Kevin's Watch

There are 3 kinds of lies in this world - lies, damned lies, and cover art.

really! I never imagined him as scrany--jeez some cover art had him in eoman grab and some weird crown. And the TWL was (despite it's sheer beauty) completely inaccurate. Bale still fits the bill in my book!

I agree with Unfettered. Dennis Quaid would be a good TC I think. Also Claire Danes (spelling?) would be good for Lena.

Lord Foul - Wilhelm von Homburg. Anyone see Ghostbusters 2? He was Vigo.

Gibbon Raver - Anthony Hopkins

Saltheart Foamfollower - Paul White better known as the wrestler "The Big Show" if he grew his hair out

Mhoram - Earl Hindman who was Wilson from Home Improvement.

Linden - Mary McDonnell. She was the first lady in Independence Day.

Mary McDonell is a fox--but Wilson? I KNOW u're kidding!

I really can't see why everyone wnats wrestlers for Giants; they were the most emotional characters of the Chronicles, for Creator's sake; their role cries for an actor

I really was trying to get a laugh from the Wilson idea.

I don't think it would be hard for the wrestlers to portay emotion on the big screen. Granted it might take some coaching but all wrestling is is a male soap opera. Very "snicker" emotional stuff. I am having fun with this thread. Please don't take most of the stuff I say seriously anyways.

last mesesage came from the Hunter of D n stuff

I still say Jeri Ryan would be suitable for either Elena or Linden. I could see Sarah Polley in either role as well.

How about the guy who played Sgt Anderson from Tour of Duty as Mhoram?

If this ever did get made into a movie...I doubt you'll see any big names, unless they were fans willing to take a pay cut.

Lord of the Rings didn't have any "big names" did it?

well, if you call Christpher Lee, Ian McKellen, Ian Holm, Liv Tyler small names...

Elijah Wood and Sean Astin...awesome as Frodo and Sam

and then...there is Viggo

Oh boy...Here we go with Viggo again...

By big names, I mean the "name" stars that typically pull in megamillion dollar salaries, and are known for their star value alone.

The Lord of the Rings cast was very strong, but before the movie, how much widespread recognition did they have?

For a movie like Covenant (and Lord of the Rings) to be filmed, I don't think they can spare money from special effects to pay inflated salaries to the actors.

Anyone know how much it cost to produce Lord of the Rings?

I seem to remember 170 million dollars.

This is my first post and it took a moment to choose which one to reply to.
With the completion of the LOTR saga being filmed, conception of doing TCTC is easy enough to do. Thing is finding the right studio/director/producer to do it. Finding the right ones that are even familiar or fans of TCTC. I've met enough people on and off line to see that while popular TCTC is not as broadly known as LOTR.
We fans of TC would definitely LOVE a movie but those unfamiliar with the whole story? I've had friends watch the first two films and still go.. huh? wha? simply because they never read the Hobbit/LOTR.
First and foremost a script has to be written and sent to various studios large and small, for consideration. It has to immediately arrest the reader/producer by the first page or it isn't even considered, (this I gotten from Scriptwriters handbook). Those who read scripts meaning the ones that screen them for good bad content aren't interested then the script goes on the shelf where it'll sit for years. If the first couple of minutes of the movie isn't gonna grab a viewer then studios won't even consider putting in the money.
If there's a multi-millionare fan on this board that'd be willing to front money to make a test film to go with the script then it'll help get the ball rolling in hollywood. Provided we can get a good five or ten minute long film made.
LOTR was/is so popular that spray-paintings of "Frodo Lives!" exists in NY subways. Is anything like that for TC?
I agree that it would make for a fine film provided it had the right director and producer and studio (SKG?).

Lets focus on what directors and producers would be good for this ambitious project. Which FX team (i.e. ILM) would re-create the various animals and creatures of the Land so they'd be visually arresting.
I've always seen Clysdales and their kind as excellent Ranyhym, they'll save on FX for sure... of course the horses would have to put up with white stars being painted on their crowns...heh.

We've seen via LOTR movies that Giants can be played by regular sized people and visually put on film as the 12 foot tall beings they are in the Land. Through Gollum and Wargs we can see the urviles, cave wrights and other foul creatures (pardon the pun) can be CGI.

I'm curious as to where (location wise) would the Land best be represented? Peter Jackson got lucky with the whole isle of New Zealand to double for Middle Earth.

If the entire six part series were to be filmed we'd be looking at anywhere from 250 to 500 Million dollars.. and this is using "low budget actors" (but still highly talented) as did with LOTR. The obvious expense would go to the lavish SFX. But the primary selling point has to be the story. Anyone can make a great SFX movie but one that grabs the audience and makes them care for the characters and places on the screen... that is the hardest part. Donaldson did it with us via his writing the novels. As we all (should) know not always the transfer from page to screen is successful. It's in the writing, editing, producing and direction.

