According to this blurb in the Guardian, director Sam Raimi of Evil Dead and Spider-Man fame, will be directing an adaptation of one of Terry Pratchett’s Discworld books, The Wee Free Men:
Sam Raimi, currently hard at work on Spider-Man 3, has been tapped to direct an adaptation of Terry Pratchett’s The Wee Free Men as his first post-Spidey project. The 2003 book, part of Pratchett’s immensely popular Discworld series of fantasy novels, centres on a nine-year-old girl’s efforts, with the help of six-inch-tall sheep rustlers in kilts, to rescue her brother from the clutches of a fairy queen. If the picture is successful, Sony Pictures could be looking at a franchise goldmine – the Discworld series encompasses at least 35 novels and three children’s books so far.
Interesting, though odd, news. I’m curious to see what Raimi comes up with.
Odd, indeed. I wonder why they chose The Wee Free Men, when there were so many other novels they could have chosen.
Maybe they knew that, if they chose a book featuring the more popular characters, they’d inevitably disappoint some readers (but on the other hand, every adaptation of a popular book will do that, and it certainly didn’t keep Peter Jackson from doing the LOTR films).
In any case, I know who’d be my first choice to play Rincewind. Sadly, Graham Chapman is no longer available.
Now, if they get Billy Connolly and Ewan McGregor (not so coincidentally, the two also inspired Paul Kidby when he drew the little blue guys for the book cover) to at the very least voice, if not actually play, some of the Nac Mac Feegles, I may give the film a chance. Ah, who am I kidding, I’ll watch it anyway. 🙂
I have to admit I’m pretty psyched. If it’s successful enough they’ll probably do “Hat Full of Sky” as well (and by that time the *third* Tiffany book will be out, so…)
As to why they went for Wee Free Men, would it be cynical to suggest that movie companies are currently desperate to find a book about a young girl who enters a magical land where it’s always winter, ruled by an evil queen?:lol:
I think that the choice of book has come down to money, i.e. what sells. Hollywood knows it can make more money from Children’s films than films for Grown-ups (nearly put Adult Films then, but that’s something entirely different). This is mainly because can take themselves to the cinema but kids need some one to take them (normally in huge flocks)
If they had chosen a grown-up Discworld book, well, imagine the scope of the production that would be needed just to do any kind of justice to Ankh-Morpork. With Wee Free Men it’ll either be in the middle of a field for Tiffany’s home or the the Arctic Circle for Fairyland.
Wee Free Men was also probably chosen because it is the first of the Tiffany Aching books and should the film do very well a sequel will be in the off (wouldn’t it be easier to film them in order so you only have to employ one Actress)
A good book choice for a first film, hopefully the other books will follow. There are still a lot of people who don’t know who Terry Pratchett is (obviously they don’t read!) and so making a kid’s film is a good start and so the next generation of Discworld fans will be born. I love all the Discworld books, fave characters have to be DEATH, Rincewind (should be played by Eric Idle – having done the voice on the Discworld game) and the City Watch! Oh the wait!!