Rendezvous With Rama

Post by **kastenessen** » Tue Dec 23, 2003 8:25 pm

I found out yesterday that David Fincher who made Alien3 is going to do Arthur C Clarke's Rendezvous With Rama. I find this a very interesting combination.

Post by **Roland of Gilead** » Tue Dec 23, 2003 8:43 pm

This is one of Clarke's better novels and could make a great movie. It's contained enough not to get completely out of control and become incomprehensible.

Any word on a release date?

Post by **kastenessen** » Tue Dec 23, 2003 9:02 pm

Nope, no release date yet, but my guess is late 04 early05. There is some information but not much on the net. Morgan Freeman is playing the lead as the commander of the Earth-ship. It's also his production company that produces the movie.

Post by **dANdeLION** » Tue Dec 23, 2003 9:10 pm

Is this wise? I heard Alien 3 sucked. I don't want another "Starship Troopers" on my hands.....

Post by **Loredoctor** » Tue Dec 23, 2003 10:03 pm

Alien 3 is very good. David Fincher is a great director (I think he did fight club). Anyways, this is good news. I loved Rendezvous.

Post by **Damelon** » Wed Dec 24, 2003 3:31 am

I'd love to see Rendezvous with Rama made into a movie... A very good book.

Post by **matrixman** » Wed Dec 24, 2003 5:39 am

Rendezvous With Rama happens to be my favorite Arthur C. Clarke novel, so I do have high expectations for the movie adaptation. It seems to be in good hands.

Post by **FaTeke** » Mon Feb 02, 2004 8:12 pm

Rendezvous With Rama has been in the planning stages for years now. With Morgan Freemans production company working on it. I'm doubtful it'll ever see the screen though.

From Cinescapes website's Development Heck section (July 2002):

Director:
David Fincher (tentative)

Status:
Slowly developing

Inside Buzz:
Forget rumors, we have the facts. As Fincher told Cinescape: “We’re still working on the script. It’s probably one of the most pilfered books of the last 30 years. There are so many science fiction films that owe at least a narrative twist or a notion to Rendezvous with Rama. I mean, Star Trek – The Motion Picture, Alien, Armageddon, Independence Day – all of these movies have plot devices and elements that are taken from it, so I don’t feel you can just do the book. I think you have to re-invent it.”

He also revealed his vision of the film would be almost completely CGI: “It’s basically a motion-capture movie. The environment is completely synthetic. The actors are performing in real-time, but you’re editing the real-time component so you can introduce the weightlessness and get the performance that you want.”

Release Date:
TBD

Just thought some of you might be interested in this info. Cinescapes Development Heck is a great place to learn about movies you REALLY want to see but will never see. LOL

Take care,
Matthew

Post by **matrixman** » Wed Feb 04, 2004 2:59 am

Thanks for the info, FaTeke! I basically agree with Mr. Fincher's comments: Rendezvous With Rama the movie may indeed be seen as a rip-off of Alien or Star Trek: TMP, sad as that thought is. But Alien and ST:TMP are examples of great sci-fi movies in their own right (in my mind, anyway), so if RWR is to be considered in the same league as them, then it must be able to stand on its own as a great movie, not merely as an adaptation of a great novel. I have no real problem with Fincher wanting to "re-invent" the book. A good adapted screenplay stands on its own, independent of the source material. I want to be surprised by the film version of RWR (in a good way, of course).

Post by **Brody** » Mon Mar 15, 2004 4:57 pm

Ahh, Fincher is a good director, and I enjoyed 'Rama' - the whole series is for books - anyone read it. Quite big in scope!!!
Still always looking forward to some good sci-fi cinema!

Post by **matrixman** » Sat Mar 20, 2004 7:21 am

I've read the Rama books, Brody. The original is still my favorite and the one I reread for pleasure. It's a model of lucid and economical writing: that's what I revere Arthur C. Clarke for.

The sequel novels were okay and one was even very good, though the writing was more turgid than lucid at times. Yes, you know who I'm pointing my finger at: Gentry Lee, Clarke's co-writer.

The "very good" one was the final book, Rama Revealed. IMO, it was here that the brilliance of the story finally overcame the faults of the writing. The story was mind-boggling in its tackling of the questions of life, the universe and everything. Mmm, cosmic stuff. Is the answer 42? You decide.

Rama Revealed was a great conclusion to the series that made slogging through Rama II and Garden Of Rama worth the effort.

Post by **Brody** » Fri Mar 26, 2004 4:59 pm

Yeah, I agree Matrixman! I enjoyed em all, but it was a bit of a slog in the middle, the final book being a good payoff. Clarke's already tackled these issues in a way in 2001 etc, but I think it's almost like Rama finally explains a lot of issues raised in his other work, at it's conclusion. Gentry Lee does seem to be there to 'spice things up' in an obvious effort to try and make things more 'cool' and balance out the science, but I don't think this works too well a lot of the time, especially in the mish-mash 'Cradle'
Anyway, I'd still like to see it!!

Post by **kastenessen** » Tue Mar 30, 2004 7:49 pm

Seems like I must dig into Rama Revealed. Haven't read it!

kasten

Post by **matrixman** » Wed Mar 31, 2004 4:08 am

Well, the way I look at it is: if you've only read the original novel, that's pretty sufficient. It stands on its own without need of a sequel. Of course, people like me who are big fans of Rama couldn't help but read the sequel books.

In which case, if you've already slogged through Rama II and Garden Of Rama, then you may as well finish things up with Rama Revealed. Clarke and Lee saved the best for last, IMO. I think you'll find it a worthwhile read, kast.

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