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



## Steel_Wind (Dec 28, 2007)

This talk of a new _Dune_ movie, apparently being pitched in some quest to recapture the magic of _Lord of the Rings_, seems to me to be wholly misplaced. (If you think otherwise - post in the _Dune_ thread).

Accepting for a moment that you have 300 million dollars as a production fund  - what epic movie series do you pitch to the studios as the next _Lord of the Rings_?

Whether it's one movie, two movies or three. You have $300 million to spend to make it and you need to convince them your idea will make billions. 

What movie series do you think best accomplishes that goal?


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## craftyrat (Dec 28, 2007)

*Eddings*

The Belgariad/Malloreon would seem to be an obvious candidate.  While you can argue about the quality, they were very popular.  I just checked on amazon and they have a sales rank of under 10,000 - pretty good for books of that age and type.

craftyrat


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## Hand of Evil (Dec 28, 2007)

John Carter of Mars - Sword fighting, naked hot women, strange aliens, airships!  It screams big budget action flick.  I would do it in two movies.  

another choice would be 

Pompeii - you show what life was like, work with in some great characters, throw in some young lovers, then blow it up!  Titanic on a volcano!


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## RangerWickett (Dec 28, 2007)

*shameless*

War of the Burning Sky


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## Grymar (Dec 28, 2007)

My favorite wouldn't work...The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant.  He's too much an antihero to make for a good popular movie.

Maybe the Riftwar saga by Raymond Feist?


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## Mallus (Dec 28, 2007)

Dune.

(For me, Dune is the LotR of science fiction. I read them both around the same time, and they occupy the same lofty perch in my hierarchy of really good things.)


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## Hand of Evil (Dec 28, 2007)

Others that come to mind...
Amber - just don't see that as a big draw but with CGI today, man that can be a kickass movie. 
Foundation - Could be cool as a movie but lacks action that you see in todays movies. 
Dante's Levels of Hell - just the trip, the levels, cult classic and stunning visuals like 300!


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## Andre (Dec 28, 2007)

Ideally it would be somthing that would appeal to kids, but I'm not up on what the kids like (other than Harry Potter), so I'll skip that genre.

Battletech might work - William Keith's Grey Death Legion saga would be pretty good translated to the big screen.

*Dream Park* by Larry Niven might work. The second book was forgettable, but the first and third (*California Voodoo Game*) were very good. Might even make roleplaying mainstream...

*Dragonriders of Pern* by McCaffrey would also be an interesing choice and might work - 
after all, it's got...DRAGONS.


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## EricNoah (Dec 28, 2007)

Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell?


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## Dog Moon (Dec 28, 2007)

I don't think it would be popular enough to be viable, but I've always liked the Assassin's Apprentice books by Robin Hobb.

GREAT characters


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## Angel Tarragon (Dec 28, 2007)

Marvel/DC crossover.


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## XO (Dec 28, 2007)

*Whipping Star & Dosadi Experiment*

Particularly Dosadi...

Better than Dune... Same author!


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## Steel_Wind (Dec 28, 2007)

craftyrat said:
			
		

> The Belgariad/Malloreon would seem to be an obvious candidate.  While you can argue about the quality, they were very popular.  I just checked on amazon and they have a sales rank of under 10,000 - pretty good for books of that age and type.
> 
> craftyrat




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). 

Other option: and i know this one has its detractors - but you might pitch the _Sword of Shannara_. Problem is, of course, it is heavily Tolkien inspired. It has all the complexity of the siege of Minas Tirith as well. And you would probably need three movies to do it justice (ok - maybe 2).

_Sword of Shannara_, btw,  has been optioned several times over the past thirty years but has never been green lit.


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## Jakar (Dec 28, 2007)

I would like to see some of Robin Hobb's books put onto the screen, but I do not know how well they would adapt to it.

Maybe GRR Martins Game of Thrones books, but the characters do not live long enough to be of lasting interest


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## Steel_Wind (Dec 28, 2007)

Mallus said:
			
		

> Dune.
> 
> (For me, Dune is the LotR of science fiction. I read them both around the same time, and they occupy the same lofty perch in my hierarchy of really good things.)




