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A Quick Li’l Terry Pratchett Update! THE COLOUR OF MAGIC News!
Hey, everyone. ”Moriarty” here.
Raretown’s an occasional BNAT visitor and a chat room old-schooler, and evidently, he’s a Terry Pratchett fan as well.
I know Pratchett’s fans have wanted to see his work on the bigscreen for a while. I recently had a conversation with a producer who suggested that the delays on bringing GOOD OMENS to the screen were largely due (at this point) to Pratchett’s dislike of the scripts being written. Dunno if that’s true or not, but I’d guess he would have far more control over a UK TV version of his work, and that’s a good thing. So check this out:
Hey there folks, Raretown here with a snippet that might not have hit the airwaves yet: UK press reported yesterday that David Jason is to play failed wizard Rincewind in the second discworld adaptation to be filmed by SKY, which is none other than the original book of the series, The Colour Of Magic.
What makes this shit da bomb is that following the sucess of The Hogfather which SKY gave us last xmas they have decided to graciously double the budget for this one, making it somewhere in the region of 12million quid, or 24million of your american dollars. Personally I had issues with Hogfather as I was too distracted by michelle dockery's heaving bodice and spent much of the film wanting to do filthy things with her in a bathtub, but it was a good effort anyway at a serious big screen pratchett adapt.
Also. apparently, a major US star has been signed to play Rincewind's infuriatingly optimistic travelling companion Twoflower, though exactly who has not been revealed yet. I hope it's someone like steve carrell. Anyway, if you havent read the book, git yo ass up in dere as its a fantastic adventure story and an appropriately hilarious introduction to most of the discworld characters who populate the rest of the books. Let's hope this marks the beginning of a slew of epic adapts of the rest of them.
And about FUCKING time too.
Raretown
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David Jason is about seventy years old...wiki...sixty-seven. He's WAY too old for Rincewind, who I always saw as Richard E Grant about fifteen years ago. Brits just love Jason, he's a TV staple and everybody's favorite comfy comic actor. And why The Colour of Magic; it's Pratchett's earliest, most unformed and undisciplined work; basically just a fantasy lampoon.
Oh, first, I think. -
Succinctly: Jason is too old. Jason is a boring old comedy staple beloved of people who read the Radio Times. The Colour of Magic is a very unformed, philosophically immature work from a writer who has touched greatness.
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Sorry. And first, second and...er...third. *Ahem*
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So, David Jason won't be Albert anymore (like he was in Hogfather)? I can't remember whether or not Albert was in Colour of Magic.
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David Jason was miscast as Albert, and he's seriously fucking miscast as Rincewind. Bad choice.Oh, and Hogfather was a fucking piece of shit tv adaptation and The Colour of Magic is one of Pratchett's worst books.
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Things don't bode well for this.
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I don't care about the age of the man, but I cannot see David Jason in this role. This is a bad, bad idea, reminiscent of the horrible Discworld cartoon series.
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.... should have his work turned into TV movies. His work should get the big screen, big budget treatment that people like Rowling received. Still, better than nothing?
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Sky have the rights to "The Colour of Magic" and "The Light Fantastic" and are working on scripts as we speak. David Jason was cast as Albert - Death's assistant - and NOT as Rincewind as well. WARNING - FAKE POST! There are casting rumours for Rincewind and they do not include David. Mackenzie Crook is more likely....
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Came about from The Sun which is owned by News International which is owned by Rupert Murdoch who also owns British Sky Broadcasting which is making the films. I seem to recall that Mr. Murdoch is pretty particular as to how things are reported by his newspapers as to what the other elements of his empire is up to..
M. -
Well, this wasn't really a fake post as this guy was just reporting what I've read on reputable UK websites. I was taken aback by Jason being reportedly considered for Rincewind as he is far too old and already played Albert. Did Albert first appear in Mort? I loved the cartoon version of Soul Music and Neil Morissey was fantastic as the voice of Mort in the flashbacks. Made me long for an animated version of Mort with Morissey voicing.Mackenzie Crook would be *ideal* casting as Rincewind.
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It's true.
He's a notorious gaylord as well, contrary to his ladies' man reputation. Shades of Rock Hudson, I dare say. -
Hogfather was a major disappointment, partly due to the cheap effects they used. They looked like something out of an old Dr. Who episode. What the heck did they spend the budget on?
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...compared to the cartoons, anyway. They got the fairly sepulchral tone right; it was almost too dark. Good actors; Ian Richardson, Joss Ackland, David Warner and that creepy guy who played Teatime. Less crappy CGI and more muck, a la Bleak House, would sort it out. They should stay away from anything that needs lots of effects, like dragons, and concentrate on the human stories; particularly the Guards and the Witches.
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They'd better not... he's meant to be auriental (sic).
Hiro for Twoflower! -
remember, he has a hot adult daughter when they go to the Aurient.
Jackie Chan could do it. He has the right mix of cheerfulness and utterly insane. -
For a British tv movie, I expect we'll get Martin Short.
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I'd rather hope someone Chinese or Japanese in ancestry play Twoflower, given that he is the prototypical Japanese Tourist cum Camera. For that matter, Twoflower is the Discworld's very first tourist. Thiiisss is why Pratchett is careful about the scripts -- you have to know dees tings if you want to do the stories right.
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Both Rincewind and Twoflower are youngish men, Rincewind a failed University student (30-ish?) and Twoflower, well he has children, very young ones at the point of the first book (we find he has a teenage-ish daughter years later, so do the arithmetic). Years after TCOM, both characters reminisce about being much younger back in the day (Interesting Times). They are NOT old men. Ah, Pratchett, why can't anyone read?
