The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Movie
"What has Gone Before"
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The Beginning
Source: none
Date: January 4, 2005
Date Posted: January 4, 2005
I've decided to maintain a compendium of movie news for The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, in theonering.net style. Maybe one day this will be worth maintaining on a web site.
- Kevin
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G.P. Putnam's Sons Acquires Long-Awaited Conclusion
to Bestselling Fantasy Saga by Stephen R. Donaldson
Source: StepehenRDonaldson.com News
Date: January 14, 2004
Date Posted: January 4, 2005
New York, New York, January 14, 2004 ... Carole Baron, President of G.P. Putnam's Sons, an imprint of Penguin Group (USA), today announced the acquisition of the final four novels in Stephen R. Donaldson's critically acclaimed and bestselling series, "The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant." North American rights to the new quartet of books, entitled "The Last Chronicles of Thomas Covenant," were acquired by Jennifer Hershey, Vice President, Editorial Director, G.P. Putnam's Sons, from Howard Morhaim of the Howard Morhaim Literary Agency Inc. The first book in the series, The Runes of Earth, will be published by Putnam in Fall 2004, with a Berkley paperback edition to be published by Berkley in 2005.
Ms. Hershey commented, "A return to this incredibly well-loved series - after two decades - will be a huge event for the millions of readers who have read and re-read the Thomas Covenant books over the years. Donaldson is a tremendously talented writer and we're thrilled to be the publisher of this new quartet of books."
Concurrent with this book deal, motion picture rights have been optioned by producers Marc Gordon and Peter Winther. Gordon's film production credits include The Patriot, A Simple Plan, Saving Private Ryan, and Speed, and Winther's credits include The Patriot, Godzilla, Independence Day, and Stargate. Howard Morhaim also sold the quartet to Malcolm Edwards of Orion in the UK.
The initial six books in Donaldson's series were published between 1977 and 1983, have sold more than 6 million copies, and have been published in ten countries around the world. They continue to sell tens of thousands of copies a year and have become modern classics of the genre. As The Washington Post Book World said at the time of the original publications, "[The saga] will certainly find a place on the small list of true classics." The Kansas City Star called the series, "The War and Peace of fantasy literature." The Los Angeles Times described the saga as having "remarkable scope and sophistication." The series is also taught in colleges, universities and seminaries across the country.
The Thomas Covenant series had a humble beginning, as Donaldson endured 47 rejections for the first novel, Lord Foul's Bane, before finally finding it a publishing home in 1977. Readers have been eagerly awaiting the conclusion to the series for more than twenty years.
Putnam plans a major launch for the "The Last Chronicles of Thomas Covenant," with extensive marketing and publicity.
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Russell Crowe/Thomas Covenant
Source: StepehenRDonaldson.com News
Date: unknown
Date Posted: January 4, 2005
As it happens, Russell Crowe has decided NOT to take on the role of Thomas Covenant, no doubt (drum-roll, please) because he considered it too taxing. Imagine my surprise. As you may know, money people typically commit to a movie, not because they like the project, but because a "bankable" star has agreed to participate. Therefore the "Covenant" film remains purely hypothetical.
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Donaldson meets the Movie People
Source: StepehenRDonaldson.com Gradual Interview
Date: October 28, 2004
Date Posted: January 4, 2005
Darrin Cole: I noticed the comment about russel crowe turning down the role of Thomas Covenant(not sure if it was serious) and Just wondered whether you or the people who might make the movie have considered asking viggo mortenson for the role, when I saw him as aragorn in Lord of the rings My first thought was they should make a thomas covenant movie with viggo as covenant he could be perfectly made up to resemble the character I and I imagine many others visualised as Thomas Covenant.
SRD:
I'm not posting this information under "News" because, well, it doesn't qualify. But one plus of my current book tour is that I had a chance to meet with the movie people who bought the "Covenant" option. They turned out to be both very serious movie people and very serious "Covenant" fans: people who could easily be doing other things to make money, but who want to make "Covenant" films because they love the books, and because they see a window of opportunity which didn't exist before the success of the LOTR films. We had a rather wide-ranging discussion, during which they said that they feel they need an "A-list" director but not "A-list" actors. In other words, they want to use much the same approach to casting that Peter Jackson used for LOTR: good actors, but not necessarily "bankable" ones (because "stars" are too expensive). Well, thanks to LOTR, Viggo has probably become too expensive. But I can't see him as Covenant anyway: he doesn't seem to have the emotional range--or the emotional extremes--to play Covenant.
