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Outlander movie?

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diamondlil
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Outlander movie?

Post by diamondlil » Thu October 30th, 2008, 8:07 pm

From movieweb

In a story from Variety, Essential Pictures has started to develop "Outlander as a potential franchise based on the Diana Gabaldon series of fantasy novels."

Essential is "out to directors with an adaptation from Randall Wallace (Braveheart); the goal is to start production next spring. Gabaldon's series of six novels center on an 18th century Scottish Highlander and his time-traveling wife."

The plan for Essential Pictures is "to develop, finance and produce two to three films a year in the $10 million-$40 million budget range, with some financing coming from foreign sales and domestic partners."
I don't believe that this is the first time that the series has been optioned, so quite possibly it won't amount to anything, but we will see I guess. I know it will make lots of people happy if it does happen. I am not convinced that movies need to be made of certain books, and this is one of them.
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MrsMorland
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Post by MrsMorland » Thu October 30th, 2008, 8:41 pm

oh how I hope it does happen, and that they are well done!

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Spitfire
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Post by Spitfire » Thu October 30th, 2008, 9:31 pm

This is a tough one. I don't really know if I want to see this series made into a movie. They may find someone who looks like Jamie, but will he act like him, is probably the more important one! Or will they get Claire right? I'm really not sure on this one. Of course there are really well done movies ie: Gone With the Wind, Ben Hur, and Pride and Prejudice to name a few. So, it depends on how well it is done. I am sure if they keep Gabbaldon on set, she would ensure it was done right!
Only the pure of heart can make good soup. - Beethoven

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Misfit
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Post by Misfit » Thu October 30th, 2008, 9:45 pm

A movie would be awesome, just as long as Hollywood doesn't screw it up the storyline. They have a nasty habit of doing that with books ya know.

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MLS859
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Post by MLS859 » Tue November 4th, 2008, 6:51 pm

I think I would rather not see this series made into a film. I -- and so many others, I think -- have such a strong feel for both Jamie and Claire that I'm not so sure any actor could do them justice -- and, then, I'd be disappointed, if they didn't.

I agree that they might be able to find actors who looked right -- but could they act right?

Anyway, having said all of this, I would still watch it if it was made.

And I think a miniseries would be much better than several films (and having to wait forever between them -- like we have with the books).

Lynn

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Bobbi
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Post by Bobbi » Wed November 5th, 2008, 11:19 pm

I'm undecided. I was so excited when I heard this news and on one hand I would love to see a movie made of this series, to see if they could actually pull it off, to see Jamie and Claire on the big screen would be amazing.

On the other hand what if they ruin it beyond repair? Which nine times out of ten they do. Like you guys have said, how are they going to find someone that look like Jamie and Claire and be able to act like them.

I suppose we've always got the books to go back to.

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Post by Alex Worthy » Mon November 17th, 2008, 8:36 pm

And I think a miniseries would be much better than several films (and having to wait forever between them -- like we have with the books).

Lynn[/QUOTE]

I agree that a miniseries would be better. I love the Lonesome Dove miniseries and don't think a single movie (or series of movies) could top it. I believe they found the right actors/actresses for LD.

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Spitfire
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Post by Spitfire » Wed November 19th, 2008, 2:42 am

I got this off Diana Gabaldon's site...her words regarding the Outlander movie. Thought I would share them with y'all.

"Movie News Update
I’ve been getting a number of enquiries, since press releases have started appearing about the movie production of Outlander—excited folk asking “Is it true?” “When?” and (I hope you’ll pardon a brief roll of the eyes here), “Who would you cast?” (I couldn’t begin to guess how many thousands of times I’ve been asked that over the last twenty years.)

It’s very early days as yet, but I’ll answer what I can.

Yes, Essential Productions —is developing Outlander as a “major motion picture.” (What that means is that they want to make a two-to-two-and-a-half hour feature film.)

And yes, Randall Wallace (the talented gentleman who wrote both Braveheart and Pearl Harbor—hey, ancient Scots and—WWII, how about that?) is writing the script.

No, I have absolutely nothing to say about the casting of the movie. The production people do occasionally ask me what I think of this or that person, but this is simple politeness on their part.

No, I have no control whatever regarding the script.

No, I really don’t want to have anything personal to do with the development of the movie.

Why not? Well, two major reasons (putting aside the fact that producers seldom want the original writer sticking his or her oar in and causing trouble):

1) I have books to write and a family to be with. I can’t be hopping planes every other week or dropping everything else at a moment’s notice to do script adjustments. (I do know that all movie scripts go through many (many, many) iterations, rewrites, etc. in the process of development and filming.) That kind of thing eats your time and sucks your soul, and to no good end.

2) For nearly twenty years now, people have been saying to me, “Oh! I’m dying to see the movie of your books! But I want it to be just like it is in the book!” To which the only possible reply is, “Yeah? Which forty pages do you want to see?”

Obviously, a book of the size and complexity of Oulander won’t fit into a two-hour movie. But it might be possible for a good movie based on the book to exist. Adaptations can be either good or bad—they’re seldom indifferent—but a skilful adaptation is just as much a feat of skill as is writing an original book or script.

Yes, I could adapt the book myself. With the net result that even if

a) no one then messed with the script (and they would; that’s how film works), and

b) the end result was wonderful (odds of about 900:1)—ten million people would still email me about, “But how could you leave out that scene?” Or “But why did you change this character?” Or “But you left out my favorite line in the whole book!”

I’d really rather write a new novel.

Now, do bear in mind a couple of things here:

1) Essential Productions have an option on the book. This means that they paid us a modest amount of money and we gave them a span of time, in which they can do anything they want to, in order to put together the necessary financing and logistics to make a movie (that includes hiring a scriptwriter).

We (my agents and I) get a lot of option requests. We decided to grant Essential Productions an option because we like them, we think they understand the book and its central characters, and insofar as such a thing is possible, we trust them to do their best to make it a great movie.

But it is an option.

2) Not all movies that are optioned actually get made. Even movies that have excellent scripts, A-list directors and recognizable stars don’t always get made. Naturally, we hope this one will, because we do like the EP people and think that of all the producers who’ve approached us about the film rights, they have the best chance of succeeding in making a great movie.

But we’ll all have to wait and see what happens next.

And that’s all I can tell you.

Le meas,

--Diana

P.S. Well, I can also tell you that a) yes, Gerard Butler is a fine-looking specimen of Scottish manhood, even if he is a Lowlander, but b) I think he might have difficulty playing a 22-year-old virgin; c) Keira Knightley would probably make an excellent Claire (she has the accent and the capacity for sarcasm), if she gained forty pounds, but d) James McAvoy is probably a wonderful actor, but he’s only 5’7”, for heaven’s sake.
"
Only the pure of heart can make good soup. - Beethoven

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Carine
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Post by Carine » Wed November 19th, 2008, 7:24 am

Very interesting to know what the writer herself thinks about it.
I hope, if they actuallly make a film, they make a good job of it !

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EC2
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Post by EC2 » Wed November 19th, 2008, 3:50 pm

Scripts for Brave Heart and Pearl Harbour - Euwwww!!! spit, spit, spit.

Thanks for the Q and A Spitfire. I love DG's style. One classy lady.
Les proz e les vassals
Souvent entre piez de chevals
Kar ja li coard n’I chasront

'The Brave and the valiant
Are always to be found between the hooves of horses
For never will cowards fall down there.'

Histoire de Guillaume le Mareschal

www.elizabethchadwick.com

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