_Dune _has been done. The movie was a flop. _Dune_, the miniseries however was very good  and does not need revisiting.  

No argument that _Dune_ is in many ways to SF what _LotR_ is to Fantasy. Problem is, that well has been drained - and quite recently at that.


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## Steel_Wind (Dec 28, 2007)

Jakar said:
			
		

> I would like to see some of Robin Hobb's books put onto the screen, but I do not know how well they would adapt to it.
> 
> Maybe GRR Martins Game of Thrones books, but the characters do not live long enough to be of lasting interest



_
Song of Ice and Fire_ is too long for movie treatment and has been optioned by HBO for a mini-series treatment a la _Rome_. A script for the first episode was turned in to HBO in early November.  The whole thing is in abeyance pending resolution of the writers strike (and anticipated directors strike to follow).


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## griff_goodbeard (Dec 29, 2007)

A Star Wars movie set in the Knights of the Old Republic era (only if I could keep Lucas away from it).


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## Relique du Madde (Dec 29, 2007)

Re-make Lord of the Rings and change the macgruffin from a ring to a spear (the spear of destiny) and set it on earth during WWII and make Sauron into Hitler and the uruqui into nazis.


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## Klaus (Dec 29, 2007)

Ooh... tough one.

The Ramses books by Christian Jacq.

The Dragon Below trilogy by Doug Bassingwaithe.

The Knights of the Old Republic comic book series.


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## Wombat (Dec 29, 2007)

EricNoah said:
			
		

> Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell?




I'd back this one in a heartbeat!


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## kingpaul (Dec 29, 2007)

Honor Harrington (ok, so its probably more than 3 movies because of the number of books in the main series). 

Dresden Files

Last Legionary series by Douglas Hill - granted, this series isn't that large, so you could probably get away with two movies.


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## Ed_Laprade (Dec 29, 2007)

kingpaul said:
			
		

> Honor Harrington (ok, so its probably more than 3 movies because of the number of books in the main series).
> 
> Dresden Files
> 
> Last Legionary series by Douglas Hill - granted, this series isn't that large, so you could probably get away with two movies.



HH is too long. But David Weber's Dahak series would work quite well for something like this.


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## Dire Bare (Dec 29, 2007)

Grymar said:
			
		

> My favorite wouldn't work...The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant.  He's too much an antihero to make for a good popular movie.



While I think it would be very hard to pull off well, I would DIE to see a good film adaptation of Thomas Covenant!  Just the first three books would do me, we could skip the next two series (although I do love them).

Although, having your protagonist rape a young girl towards the beginning of your movie, that would be a hard sell!  Dark, dark story . . .


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## AdmundfortGeographer (Dec 29, 2007)

I think Glen Cook's _The Tower of Fear_ would make for excellent material for a film epic.

I also think _John Carter of Mars_ fits the bill.

The _Warhammer_ universe has bundles of options.


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## Steel_Wind (Dec 29, 2007)

Dire Bare said:
			
		

> While I think it would be very hard to pull off well, I would DIE to see a good film adaptation of Thomas Covenant!  Just the first three books would do me, we could skip the next two series (although I do love them).
> 
> Although, having your protagonist rape a young girl towards the beginning of your movie, that would be a hard sell!  Dark, dark story . . .




_The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever_ would be interesting. I actually don't have too many problems with "Covenant the rapist". That was very early in his his visit to the land, (his first or second night as I recall) and he had few reasons to believe any of it was real at the time and the restoration of his nerves was messing with his mind. I gave him a situational "moral bye" on that one; indeed, I think Covenant reproached himself more than *almost* everybody else for his actions. But others of course feel differently - and would feel differently were it depicted on camera.  (And I don't see how you don't show it - it is a central plot device in the series.)

More to the point, one of the things with The Land that is central to the  novels but hard to convey visually is the health and vitality of The Land which was said to be visible to those with the Earthsight. (Essentially everyone in the initial three novels). I don't know how you could convey that convincingly on film. Perhaps you would not have to. *shrug*

Agreed though, it's a tough sell. Gamble $300 million on that? Despite its #1 NYT bestseller status, a hard sell to a studio. I would think the _Belgariad,_ whose later novels in the series also hit #1 on the NYT best seller list would be a far easier sell, and far more PG 13 friendly.


