Dark is Rising Sequence

[Blackbird]

I heard on the Arthurnet list that someone has bought the film rights to the five 'Dark is Rising' books, and intends the director of Legally Blonde to make the films, beginning with 'The Dark is Rising' (the second in the sequence).

I was absolutely in love with those books as a child, and can't help but feel a little nervous at them getting some kind of Harry Potter treatment...

I _really_ hope that they use British talent for the films.
Shame Jon Pertwee has passed on, he would have been a perfect Merriman

What say you all? Do you await these with interest?

[Brochfael]

I saw something about the project in yesterday's Sunday Times.

If done well it could be brilliant but I shall await further information.

Hope a few Welsh actors get in on the act too.

[goldenhand]

oh no

Call me an old pessimist, but I reckon they'll ruin it. The books you love are always better left inside your head - even LOTR, though I did enjoy the films for what they were.

Blessings,

Angharad

[Midori]

Unfortunately, no film, however good can do justice to a book. We all have our own 'internal movie' running as we read and the screen adaptation is someone else's idea or vision of it.

BB Midori

[Blackbird]

I agree - I can't think of any film that has done justice to a book. I made the mistake of watching the TV adaptation of the Earthsong books Let's just say that I'd like to have those two hours of my life back, please...

[nantonos]

admin said:

I heard on the Arthurnet list that someone has bought the film rights to the five 'Dark is Rising' books, and intends the director of Legally Blonde to make the films, beginning with 'The Dark is Rising' (the second in the sequence).

So, either it will be set in the US, or it will be set in some fanciful, everyone-in-merrie-england-has-butlers sort of pseudo-past.

I would love it to be done well (and think the LOTR was done well, for the most part) but I don't have high hopes.

The director of Legally Blond was, according to IMDB Robert Luketic
imdb.com/name/nm0525659/
not a good track record, and none with that sort of film.

However, see
www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA530238.html

Walden Media has acquired film rights to The Dark Is Rising series by Susan Cooper. The project will be produced by Marc Platt; Alex Schwartz and Evan Turner will oversee for Walden Media.

Marc Platt was the producer of Legally Blond
www.imdb.com/name/nm0686887/
not much of a relevant track record either.

[Deleted]

I watched this a few weeks ago.
The Stanton's are an American family who have moved to England some major characters are missing Herne & Merriman's servant (sorry I can't remember his name).
Tom the first son who died became Will's twin kidnapped by The Rider and kept in a crystal ball for 14yrs, but of course none of the other children know about him.

[Sìle]

Not having read the books, I thought the first movie was okay - if aimed at a younger audience, that is.

[Blackbird]

Ack

I did see trailers for the film and realised that my worst nightmares had come true. What was all that rubbish about a flooding church? And why had the rooks been turned into crows?

Bah and pish.

I daren't watch it, as I know I'll end up putting my boot through the telly.

[Deleted]

It was the manor flooding after the snow.
Though Christopher Eccelston was wonderful as the Rider.
I was gutted by the lack of Herne I was looking forward to the ride across Windor Great Park

[littleraven]

Jul 1, 2008 15:59:26 GMT -1 @kateb said:

It was the manor flooding after the snow.
Though Christopher Eccelston was wonderful as the Rider.
I was gutted by the lack of Herne I was looking forward to the ride across Windor Great Park

You will probably find that any kind of 'pagan' type reference is stripped from a film with American funding. There is a *lot* of money in the film industry whose origins lie in the bible belt.

Ever wondered what happened to the Olympian Gods in 'Troy'?

[Deleted]

Yep all the pagan type stuff was gone.