It's a worthwhile discussion and hopefully one of us members is someone who knows details about how such projects get off the ground.
Like to see more on this thread.

Sorry, but we giants are long winded... and this post is definitely brief for a giant.

Welome, noble Giant Seafoam! Be welcome and true!

You have raised some good points there. From what you have said about submitting a script, my first concern would be making it grab the attention. I can see this being something of a problem. The whole of Lord Foul's Bane really didn't draw me in - I found it a fascinating read, but it wasn't until the Quest entered Mount Thunder that it began to engross me. Also, I found Covenant himself to be thoroughly annoying and, at times, downright unpleasant during this first installment. One of the great aspects of TC as a character is that though he is repellant for many people in the early stages, he grows on all of us as time goes on. However, this doesn't work too well for a brief script submission.

On the other hand, if just the first part (say up to TC's arrival on Kevin's Watch) were to be submitted, that might provoke suffiecient interest. It certainly provoked mine...

Well even if the script were to start out with Covenant arriving on Kevin's Watch, the audience is still wondering who is he and why is he there. Again Donaldson did a good job introducing the man to us and his descent into self pity because of his leporsy<sic>. The script could start out with Covenant walking down the street to the phone company and then being accousted by the old man after being given the note by the boy...the note by the way is a supurb intro to the whole series as it details exactly Covenant's predicament. The rest can be done in flash-backs as he and Atarian are walking to the Lord's Keep.
It's gonna be tough to win audience's favor of the main character after the rape of Lena, which could be underplayed as a simple assault rather than a full blown rape. With Covenant rationalizing later in the film that he lost his mind because "nerves don't regenerate!".
Explainations of the power of the White Gold can be done at Soaring Woodhelven when Covenant fails the test of the highwood...(which we all know that he really didn't fail, just that his halfhand couldn't hold on to it well enough when it was thrust upon him).

Someone mentioned Kevin Spacey as a possible TC but to me he would have to lose a great deal of weight as I envision TC as a thin man, ravaged by his disease (though arrested...his time at the Leporsarium took it's toll). Willem Dafoe also would be a tough choice, his voice is normally soft. I'm sure that it's just me and I'll admit that I had a hard time envisoning Elijah Wood as Frodo (remember Frodo was 50 yrs old at the time of the fellowship and yes while Hobbits are long lived creatures they're also round "tending to fat". But Wood worked well enough so perhaps the other readers favs are good choices.

Remember folks that a top billed actor earns anywhere from 20 to 25 MILLION dollars just for showing up on the set. All the actors of LOTR signed on for considerably less and still made the show.
Unfortunately Anthony Hopkins is among those 20 million dollar figures. Even at his age he would make a good TC.

But yes back to point, a good script and where to begin so that no one is left in the dust mid-way through the film. It's fortunate however that the battle in and out of Mount Thunder will provide enough action sequences as well as the battle of Soaring Woodhelven. The rest of the movie will have to rely upon building up and preparing the audience for the events ahead.
Likewise the ending of the (first film) would have to ease the (uninitiated) audience to the fact that TC is traveling between worlds and many may conclude that it was just one hellva dream the guy had.

The chepest and easiest way of getting correct visuals for the movie must of course be to take 1-7 camera crews and go to the Land.

Seafoam Understone wrote:The script could start out with Covenant walking down the street to the phone company and then being accousted by the old man after being given the note by the boy...

Seafoam Understone wrote:This is what I meant by "up to his arrival at Kevin's Watch.
It's gonna be tough to win audience's favor of the main character after the rape of Lena, which could be underplayed as a simple assault rather than a full blown rape

This idea, unfortunately, isn't really workable. It has to be rape, otherwise -- no Elena...

Well, I could imagine the opening sequence to the films as similar to that of The Two Towers - the camera sweeping over majestic mountains and valleys of the Southron Range and then suddenly swooping up to the tip of Kevin's watch, showing Covenant's struggle with Lord Foul, we hear the Prophecy, and then, when Foul has ledt, while TC recovers, he remembers back to the first chapter of the book, his leprosy, his walk into town, the beggar, the accident, the red lights of the police car changing into Drool's eyes...
In this way the first pictures could be surprising enough for a good opening.

Quick question - it has always seemed to me that TCTC would make an unpopular movie due to the early rape scene. Lena's rape is so central to TC's character - is it possible to remove that scene from a movie without dramatically changing who TC is?