Hollywood Popular Artists

Apr 23rd 2013, 16:30

By Eddie Wright

There was some possibly disappointing news for fans of Orson Scott Card's "Ender's Game" movie adaptations coming from the author himself at the Los Angeles Festival of Books on April 20 (via Ender's Ansible). First, Card says hardcore Ender-heads should not go into the movie expecting a super-faithful interpretation of the best-selling book, saying he actually didn't want it to be. He said:

It won't be identical to the book. So if you go there expecting that please don't be angry that it's not just like the book. It can't be. I don't want it to be. You don't want it to be, ok? You want it to be a good movie which the book would not have been. So we'll all find out whether they're successful or not, but I know everyone involved in this movie is doing their very best they can to do this.

Read on after the jump!

Adding, somewhat defeatedly:

I've talked to so many involved and they care about it. They love the book and they want this to give the same effect as the book. And so I can tell you this, if it doesn't work for you it will not be because of any lack of good will or strong effort on the part of some very talented people. Not everything that you try works. [...] This film will be the best good people could do with a story they really cared about and believed in. So I'm very hopeful.

Fans of the rest of Card's "Enderverse" books shouldn't hold their breath for an adaptation of the second book in the series, "Speaker for the Dead" if "Ender's Game" is a success. Card said the story is "unfilmable" and if there was a sequel, it would be another space adventure, not the philosophical, heady story that "Speaker" is. He added:

It consists of talking heads interrupted by moments of excruciating and unwatchable violence. [...] I don't want it to be filmed. I can't imagine it being filmed. If they want to 'Ender's Game' the movie, if it makes enough money, the sequel would have to be kids in space. You guys know! When you read 'Ender's Game' and went to 'Speaker for the Dead' weren't you thinking, 'What is this?'

Card is controversial figure for his views on gay marriage and homosexuality, and has been at the center of a tense debate surrounding his writing of a "Superman" digital comic for DC. Many fans have sworn off supporting anything related to the author, so could that affect the box office receipts for "Ender's Game"? Maybe. Card himself said that if you want more works based on his books, to please buy tickets to "Ender's Game" when it's released on November 1. If you don't, then not buying a ticket might do the trick.

Media files:
endersgame-poster-lead-image-70x53.jpg (image/jpeg)