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## BadMojo (Dec 29, 2007)

EricNoah said:
			
		

> Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell?




That would be pretty cool, but I don't think it would be necessarily an "epic".  I enjoyed the book, but the pace could best be described as glacial.

Maybe it could be sold as a Merchant Ivory meets Lord of the Rings film...starring Dame Judi Dench!    

I think a live action version of Lloyd Alexander's "Chronicles of Prydain" might go over pretty well.  Family friendly, good stories, still fairly popular (I think).


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## Steel_Wind (Dec 29, 2007)

Note: It seems Thomas Covenant was pitched - and pitched heavily after some pretty big names in Hollywood optioned it in the wake of LotR. They even developed a script (same writer who did _Band of Brothers_ for the screen).

They could not sell it to a studio. The option expired and was not renewed. To quote Stephen R. Donaldson: _"The producers who optioned "Lord Foul's Bane" have tried everything they could think of, without success. Now their option has expired, and they have declined to renew it. Bury it now, folks, 'cause it's dead." _  That was as of 11 months ago.


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## Bront (Dec 29, 2007)

Steel_Wind said:
			
		

> 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.



Agreed.  You could probably condense it down to 3 movies fairly easily too.

Suprised no one's suggested the Wheel of Time.  Sure it's long, but it's got a lot of the standard fantasy staples, and shouldn't be too hard to condense by simply removing some of the tertiary character fluff and internal strife.


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## WhatGravitas (Dec 29, 2007)

Bront said:
			
		

> Suprised no one's suggested the Wheel of Time.  Sure it's long, but it's got a lot of the standard fantasy staples, and shouldn't be too hard to condense by simply removing some of the tertiary character fluff and internal strife.



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.

And for next franchise: I'd love Elric, but I don't think it's really appealing enough.

Cheers, LT.


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## Kunimatyu (Dec 29, 2007)

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.


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## Brown Jenkin (Dec 29, 2007)

I would like to see _A Mote in God's Eye_ and _The Gripping Hand_ by Larry Niven. It gives space ships, space battles, and cool aliens.


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## JoeGKushner (Dec 29, 2007)

Kunimatyu said:
			
		

> 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.





That would make a better HBO series.


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## Steel_Wind (Dec 29, 2007)

_Ill Met in Lankhmar?_ I'd be there on opening night.

A strong feature of such a movie series is that it only features two main stars and not many recurring characters (a few, but not many).

The problem, however, is that the short story format has lost its resonance with modern readers. So much so that these characters have slipped off of the radar screen for most people.

Tolkien and his Lord of the Rings had the strength of being a widely known property. Fritz Lieber?  I think you'd probably get a collective "huh?" from those you would be trying to pitch it to. 

If you are going to license a property for huge Hollywood treatment, the argument would be that your license should pre-sell the audience on the film. I don't think Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser do that in the same way that, say,  Conan does.


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## Dragonblade (Dec 29, 2007)

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.


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## Hypersmurf (Dec 29, 2007)

Steel_Wind said:
			
		

> 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).




There's the Battle of Vo Mimbre, with the duel between Brand and Kal Torak, if you film any of the back story - I suppose that would be the equivalent of the Final Alliance scenes with the fight between Isildur and Pointy-Helmet-Man in the LotR films.  Including the Legendary Charge of the Mimbrate Knights.

And of course, in Enchanter's End Game, you have the Battle of Thull Mardu, which once again includes the armies of an entire continent clashing.

-Hyp.


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## DMH (Dec 29, 2007)

3 different Cthulhu mythos stories- At the Mountains of Madness, The Colour out of Space and The Mound. The first and third have alien cities to explore and the second can be full of gore for that crowd.


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## GlassJaw (Dec 29, 2007)

Steel_Wind said:
			
		

> Tolkien and his Lord of the Rings had the strength of being a widely known property. Fritz Lieber?  I think you'd probably get a collective "huh?" from those you would be trying to pitch it to.




I think you'd get that same "huh" from 95% of the ideas mentioned in this thread.

