Thursday, August 26, 2004
Continuing not to panic
For those who haven't been following, some updates on the movie version of the Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy...
Principal shooting is wrapped, leaving only second unit. All reports from the set have indicated that everyone is having a great time, putting a lot of effort and imagination into making a movie that honors DNA's memory. There are also said to be lots of references to previous incarnations, such as the TV version of Marvin appearing in a crowd scene.
The screenplay was written by Adams himself before his death in 2001, with additional material adapted by Karey Kirkpatrick, whose policy was to go straight to the source material whenever possible. While the movie is an adaptation of the first novel (inasmuch as any incarnation of Hitchhiker's is consistent with any other incarnation), there is a subplot, written by Adams, involving a cult leader named Humma Kavula, played by John Malkovich. I have no idea what function he serves or how he fits into the story--and I love it. Think about it--brand new material from Douglas Adams.
Not to mention that you've got Malkatraz, who never fails to impress.
The film is on course for a summer 2005 release. Check out the teaser trailer here.
In other HHG news, next month BBC Radio 4 will begin airing The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy: Tertiary Phase, the 25-years-in-the-making third radio series, featuring all the surviving original cast. From the teaser mp3 available from the BBC website, it sounds great, very much in keeping with the original.
Tertiary Phase is an adaptation of Life, The Universe, and Everything, to be followed by Quadrenary Phase (So Long and Thanks For All The Fish), and Quintessential Phase (Mostly Harmless).
The one disappointment for me is that they don't seem to have made any effort to adapt the beginning of Tertiary Phase to the end of Secondary Phase; LTUAE begins, as you recall, with Arthur and Ford living on prehistoric Earth, while Zaphod and Trillian are on the Heart of Gold, having left Zarniwoop stranded with the Old Man Who Rules The Universe. The Secondary Phase of the radio series, however, ended with Arthur and Lintilla stealing the Heart of Gold, stranding Ford and Zaphod with the Old Man after Arthur learned that Zaphod was partly responsible for the Earth's destruction. I had been hoping they would come up with some new material to bridge that gap, but apparently they're just hitting the old History Erase button.
Oh well, that's ultimately a small quibble. Just be there on September 21 for a zarking good time.
Copyright 2004 Rich Bowen
Principal shooting is wrapped, leaving only second unit. All reports from the set have indicated that everyone is having a great time, putting a lot of effort and imagination into making a movie that honors DNA's memory. There are also said to be lots of references to previous incarnations, such as the TV version of Marvin appearing in a crowd scene.
The screenplay was written by Adams himself before his death in 2001, with additional material adapted by Karey Kirkpatrick, whose policy was to go straight to the source material whenever possible. While the movie is an adaptation of the first novel (inasmuch as any incarnation of Hitchhiker's is consistent with any other incarnation), there is a subplot, written by Adams, involving a cult leader named Humma Kavula, played by John Malkovich. I have no idea what function he serves or how he fits into the story--and I love it. Think about it--brand new material from Douglas Adams.
Not to mention that you've got Malkatraz, who never fails to impress.
The film is on course for a summer 2005 release. Check out the teaser trailer here.
In other HHG news, next month BBC Radio 4 will begin airing The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy: Tertiary Phase, the 25-years-in-the-making third radio series, featuring all the surviving original cast. From the teaser mp3 available from the BBC website, it sounds great, very much in keeping with the original.
Tertiary Phase is an adaptation of Life, The Universe, and Everything, to be followed by Quadrenary Phase (So Long and Thanks For All The Fish), and Quintessential Phase (Mostly Harmless).
The one disappointment for me is that they don't seem to have made any effort to adapt the beginning of Tertiary Phase to the end of Secondary Phase; LTUAE begins, as you recall, with Arthur and Ford living on prehistoric Earth, while Zaphod and Trillian are on the Heart of Gold, having left Zarniwoop stranded with the Old Man Who Rules The Universe. The Secondary Phase of the radio series, however, ended with Arthur and Lintilla stealing the Heart of Gold, stranding Ford and Zaphod with the Old Man after Arthur learned that Zaphod was partly responsible for the Earth's destruction. I had been hoping they would come up with some new material to bridge that gap, but apparently they're just hitting the old History Erase button.
Oh well, that's ultimately a small quibble. Just be there on September 21 for a zarking good time.
Copyright 2004 Rich Bowen
