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Post by Marcus on Feb 27, 2014 7:43:35 GMT -5
Never seems good when the author of the books a film/series is based on says they don't want to take an active role, or at least pay attention to what happens in it.
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Post by darkwolfavenged on Feb 27, 2014 14:58:48 GMT -5
Never seems good when the author of the books a film/series is based on says they don't want to take an active role, or at least pay attention to what happens in it. I read back through some of Kelley's posts and she says that she did see the scripts for the first two episodes and gave the producers some brief notes. But that was it as to her involvement in the show. As it turned out the first two eps were pretty damn close to the first few chapters of the book minus one or two character changes. But Kelley has always said that from a creative point of view she simply isn't interested in writing/adapting/producing for TV or film. She just likes to write books (and the odd comic book - see her work on one five issue story arc of the old Angel book at IDW prior to the character returning to the Buffy fold proper at Dark Horse). Selling the TV/film rights to Bitten was a pretty standard practice business deal which was done years ago and is something that happens as a matter of course with almost all reasonably successful books. Interestingly though, due to the reaction many of her fans have had to how Bitten the show has been handled, Kelley says she is now reconsidering any future sales of TV/film rights to her works. |
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Post by someoldguy on Feb 28, 2014 15:39:52 GMT -5
Anne Rice had some bad things to say about the treatment being given to Interview with the Vampire, especially the choice of Tom Cruise. But suddenly after the movie was released she completely changed her tune. For real? For money? Other than this I would be hard pressed to think of an author being happy(or claiming to be) with the TV/Movie results, except Richard Matheson who generally did the screenplays himself.
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Post by darkwolfavenged on Feb 28, 2014 18:15:00 GMT -5
Yeah, but unlike Kelley Anne Rice was actually involved in making Interview. She wrote the screenplay though Neil Jordan did do a rewrite and did a bang up job making the film as it's a pretty faithful adaptation of Rice's novel, certainly in theme, tone and character. It was mostly the casting of Tom Cruise as Lestat that raised Rice's ire. I too was skeptical about Cruise when he was cast but thought he was fabulous when I finally saw the film. The non-cynical side of me would like to think that Rice was simply gracious enough to admit that she was wrong.
But you are right. Most authors seem unhappy with how their books get treated when transferred from page to screen. I think that's because many just can't seem to grasp that books and TV/films are completely different mediums and that what may work on the page may not work at all on the screen. Sometimes changes have to be made. The trick is to make the author's story work in its new medium, to become its own thing with a life all of its own.
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Post by someoldguy on Feb 28, 2014 19:15:44 GMT -5
Anne Rice did write the original script for the movie, then stayed out of it.
I recall reading in some magazine that Rice was worried about what might be happening with the movie as a whole after she heard about the casting. I saw the video statement she made afterward retracting her earlier comments. I will give her the benefit of the doubt and consider it sincere. But to me at least it did not quite ring true. I liked Interview very much but it still seemed to me that Cruise was the weakest link. Or maybe it was just that he was not the Lestat who was in my head after reading the book.
But I do agree that Interview was a relatively rare case of a movie based on a book that turned out both very faithful and very good.
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Post by Noel on Mar 2, 2014 10:44:48 GMT -5
I very much liked Tom Cruise in Interview With The Vampire, but then I never read the book, so I didn't have an image of the character in mind. For the character as he appeared in the film, I think he played the part perfectly.
On topic, I really need to get round to watching more episodes of this show ...
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Post by Werewolf on Mar 15, 2014 18:54:49 GMT -5
Only movie i've ever really liked Tom Cruise in.
If it was my work i wouldn't want to give up creative control and i'd want to be really strict on how they film and the stories, etc. So i'm guessing i probably wouldn't be able to sell my work at all. Nobody would want to work with me!
Still not seen it to be able to comment. Really need to dig out the books and see if i did get them all. Not sure i have. But a little trivia for you... I used to work with Kelley's cousin. It's a small world.
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Le Loup-Garou Qui Rit
