This is debachery to its fullest extent. This is on par with other really bad things. This makes me so friggin' pissed off. AHHHHHHHHHH!!!! If they ruin this, someone will be very upset....
Movie Update - February 10, 2004
X-Men 2 Writers Signed for the Ender Screenplay
Variety Magazine announced on 10 February that Dan Harris and Michael Dougherty, the writing team that created the X-Men 2 screenplay, have been hired by Warner Brothers to write the second draft of the Ender's Game screenplay.
Harris and Dougherty have already been in contact with Orson Scott Card, the author of both Ender's Game and Ender's Shadow, both of which have been optioned by Warner Brothers as the basis for the Ender's Game movie. Card wrote the first draft of the screenplay based on both books.
"Dan and Mike know how to create a terrific action film that entertains the audience every moment," said Card. "And best of all, their scripts get made, and made well. The chance of an excellent version of Ender's Game actually getting on the screen just increased dramatically because they signed on."
Harris already knew Ender's Game well; Dougherty only read it in preparation for this assignment. "That's an ideal combination," said Card. "One of the team is absolutely familiar with the elements of the story that the most committed fans will expect to see, while the other will be able to make sure it isn't just a movie for people who already love the book."
Still, Card warns, "No matter who writes the script, there are only a hundred and twenty pages available to tell a story that took more than five times that many to tell in novel form. Trying to include everything would make a lousy movie. Something is going to get left out."
"My own draft of the screenplay gives a pretty good idea of which elements of the books I thought were vital to the telling of the story," says Card. "I can't wait to see what they do."
"And of course I'll be available to them to help them in any way I can," Card promises. "We all have the same goal: To get a great movie into the theaters. With Wolfgang Petersen slated to direct and Warner Brothers executives committed to backing this project to the hilt, I believe that we couldn't have a better team."
Though the Variety article doesn't mention her, Robert Chartoff's partner Lynn Hendee, of Chartoff Productions, is still aboard as a producer of Ender's Game. She has been working closely with Card since 1996, and has been an integral part of every version of the script and every attempt to put together the film package.
"It's ironic," says Card, "that the producer who has worked the hardest to realize this film as I want it is the one whose name isn't mentioned in the story. But that's Hollywood. It makes me wonder how many other films owe this much to people whose names somehow don't make it into the official story."
In March, Card will be meeting with Warner Brothers Consumer Products division to discuss development of the electronic games that will tie in with the movie.
As to when the movie will come out, Card says, "It's way too early even to guess about that. The second draft isn't even written yet. And even when we get a script that everyone thinks is perfect, there's still the problem of casting and, of course, making everything fit with everyone's schedule."
Card promises that "as soon as we know anything real," it will be announced here and elsewhere.
Of course I'll go see it and have my own reactions and such, but for now, I hate it, I hate the fact that these guys, who did such an awesome job on X-Men 2 could botch my favorite book of all time. Well, All I know is that there is no gray area, i'll either love it or hate it. LEt's wait and see!
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