ROTTEN TOMATOES: What's Up with the "Ender's Game" Movie?

What's Up with the "Ender's Game" Movie?

by Scott Weinberg | April 19, 2007

Anyone who's read Orson Scott Card's "Ender's Game" will undoubtedly want to know when someone's going to make a darn movie out of it already. The property's been bouncing around Hollywood for years now, but Warner Bros. recently dropped the project into turnaround...

...which makes Mr. Card very happy indeed, because now he can use his own screenplay instead of the drafts commissioned from David Benioff and Dan Weiss. The author plans to shop the screenplay around town -- or perhaps fund the project with the help of his producers. Regarding directors, Card says it'd have to be someone who works well with actors, given that most of the main characters are kids. (Also, that Ridley Scott rumor was apparently just that: a rumor.) Furthermore, it seems logical to assume that the previously-attached Wolfgang Petersen is no longer with the project.

Either way, the thing's no closer to being made than it was five years ago. Bad news, really, because it's a pretty excellent story.

Source: IGN Movies

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(1-20 of 29 posts) | Reply

Xhrix writes:
on Apr 19 2007 02:41 AM

This is one of my all-time favorite books. I think they should consider going the CGI/Animation route with the story though, cause I don't see child actors being able to do this story justice.

(Reply to this)

Hieremias writes:
on Apr 19 2007 05:32 AM

Oh, not animated. Don't turn this into a cartoon, it's a serious story that could be told well with decent child actors. They do exist, you just need a director that can find them and work with them. Do NOT get the director of Bridge to Terebithia.

The book does have a few pretty brutal descriptions of child-on-child violence, I wonder how they'll choose to portray that.

(Reply to this)

ShaakTi writes:
on Apr 19 2007 05:47 AM

In reply to this comment (#862017)
I agree with Hieremias, the movie should not be reduced to a cartoon. We have all been waiting for this movie adaptation for a long, long, long time and if we have to wait a couple more years for an amazing live action ender's game movie then so be it. I really don't think the child on child violence would be that much of an issue, just watch grindhouse and see how liberal we are now with what we show on the screen.

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Karthik Selvakumar writes:
on Apr 19 2007 09:20 AM

Zack Snyder got some brutal facial expressions and agression from the child actors in '300.' Maybe Ender Game's could be a project for the upcoming director.

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Rockslide writes:
on Apr 19 2007 11:45 AM

This is also one of my favorite books, which has always had me both excited and scared to death about the movie version. Hollywood has totally destroyed so many great books. I would tell Mr. Card to hold some tight reins and make sure they create an Ender's Game movie and not Spy Kids 4: In Space.

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EmmG389 writes:
on Apr 19 2007 11:55 AM

[b]300 sucked, please don't give it to Snyder[/b]
Great book. I really don't know how it will transfer to screen though. It should be PG-13 if anything. If only Kubrick was alive. He knew how to make any book adaptation good. I think Danny Boyle should direct it, have you guys seen trailers for Sunshine? He knows how to direct actors also.

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EmmG389 writes:
on Apr 19 2007 11:56 AM

Maybe James Cameron. This book is too important to be left to an up and coming director.

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hoosier_daddy writes:
on Apr 19 2007 01:01 PM

[b]Don't be too Excited[/b]
As much credit as Card deserves for the book, I wouldn't get too worked up over the fact that he's shopping his version of the script around. Having read it some time ago (hopefully it's been heavily re-worked since then) I can honestly say it was horrendous. More of an action movie, it was completely stripped of the psychological layers that made is such a good story to begin with.

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FireflyFan4evr writes:
on Apr 19 2007 02:38 PM

In reply to this comment (#862021)
I think Danny Boyle is a great choice of a director for this, but when I saw the trailer for Sunshine it came across as a sequel to "The Core" from a few years ago... I hope it's not that bad though.

(Reply to this)

-eternity- writes:
on Apr 19 2007 04:28 PM

In reply to this comment (#862024)
Danny Boyle is actually the perfect choice for the material. If you've seen Sunshine or Millions, you know that 1. he can do sci-fi, and 2. he knows how to get child actors to actually ACT.

(Reply to this)

Dread writes:
on Apr 19 2007 06:18 PM

Get to it, someone!

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Sinizine writes:
on Apr 19 2007 10:52 PM

I love the book and all, but how exactly would a movie where kids essentially play an elaborate game of laser tag be interesting? It really only works in the written word.

(Reply to this)

pinkincide writes:
on Apr 19 2007 11:51 PM

In reply to this comment (#862027)
Yeah, I agree. Sometimes you just gotta look at a story objectively and ask: is it already in it's optimum form? For Ender' Game that's a book.

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Master bateMan writes:
on Apr 20 2007 01:05 PM

[b]Everyone, relax about the acting![/b]
I'm sure Dakota Fanning is in talks for the title role as we speak!

(Reply to this)

calth writes:
on Jun 17 2007 02:38 PM

too many levels to be wrought into a two hour movie... seriously what could be cut out of the book's story line and have it still make sense?? Just leave it as it is... or else they will be temted to make a movie-tie-in-game *shudders*

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BoliverShagnasty writes:
on Nov 01 2007 12:20 PM

This may be a story that only works in the written word, but I can't stop hoping it will be done. As for CGI, you only need to watch the new Beowolf trailer to see how it can destroy an story.
Card should really look at focusing on "Ender's Game" ONLY! If they try and add anymore information from the other books, they will have to start cutting important parts. You aren't supposed to know Bean's background.

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The_Duckling writes:
on Jan 11 2008 06:33 PM

totally agree BoliverShangnasty. when i heard that they were gunna do speaker, game and shadow in 1 movie, i had a total $hit fit. they cant do it in cgi, and there are some good child actors out there (I thought thatt Bridge to Teribithia's actors were pretty good). i just want to wait and see wat happens. i dont know about the laser tag thing tho. wit good music and choreography and making sure it doesnt get too sci-fi on us, it could be good.

(Reply to this)

The_Duckling writes:
on Jan 11 2008 06:35 PM

bty, does any1 actually think watching chess is interesting? cuz Searching for Bobby Fischer was pretty good, and they played chess in there. a lot. so the same thing could work for the war games.

(Reply to this)

Artful Five writes:
on Mar 05 2008 07:00 AM

I'd like to see Robert Zemeckis do this using the mocap technology he's used on "Beowulf" and "Polar Express". That says it all really: here's a guy who can do a family Christmas story AND an epic sword and sandals type film. That's what Ender's Game the movie needs, the flexibility and power of CG for battle room and space battles, the short principal photography schedule of motion capture to work with kids, and a director that knows how to do both family stuff as well as battles.
Mocap also frees you to choose any voice you want for a character designed to be perfect (e.g. Ray Winstone as Beowulf). Card should finish the screenplay and get this project to Zemeckis, let's get this movie MADE.

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Bob J. writes:
on Dec 19 2008 04:03 PM

Here's an idea: how about making Ender's Game as a Miyazaki-style anime?
He didn't exactly shy away from depicting violence. (Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke anyone?)
Such a format can convey the style and emotion of this glorious book in a way that CGI just can't. (Beowulf was a disaster!)Especially if it is done with the class and budget of a Miyazaki film. These kind of first-rate anime could be the ideal medium to depict a larger-than-life book like Ender's Game.
The action sequences would be great. The emotion can be conveyed in a different way than in live action; a way more relevant to a film like this.
All in all, Ender's game as a Miyazaki-style anime could be a beautiful, long work of art that would bomb at the box office and be revered by a cult following for many years to come.

Opinions please.

(Reply to this)

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