h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I think Alan Alda 20 years ago would be perfectr for F. Prefect. Sorta over the hill now.

If they did make a film it would pull in the punters for this site!

One of the major reasons that LotR worked was that there was SO much detail in the book, the makers were able to 'skim' the story off the top. In that way nothing pertinent was left out, but the viewer was not bogged down with facts.

I am not sure the same transformation will be possible with HH, but by the sounds of it they are going to give it a damn good try and I for one wish them all the luck going in producing somthing worthy of DNA.

GB

Terry Jones comes to mind as a director.
The Fish named Wanda crew-are brillant.,Oh, anyone besides me see 'Fierce Creatures'? It`s the = people: John Cleese,Michael Palin,Jamie Lee Curtis,Kevin Kline....& more.They`d work well in the film.

My big fear is that they try to make a "special" effects movie. Yes they should use whatever special effects they now have available to them to bring the story to the screen, but I'm very afraid that whoever ends up getting ahold of it will see "opportunities" to put special effects in for their own sake. They'll try to go for that "Oooh, Aaah" kinda reaction. With HHGTTG subtlety will be paramount.

I agree that Terry Gilliam *should* direct it... with free reign to make *his* version of the story... Let him add whatever he wants. I mean the last thing that the movie needs to do is try to be faithful to anything before it since NO version has been faithfull to anything before it yet. They could pull stuff from every version as needed. I don't know yet who they have to flesh out the screenplay yet. DNA was trying to fix the previous screenplay when he left us. From what I read about it, it was dreadful(the previous one obviously). I don't remember who wrote that screenplay but it was leaked to a website. The first reviewer of the screenplay hated it, but he had no experience with HHGTTG before, so a fellow reviewer who did have took a crack at it in case the first one just didn't get it... He hated it as well. So hopefully they pulled a lot of stuff from DNA's hard drive.

On another note, I did hear a few months ago that Terry Gilliam was working on "Good Omens" by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman. Anyone familiar with that book and it's complicated use of footnotes (which Gilliam has every intention of using in the movie) will see how, if Gilliam is successful bringing it to the screen, he should be able to do the same with the Guide. I know I'll be crossing my fingers and hoping.

I've checked the Internet Movie Database (http://www.imdb.com) The film is listed, with an estimated release date of 2005. No actors are listed, but the director is given as Garth Jennings, who is also listed on the writing credits. The only other production listed against his name is 'Da Ali G Show', for which he was title designer, whatever that is. I've never seen Ali G (not my sort of thing, from the trailers I've seen), so I'll leave other people to judge the suitability of this choice of director.

Mind you, the release date is still 2 years away, and a lot can happen in that time.

I don't think Mr Gilliam would be interested in directing the film.
There is an introduction from Terry Gilliam in the book "An Extraordinary Gentleman", which is a tribute to the great comic strip writer, Alan Moore. Terry was approached to direct the adaptation of Moores' Watchmen graphic novel in 1989, but declined after reading the novel. He also says that Hitchhikers, like Watchmen, should be left as they are and not tampered with by film studios.

Ali G? I wouldn't let anyone involved in that film touch HHGTTG with a ten foot pole. Though I directory producery people don't have to get type- cast in the same way that actors frequently do.

It'll be interesting to see how the footnotes are put in.

Ali G was funny on the 11 O'Clock show, then the joke wore very thin with the Ali G show. And the film... I cannot believe that was actually made. My friend says its funny and tries to persuade me to see it but I refuse!

It's all riiiiiiiiight...... It is very crude humour though. There are three jokes in total.

That's three jokes more than the TV series!

That is true.

I will now commit sacrilege.

I didn't like the office, in fact, I think I preferred the Ali G show.

Is Mike Palin dead yet? He should be Ford.
Rowan Atkinson should be someone. Arthur or Marvin. But he might be too sarcy. What's sacrilige?

An offence against a religion/God.

That's true. Well, I think that Mike Palin would be good, but I kinda always picture Ford as a bit.... younger. Course this is only my picture.

Well yeah obviously. But I'm just suggesting actors. Not ages. In A Salmon of Doubt DNA complains about an absolutly terrible script with his name on. If that happens some stuff is going to get wrecked. Bearing in mind DNAs been dead for 4 years.

Indeed. Actually I haven't read Salmon of Doubt yet.

Has it really been four years? When did he die?

My choices for Ford would have to be Simon Pegg (from Spaced), the bloke who plays Tim in the Office, or if they're casting an American (perish the thought) Steve Buscemi or Ben Stiller.

Havent read the story bit. Not till i read LdTtime. I think its 4 years. or 2001. who directed jabberwocky. An excellent film.

A sad thing, that one,
DNA died on friday, may 11, 2001, that makes it two years and some months.

Whatever happens, we must avoid at all costs that someone from the Ali G show gets anything to do with that movie.

The humour of that show is great, in it's own way, but it's just not connected to the Hitchhiker sort of humour.

The guy (Garret wotsit) they're talking about only did the title design for Da Ali G Show. He's apparently more known for Hammer & Tong. (of which I'm completely clueless.)