(10/28/2004)
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Fantasy for Revelstone, Gordon
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
Date: December 17
Date Posted: January 4, 2005
Link:
here
Revelstone Entertainment and the Mark Gordon Co. are getting into the epic fantasy business, teaming up to produce a feature film version of Stephen Donaldson's "The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant."
With a view toward developing a potential film franchise, Revelstone has optioned the rights to the first six books in the series, which "Band of Brothers" scribe John Orloff will adapt. Mark Gordon is producing with Revelstone's Peter Winther and Randy Simon. Lawrence Inglee will oversee the project on behalf of the Mark Gordon Co.
The books revolve around a shunned author (Covenant) who is magically transported to the Land, a mystical world where he discovers he is the incarnation of a great hero. Covenant thinks it's all a dream. But he's the bearer of a magical talisman, and is enlisted to help save the Land from Saturn and his representatives. (Liza Foreman)
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THE CHRONICLES OF THOMAS COVENANT optioned
Source: Cinescape Movie News
Date: December 17, 2004
Date Collected: January 4, 2005
Link:
here
By: PATREICK SAURIOL, News Editor
Stephen Donaldson's fantasy book series THE CHRONICLES OF THOMAS COVENANT is on its way to becoming a movie franchise. Revelstone Entertainment has bought the film rights to the first six books in the CHRONICLES series and has hired screenwriter John Orloff (BAND OF BROTHERS) to adapt the first novel. As well, Mark Gordon is onboard as a producer for the film.
Donaldson's uncoventional fantasy series followed the story of a ill writer from our world that is mysteriously transported to a world where magic exists. Believing that he's hallucinating and that the people in this "Land" are just figments of his fevered imagination, Covenant performs some actions that have long-term effects on his psyche. Eventually he comes to accept the strangeness of his situation and his role as a mythic hero to its people.
A new COVENANT book, the first in a new series, was published in October of this year.
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Believe It Or Not Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever is coming
Source: Empire Online News
Date: December 17, 2004
Date Posted: January 4, 2005
Link:
here
Aside from The Lord of the Rings, fantasy literature has never had much of a warm welcome in Hollywood. There's literally a wealth of books out there that would make glorious big screen adaptations but, by and large, said masterworks generally go unnoticed. George R R Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series is once such example (if he ever finishes it) and Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time is another (ditto - and assuming films with a 20 hour running times become widely acceptable). A third such example is Stephen Donaldson's The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant The Unbeliever, and it is exactly that we can report is now on its way to having screen incarnation.
It's not your average tale of swords and sorcery either. For starters the main hero, Thomas Covenant, is a leper. That's right: a leper. Andhe's not the most gullible chap ever - hence the name. So he has a little difficulty coming to terms with his situation when he's transported to The Land, an alternative world where he's hailed as the reincarnation of a mythical hero and tasked with saving all and sundry from the evil Lord Foul.
It may sound odd, but trust us when we say that it's well worth a read. While the first of the third Covenant trilogy has just hit bookstores, the first six books have been locked down for adaptation with Band of Brothers scribe John Orloff set to pen the script.
The adaptation of The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant is a triumph for fantasy literature and a step in the right direction, we reckon. Now, if we can just get Robin Hobb's Farseer trilogy on to some Hollywood executive's desk then we'll really be getting somewhere.
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"Covenant" movie
Source: StepehenRDonaldson.com News
Date: unknown
Date Posted: January 4, 2005
This past week, "The Hollywood Reporter" announced that "Covenant" is coming to the big screen. This is both premature and misleading. Here are the facts to date.