The key for "selling" a huge epic franchise that will cost epic amounts of money to make is recognition.  I'm sure that everyone who saw the LotR movies hadn't necessarily read the books but I'm confident that the phrase "Lord of the Rings" was fairly recognizable by the masses.


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## kingpaul (Dec 29, 2007)

Ed_Laprade said:
			
		

> HH is too long. But David Weber's Dahak series would work quite well for something like this.



I've only read Weber's HH work (main series and some of the supplementals). Not read any of his other works...yet.


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## HeavenShallBurn (Dec 30, 2007)

kingpaul said:
			
		

> Honor Harrington (ok, so its probably more than 3 movies because of the number of books in the main series).



Complete Honor junky here, but I would do just about anything for even a single GOOD movie of _On Basilisk Station_.  Not sell my soul of course,  but definitely I'd join your ethnic cleansing of the week for a guarantee.


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## HeavenShallBurn (Dec 30, 2007)

Eric Anondson said:
			
		

> The _Warhammer_ universe has bundles of options.



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.  

Thing is WH40K is like D&D in that you don't make THE WH MOVIE, you make a movie set in the WH setting.  Which I'm not sure you could even get across to movie executives.


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## AdmundfortGeographer (Dec 30, 2007)

HeavenShallBurn said:
			
		

> Thing is WH40K is like D&D in that you don't make THE WH MOVIE, you make a movie set in the WH setting.



Exactly! That's why I didn't even bother to come up with one of the existing books. The setting itself offers far better raw materials for a filmmaker passionate about the setting to work with to make their movie work . . . rather than massacring some book set in the world.


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## Mistwell (Dec 30, 2007)

The Sandman comic books

Amber 

Xanth (not the whole thing obviously)

Discworld (again, not the whole thing)


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## BadMojo (Dec 30, 2007)

DMH said:
			
		

> 3 different Cthulhu mythos stories- At the Mountains of Madness




I think Guillermo Del Toro is doing "At the Mountains..." as his next project after the new Hellboy movie.  I'm pretty sure it's gonna rock.  Guillermo seems to really respect the source material (just like with Hellboy) and he now has the pull with studios to do it.


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## Joker (Dec 30, 2007)

A franchise set in the Warcraft Universe.  An idea is pitched by a character in the game itself:  "So, I have this idea for a great movie. It's about two gnomes who find a bracelet of power, and they have to take it to the Burning Steppes and cast it into the Cauldron. They form the Brotherhood of the Bracelet. Along the way they're trailed by a murloc named Gottom, who's obsessed with the bracelet, and nine bracelet bogeymen. It could be a three-parter, called 'Ruler of the Bracelet'. The first part would be called 'The Brotherhood of the Bracelet', followed by 'A Couple of Towers', with the climactic ending called 'Hey, the King's Back!'"

Though I think a story based on a human character and a not too exotic antagonist would work better.

Althought it would probably never happen, I would really like to a see a Starcraft movie.  And don't tell me to watch Starship Troopers/Aliens/Screamers.  I want all those movies into one.


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## Aus_Snow (Dec 30, 2007)

Magician?

Most of what I would _like_ to see made. . . probably just wouldn't be.


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## Relique du Madde (Dec 30, 2007)

Mistwell said:
			
		

> The Sandman comic books




Wasn't Neil Gaimen working on a screen play for _Death: The high Cost of Living?
_


> Xanth (not the whole thing obviously)




God No... not Xanth... well maybe ONLY first three books and several of the ones after that but NOT _The Color of Her Panties_...  people might get the wrong idea when they see you buy the dvd.


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## Klaus (Dec 30, 2007)

Joker said:
			
		

> A franchise set in the Warcraft Universe.  An idea is pitched by a character in the game itself:  "So, I have this idea for a great movie. It's about two gnomes who find a bracelet of power, and they have to take it to the Burning Steppes and cast it into the Cauldron. They form the Brotherhood of the Bracelet. Along the way they're trailed by a murloc named Gottom, who's obsessed with the bracelet, and nine bracelet bogeymen. It could be a three-parter, called 'Ruler of the Bracelet'. The first part would be called 'The Brotherhood of the Bracelet', followed by 'A Couple of Towers', with the climactic ending called 'Hey, the King's Back!'"
> 
> Though I think a story based on a human character and a not too exotic antagonist would work better.
> 
> Althought it would probably never happen, I would really like to a see a Starcraft movie.  And don't tell me to watch Starship Troopers/Aliens/Screamers.  I want all those movies into one.