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The age is important because Rincewind goes on to have at least ten, maybe fifteen years of adventures around the Discworld by the time of the latest stories. The wizards refer to him as a younger guy (not as young as Ponder). And, he has to run like a track star. It's his primary physical characteristic: the bum retreating from you at a high rate of speed.
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Masi Oka would be perfect for Hiro, tho he'd have to acquire a British accent after the character learns Morporkian. We do have standards. He's 30ish, has the right guileless smile, and can project the optimism and joy of the world's very first Asian Tourist with a magic picture painting box and a stout item of Luggage.
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Young Alan Rickman up a bit and you could be on to a winner for Rincewind too...
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Hogfather and Witches Abroad are my two favorite Terry Pratchett books. I've always hoped the first Discworld movie would be either of those but always assumed it wouldn't. I hadn't heard anything about the Hogfather movie until a friend mentioned he had heard something about it and I, in disbelief, looked it up online. I was blown away to find out that not only had a Discworld movie already just been made but that it was Hogfather. And when I finally got to see it I thought it was better than I'd ever hoped it would be. It's a shame it could only be done as a TV movie but this had its advantages. A theatrical movie would never have been as long and so would have had to cut out a lot more of the story than has already been.
And David Jason made a great Albert. I don't see why so many people didn't like him.
However, I do think he's a terrible choice for Rincewind, as he is far too old for a character who should be in his 30s.
Anyway I can't wait to see more Discworld movies and I hope this helps the books gain greater popularity here in the U.S. so maybe we'll see a bigger budget theatrical film. -
1. David Jason has already been Albert, so it shits on the continuity after one movie.
2. David Jason did a fairly crap job of being Albert anyway.
3. Rincewind is and always will be: Eric Idle. -
David Thewliss. Just the right level of weasle and scrawn
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Eeeeuuuugghhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
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May 08, 2007 5:42:35 AM CDT
Huge Pratchett fan. I will have to see hows this goes
by col. tigh-fighter
Suprised AICN did a Pratchett story. I did a huge email when Hogfather was announced, but not a peep. Pterrys books dont translate well. As for books, I would love to see Moving Pictures done. That would be fantastic! With a thousand elephants!
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I always thought that Simon Pegg would be great as Rincewind - little chance of that happening these days but that's who I thought. I wish they hadn't waited so fecking long to start doing these though as at one a year I'm going to be nearly sixty three before they get to 'THUD!' - which is a brilliant book
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Pterrys last 3 with Nightwatch, Going POstal, and Thud! being some of the best stories I have ever read. Gods bless Sam Vimes
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I imagine it would make more financial sense to film The Colour Of Magic and The Light Fantastic back to back as the cast would be virtually the same but i dont care what they do as long as they eventually get to Guards Guards and Men At Arms
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Why waste time with Death and Wizards, when the Guards / City Watch series of books are a ready made, perfect franchise with a continuing story arc and character development of the highest order. From drunken Vimes in "Guards, Guards" all the way through his evolution as a character and leader into "Thud". Then there is the Carrot-as-king thread, his relationship with Angua, excellent support from Nobby & Colon, the sheer fun that could be had with the Partrician (especially in his exchanges with Vimes) and so on. Plus the fact that unlike the other Discworld stories they are strucured very closely like traditional movies, and very effectively mock both movie conventions and the wider world, it would be madness to think about doing anything BUT the "Guards" series. Pete Postlethwaite for Vimes !!!!
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...for anyone in the Discworld really.
I agree that Macenzie Crook would be a fantastic choice for Rincewind - i also suggest John Savident (Corrie's Fred Elliot) as Ridcully and Eric Idle as CMOT Dibler...
...for some reason I've now got Bill Nighy in mind for Sam Vimes - odd i know, but think about him, mid 50s, wiry and could look hungover and manic all at the same time... would have to act hard as nails though - could he do it??? -
You get Ankh Morpork right; you get everything. This is why you need money; Ankh Morpork has to feel as real as London or New York. Not just some impressionistic sprawl of CGI; you need bigature makers and a proper map of the city; distinctive architecture, all that. Plus Sam Vimes, one of popular fictions great everyman coppers; I always think of John Thaw when he was younger.
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People, people. It's Sean Bean for Vimes. Can you not see?
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Tony Robinson in padding IS Nanny Ogg (his voice for her on the audio tapes is perfect) Can't think of who could be Granny Weatherwax but Emilia Fox with a messy haircut and bright, silly dresses would be ideal for Magrat.
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Fuckin gorgeous.
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While Hogfather was great and true to the book I did see one of the books that was done as a toon and it seemed flat.
Part of the problem with Pratchett is so much is description of scene or character or thought that it is tough to translate from word to picture.
But if Hogfather set the standard then this should be well done.
Finally for those of you who enjoy reading Pratchett try Robert Rankin and Jasper Fforde. Rankin has some truly strange Irish humor thing going and Fforde has one of the most original ideas yet with police policing works of literature.
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Trevor Eve for Sam Vimes.
His Peter Boyd and Sam Vimes are almost duplicates of each other. -
...but CHRIST AL-FUCKING-MIGHTY, adapting these books for either TV or cinema is a bad, bad, bad idea because no one seems to understand the material. If you can't do it properly, leave it the fuck alone. Pratchett's rich enough as it is, stop giving him money to ruin his work. The best versions of Vimes, Rincewind and the witches are the ones in our heads - leave 'em there.
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