The production team of Mark Gordon ("Saving Private Ryan") and Peter Winther ("Independence Day") is quite serious about wanting to make a "Covenant" film. "Revelstone Development" has a design in place and a screenwriter on board (John Orloff, "Band of Brothers"). What Gordon and Winther do *not* have is a studio (i.e. money); and without a studio little or nothing is likely to happen. Since Hollywood basically shuts down in December, Gordon and Winther plan to start approaching studios in January.
I would like to emphasize that I have no control over any aspect of this process. After all, the film rights are held by Ballantine Books, not by me. I've met Winther and Orloff, and I'm convinced that their respect for and excitement about "Covenant" is genuine: for that reason, I'm starting to get excited myself. And I have no doubt that Revelstone Development will consult with me from time to time, and will take whatever I have to say seriously. But I have no actual power here. Nor do I want any. In fact, I've refused every offer to give me any power. I love movies; I hope a "Covenant" movie (or several) will be made; I hope it will be good; and I hope it will be successful. But I'm simply not qualified, either by experience or by personality, to make the kinds of decisions--and compromises--which are essential to film-making. And I have my own work to do, work which pretty much consumes all of my creative energy. So I'm rooting hard for Revelstone Development; and if Gordon, Winther, and Orloff ever want my opinion, I'll give it to them. But really this is all out of my hands.
More news as it develops....
P.S. I'm just guessing here; but I suspect that peculiar references to "Saturn" in "The Hollywood Reporter" are a confused conflation of "Satan" and "Sauron." I can't think of any other explanation.
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John Orloff post in Kevin's Watch
Source: KevinsWatch Forum
Date: December 31, 2004
Date Posted: January 4, 2005
John Orloff wrote:
So listen, I have been lurking here recently, and noticed everyone is leaping to conclusions.
The Hollywood Reporter article was, as Stephen Donaldson said, " both premature and misleading" (as well as kooky-- where they got "Saturn", we'll never know).
It is a fact that Mark Gordon (producer of "Saving Private Ryan", "The PAtriot") and Peter Winther (prodcuer of "Independence Day", "The Patriot") and myself (writer of "Band of Brothers"), are attempting to figure out how to make a movie out of TCTC.
Peter and I have each been fans of the books for over 20 years-- and we take the respnsibity seriously. We are not going to re-invent them, nor are we going to change them in any major way. We LOVE these books.
Film IS, however, a different medium than literature, and as such, things must be adapted. For example, as some one else mentioned, to shoot LFB as written, would in itself require about 8 hours of film. So we will have to in the least, shorten...
We have every hope to stay as true to the book, and Mr. Donaldson's vision, as possible. In fact, I hope that Mr. Donaldson will be very involved in this adaption. I am sure at some point he will tire of my phone-calls to come.
I of course understand your nervousness and trepidation.
I don't know if any of you saw "Band of Brothers". It was an adaptation that was extremely faithful to the source (in this case the real men more than the book). We even got some criticism as TOO faithful to the truth (for comparison, take a look at "Pearl Harbor"). I take the responsibilty of TCTC with the same level of seriousness.
And Mark Gordon is no slouch, having been nominated for an Oscar for "Ryan". And Peter's understanding of effects is gigantic-- and his passion for, and knowledge of, the material matches anyone's on this site.
There is still a huge hurdle to get past though-- namely, finding a studio willing to develop the project. That is why the article in the Reporter was premature. And this is, given the nature of TC as a character, not a no-brainer.
So, everyone calm down.
I don't think it appropriate at this time to have a full blown conversation at this site, though once we go forward, I hope that can change-- I think Peter Jackson was very right to include other fans in the process. TCTC is not mine, it is OURS.
But I will tell you this-- our plan at this moment is to do LFB alone as the first film. The Chronicles are MUCH too rich to try to stuff into one or two films. So we'll start at the beginning-- a good place to start, no?
Breathing easier I hope?
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John Orloff promises to Watchers: We're gonna do this thing right
Source: KevinsWatch Forum
Date: December 31, 2004
Date Posted: January 6, 2005
John Orloff wrote:
Thanks everybody for the warm welcome.
I wish I could give out more info, but we're not at that stage. But don't worry... You'll get the skinny as it happens...
We're gonna do this thing right...
.
), post a notice here so we can all jump for joy. 