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


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## Man in the Funny Hat (Dec 30, 2007)

First thing I'd pitch would have to be an epic mini-series on the American Revolution, but if I had to spend it on something scifi/fantasy I might do more individual things like Snow Crash, Neuromancer/Count Zero for SF, or Discworld for a fantasy series.


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## zen_hydra (Dec 31, 2007)

Childhood's End (Arthur C. Clarke)

The Morgaine Cycle (C. J. Cherryh)

The Foreigner Series (C. J. Cherryh)

Coldfire Trilogy (Celia S. Friedman)

Saga of Pliocene Exile (Julian May)


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## ssampier (Dec 31, 2007)

double-double post.


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## ssampier (Dec 31, 2007)

Lord Tirian said:
			
		

> 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.
> 
> ...




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.


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## Silver Moon (Dec 31, 2007)

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.


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## Joker (Dec 31, 2007)

Klaus said:
			
		

> 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."


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## drothgery (Dec 31, 2007)

Dragonblade said:
			
		

> 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.


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## cignus_pfaccari (Dec 31, 2007)

HeavenShallBurn said:
			
		

> 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


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## The Grumpy Celt (Dec 31, 2007)

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.


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## jester47 (Dec 31, 2007)

Kunimatyu said:
			
		

> 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.


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## ssampier (Dec 31, 2007)

The Grumpy Celt said:
			
		

> 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.


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## Orius (Jan 1, 2008)

Steel_Wind said:
			
		

> 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.


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## John Crichton (Jan 1, 2008)

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?


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## Testament (Jan 1, 2008)

HeavenShallBurn said:
			
		

> 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.
> 
> Thing is WH40K is like D&D in that you don't make THE WH MOVIE, you make a movie set in the WH setting.  Which I'm not sure you could even get across to movie executives.




Three words: First Tyrannic War.  I haven't read Warriors of Ultramar, but the Battle of Maccrage and the last stand of the 1st Company is just perfect movie fodder insofar as 40K goes.


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## Draumr (Jan 1, 2008)

Second Saga of Pliocene Exile (Julian May).
Wonderful mix of fantasy/sci-fi with strong character & visual aspects.


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## Krug (Jan 1, 2008)

The Katamari trilogy. Surely.


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## kingpaul (Jan 1, 2008)

Krug said:
			
		

> The Katamari trilogy. Surely.



You lost me on that one.


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## HeavenShallBurn (Jan 1, 2008)

Testament said:
			
		

> Three words: First Tyrannic War.  I haven't read Warriors of Ultramar, but the Battle of Maccrage and the last stand of the 1st Company is just perfect movie fodder insofar as 40K goes.



With you all the way.  Let's face 40K is about the Space Marines, everything else was built up around them as the central core of the setting concept.  And as a concept they have a great deal of traction, so the first movie should be about the SM.  And the best opening to put a foot in the cinema door is by using a setup at least partially familiar to most people with an enemy that fits into an established movie niche.  Thus the Nids are perfect, yes they're Zerg knockoffs but also Alien and a montage of every other gigeresque xenological horror.  They push all the right buttons in the human reptilian brain as an enemy.  If you could get a 40K movie made with a first string budget it would be a stop the Nid horde movie.  From there you could branch out in the setting.

Now I'll speak heresy and the torches and pitchforks will be gathered.  Martin's Song of Ice and Fire wouldn't make a very good movie trilogy.  Nor would most of the other really big ones, The Wheel of Time just wouldn't work and Goodkind's in a similar boat.  The Runelords might actually be workable as it can be more easily reduced than the others works but even that would have trouble.  

