the Wheel of Time serve? Jordan was even more long-winded than Tolkien sometimes - and that's before he switched over to writing purely to boost the page count - not just wasting time on descriptions we heard hundreds of times before, but stretching out the plot for no good reason.

Doing a book by book adaptation of Jordan's work would be like deciding to put the New Testament on screen, and making four movies, each based on one of the Gospels, telling the same story four times with minor variations.

I think that, done right, WoT could make for a fun movie - but an effort would definitely have to be made to trim it down to something watchable.

 

[Umbran]

Mr. Jordan does not deserve the extra income from movies before he's finished the books. Who needs yet another version of an unfinished tale?

 

[Mathew_Freeman]

My first thought was "Oh-dear-God-no", but then I considered that at the very least it'd be potentially very interesting. And whoever starred in the first one might well be guaranteed employment for a loooooooooooong time.

 

[Wombat]

Mmmm, I can see it now...

An eighteen hour movie where a lot of things happen, but no one can figure out why and involving no true plot

Okay, okay, I fell asleep in the very first book, I will admit

 

[KnowTheToe]

The cast will have more members than most movies have extras.

 

[Ranger REG]

Sure - but there's a difference between taking a risk adapting a great book, and taking a risk several times greater adapting a mediocre book. (or rather, a mediocre series - WoT starts strong, but his latest books have been crap)

I dunno. Is the first book that mediocre? Sorry, never did started reading Wheel of Time. I'm more of a closet Shannara fan.

Master & Commander is based on what I believe to be a very boring book. But I ended up liking the film.

At least Peter Jackson didn't spend half the first movie's length on the Council of Elrond. In any case, it will always be a huge task for the writer(s) to make an adapted screenplay.

 

[Pants]

I dunno. Is the first book that mediocre? Sorry, never did started reading Wheel of Time. I'm more of a closet Shannara fan.

You'll get a lot of conflicting arguments on this one, but most people I've talked to think it is one of the better ones.

 

[Khynal]

My first thought was "Oh-dear-God-no", but then I considered that at the very least it'd be potentially very interesting. And whoever starred in the first one might well be guaranteed employment for a loooooooooooong time.

So you'll be going for one of the roles?

I'm not sure how you could do the Wheel of Time without doing an entire series. Even if it has been bloated so far beyond reason, there's still a lot in it. You'd probably never get the budget for it though. Maybe "Based on the Wheel of Time"?