What I would really like to see is the Honorverse done as arcs of related mini-series, one for each book.  Ain't going to happen but it would be damned impressive if done right.  Of course forcing Hollywood to treat the combat scenes as in the book would probably take hanging the first few writers to set an example.  You might be able to pitch it as related to the various 90s movies involving submarines but it would be insanely difficult.  And if they didn't treat the space combat properly the only market for it would shun anything they did like a hemophiliac in a Vampire convention.


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## Dioltach (Jan 1, 2008)

I'd love to see a proper adaptation of the Arthurian legends: *not* the attrocity that was _King Arthur_, or _First Knight_, but something much closer to the source material, focusing on his background and youth, his reign and great battles, and his fall. Or alternatively a trilogy that focuses on Gawain and his adventures.

Another option, on a similar theme, would be the Irish Red Branch Cycle.

Or perhaps Elizabeth Boyer's Skarpsey books ...


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## Klaus (Jan 1, 2008)

Arthur's trilogy would be:

Movie 1: focuses on Uther Pendragon and Merlin, and on Arthur growing up alongside Sir Kay. Ends with Arthur being declared rightful king and establishing Camelot.

Movie 2: focuses on life in Camelot, and Morgan LeFay raising Mordred, and Lancelot cheating on his wife with Arthur's wife.

Movie 3: The Grail quest, the fall of Camelot, and Arthur being taken to Avalon.


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## Mistwell (Jan 1, 2008)

Dioltach said:
			
		

> I'd love to see a proper adaptation of the Arthurian legends: *not* the attrocity that was _King Arthur_, or _First Knight_, but something much closer to the source material, focusing on his background and youth, his reign and great battles, and his fall. Or alternatively a trilogy that focuses on Gawain and his adventures.




I thought Excalibur did just fine in 1981, and it got Academy Award nominations as well.


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## Steel_Wind (Jan 1, 2008)

Arthurian and Robin Hood based tales both share the same real problem: they are Open Source unprotected properties - they are in the public domain.

As such, you end up having to coin a trade mark to protect your licensed version of a public domain IP; therefore, it's not a very lucrative IP.

Licensing and toys is big business for a Triple A franchise. Without that revenue, I would argue you can't hit a LOTR/ Star Wars home run. 

King Arthur would end up as a Jurassic Park style brand. Great movies which sell a lot of tickets and DVD's - and whose toy licensing is mediocre because anybody can make T-Rex and Raptor dinosaur toys.

Nope. That's not the stuff that motivates a studio to open the vault.


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## John Crichton (Jan 1, 2008)

Mistwell said:
			
		

> I thought Excalibur did just fine in 1981, and it got Academy Award nominations as well.



 I was thinking the same thing.


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## Frostmarrow (Jan 1, 2008)

Steel_Wind said:
			
		

> Arthurian and Robin Hood based tales both share the same real problem: they are Open Source unprotected properties - they are in the public domain.
> 
> As such, you end up having to coin a trade mark to protect your licensed version of a public domain IP; therefore, it's not a very lucrative IP.
> 
> ...




We love knights though. Jedi knights or disguised ranger knights makes no difference. Your big project needs some. So if there is a great big property with knights in it, go for that.

I love Dune, the book and the movie (not entirely sold on the miniseries). It features knights in the form of Atreides family but seriously - Dune is not high profile enough to meet Hollywood's $tandards in this regard. I don't think we will see Dune again.


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## HeavenShallBurn (Jan 1, 2008)

BOLOS

Maybe it expresses my unutterable geekdom but you could make an interesting movie out of the Bolo concept.  Base it around say retaking a planet from the Deng (who make suitable villians).  It could be the most metal movie in history.  

Start with a planetary drop, dozens of Bolos in drop pods screaming down through the atmosphere in a blazing hail of nuclear annihilation as thousands of warheads are fired back and forth covering the screen in overwhelming apocalyptic fury sped up way too fast for people to follow.  With orbital suppressive fire raining down from above like an angry war god's spear.  Have the action alternate between sequences where action is slowed down to Bolo scale with real-time scale for impact.  The goal of the invasion could be to liberate the population held hostage in a larder camp as live fodder for the Deng.  Play up the knight-like tone of the Bolos themselves.  Their essential qualities as the archetypal Defender of the Weak, who just happens to be a combat machine the size of a small ship with the power to level cities.  Kind of a wierd combination of The Great Raid and 300 with cyborg supertanks, as they first take the hostage camp then defend its human occupants at all costs as the Fleet is forced to turn and fight the enemy in space leaving them on their own on the ground.


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## Mistwell (Jan 2, 2008)

I'll throw another one into the mix: The Marcus Didius Falco Series.  OK, so it's not quite fantasy, but everyone likes a good film noir hard boiled detective movie set in ancient Rome! And it's got everything - battles, romance, intrigue, mystery, and adventure!


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## Klaus (Jan 2, 2008)

Mistwell said:
			
		

> I'll throw another one into the mix: The Marcus Didius Falco Series.  OK, so it's not quite fantasy, but everyone likes a good film noir hard boiled detective movie set in ancient Rome! And it's got everything - battles, romance, intrigue, mystery, and adventure!



 The first one was already made: Age of Deception, IIRC. Bryan Brown played Falco and Matthias Hughes (sp?) played the gladiator sidekick.


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## Thornir Alekeg (Jan 2, 2008)

Melanie Rawn's _Dragon Prince_ trilogy.


300 million wouldn't be enough, but I would like to see Tad Williams' _Otherland_ series on the big screen - or an insanely long miniseries.


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## ShadowX (Jan 2, 2008)

I must disagree with many nominations in this thread on the grounds that they are too grand, epic and long to ever survive the transition to a movie.  Lord of the Rings worked because the books are actually quite bloated and after removing this fat you can actually fit the story into still lengthy movies.  Fortunately, while most fantasy apes Tolkien at some level, they don't imitate his writing style.

I like the suggestion of Fafhrd and Grey Mouser, but I will up the ante one more: The Vlad Taltos series.  Here is the fantasy James Bond.  The plotlines are short, well-paced and invigorating; the main character witty, flawed and damn cool; and let us not forget some very prominent magic to take advantage of modern SFX.


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## Insight (Jan 2, 2008)

Here's one thing all of you need to consider.  Anything with a "wierd name" isn't going to fly.  It has to be easily pronounced and recognized.  Notice how the movies with strange names rarely do well.


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## Darkwolf71 (Jan 2, 2008)

John Crichton said:
			
		

> 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.



begining with Iron Man, Marvel Studios is producing all Marvel movie titles themselves. Thank God. No more screw ups like The Hulk or the butchering of The Pheonix Saga. (Well, It's much less likely.)


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## Darkwolf71 (Jan 2, 2008)

Another vote for Shanarra. The original trilogy.

I would go for The Elinium/Tamuli rather than The Belgariad/Mallorian.

I'd like to see accurate films of REH's Conan. (Crossing my fingers for the upcoming film.)


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## Frostmarrow (Jan 2, 2008)

Has Dragonlance been mentioned yet? Yeah, I know it's a cartoon but so was LoTR. Perhaps the cartoon is a harbinger? They're checking the waters and then BAM! Kiefer Sutherland voiceovers Hayden Christensen as Raistlin. -Sorry, just kidding. And it has knights. Go Dragonlance!


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## Klaus (Jan 2, 2008)

Darkwolf71 said:
			
		

> Another vote for Shanarra. The original trilogy.
> 
> I would go for The Elinium/Tamuli rather than The Belgariad/Mallorian.
> 
> I'd like to see accurate films of REH's Conan. (Crossing my fingers for the upcoming film.)



 A Conan movie series in the mold of 007 (1 movie every two years, with actors replacing earlier ones in the title role) would rock on toast.


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## Insight (Jan 3, 2008)

Klaus said:
			
		

> A Conan movie series in the mold of 007 (1 movie every two years, with actors replacing earlier ones in the title role) would rock on toast.




While I agree that would be great, one of the things that keeps 007 going is that it changes with the times.  It occurs in the real world (or semi-real world anyway), and the people and places are easily identifiable to the general public.

The downside to a Conan franchise going on more than say 3 movies is that the concept tends to wear on an audience.  The Conan world is static; you don't have new fashion trends, new technologies, new places for people to visit.

Hollywood believes that easily identifiable = wider audience = more money.  

If you want a long-running franchise, I think you need to start with something closer to the modern day.


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## Klaus (Jan 3, 2008)

Well, you do have the several incarnations of Conan: raider, thief, soldier, pirate, king...


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## The Forsaken One (Jan 4, 2008)

Make one or two movies about the Starcraft (PC game) universe storyline. If it's suitably brutal and shows how humans get swamped, owned, eaten, assimilated and mutated and then blow themselves up in toxic goo... Im sold. ^^

Seriously if I could have one perfectly made SF movie it would be that universe its story with a tinge of horror.

No contest .

I'd like to see a WH40K series though, that would be so awsome again if plenty brutal.


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## HeavenShallBurn (Jan 4, 2008)

The Forsaken One said:
			
		

> I'd like to see a WH40K series though, that would be so awsome again if plenty brutal.



That's pretty much the entire problem, Hollywood whitewashes things, and even if you could manage to pitch WH at them they would immediately set about whitewashing it.  And wouldn't understand when you tried to explain that the things they were getting rid of were it's primary draw factor.  

But if done well if could be so asskicking just watching it made you taste boot polish and leather.  I for one desire to see just one sci-fi movie or series that isn't either all cutesy and touchy-feeley as Star Wreck or a drama-fest ala new BSG.  That's all I really ask, one big sci-fi about a future as grim, hateful, violent, and flawed as the present if not moreso.  Then again I'd also like to see a movie where humans weren't portrayed as the weak and ineffectual yet lucky underdog.


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## elrobey (Jan 4, 2008)

One word:

Horseclans.


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## Darkwolf71 (Jan 4, 2008)

elrobey said:
			
		

> One word:
> 
> Horseclans.



Oh. My. God.

Abso-freaking-lutly! That would be incredible.


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## Asmo (Jan 5, 2008)

Brain-eating zombie chickens?

Asmo


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## Banshee16 (Jan 5, 2008)

Grymar said:
			
		

> My favorite wouldn't work...The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant.  He's too much an antihero to make for a good popular movie.
> 
> Maybe the Riftwar saga by Raymond Feist?




Riftwar would be cool.....but is it well-known enough?

I'd love to see Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn by Tad Williams, but I doubt it would happen.  Or Otherland...

Neither of those two series might be well-known enough either though.

I think Raymond Feist's "Faerie Tale" could make a great movie...horror/fantasy about the Faerie Folk...

What about Terry Brooks' Shannara series?  Weren't they good sellers?

GRR Martin's Song of Ice and Fire...but I guess HBO has that one locked up for now.

There are likely tonnes of good movies that could be done about historical periods too.  I'd love to see a well-done military epic about Napoleon....but they'd have to make him an American in the movie, and that, obviously, wouldn't work   Alternatively, movies about Hannibal (wasn't Vin Diesel going to star in one?), or what about something about Charlemagne?  A movie about Ivanhoe?

What about Sigfried?

Banshee


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## kingpaul (Jan 6, 2008)

HeavenShallBurn said:
			
		

> Complete Honor junky here, but I would do just about anything for even a single GOOD movie of _On Basilisk Station_.



If they do one, I'd rather see _The Honor of the Queen_. I'd love to see Nimitz in a killing rage.


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## ssampier (Jan 6, 2008)

Banshee16 said:
			
		

> ...
> There are likely tonnes of good movies that could be done about historical periods too.  I'd love to see a well-done military epic about Napoleon....but they'd have to make him an American in the movie, and that, obviously, wouldn't work   Alternatively, movies about Hannibal (wasn't Vin Diesel going to star in one?), or what about something about Charlemagne?  A movie about Ivanhoe?
> 
> What about Sigfried?
> ...




I'd love to see a good historical movie. Gladiator and Troy were pretty good, Alexander was abysmal. Braveheart was great. Braveheart II (The Patriot) was meh.


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## Silver Moon (Jan 6, 2008)

You might want to seriously consider a DC trilogy based upon Jack Kirby's "Fourth World" books - New Gods, Mister Miracle and Forever People - and when I say based upon I don't mean just the characters - go back to his actual early 1970's books for both the screenplay and CGI work.


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