Dragonflight to get big screen treatment
News hit the interwebs this week that a film adaptation of Dragonflight is (yet again) on the cards.
Those of us who’ve been involved in Pern fandom for any length of time have been through all this before, with various attempts to get a Pern TV show or movie off the ground all ending in fail. A proposed WB TV adaptation got nearly as far as a pilot in 2001 before creative differences between the network and Ron Moore (who became the showrunner of the reboot of Battlestar Galactica as well as, briefly, HBO’s fabulous Carnivale) put the kibosh on it. And there was much hurrah-ing when Copperheart Entertainment optioned Pern for a series of movie – six years ago, in 2005.
We Dragonriders fans have learned not to hold our breath when it comes to news of Pern hitting the big (or small) screen.
Screenwriters and producers and (no) directors (yet), oh my!
But this latest rumbling seems to have more substance to it. David Hayter, who wrote the screenplays for Watchmen and X-Men 2, has been named as the man charged with adapting Dragonflight. Meanwhile, Transformers producer Don Murphy is set to executively produce. There’s no word on a director yet, but production is slated to start in 2012.
Cynical though I am, it’s still exciting to think that it might really happen this time. Having just gone through the ride of seeing George R R Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire inch its way from optioned to piloted to greenlit to (nearly – just three days to go!) broadcast on TV, the prospect of following another beloved fantasy classic from page to screen both exhausts and exhilarates me. It probably also terrifies the makers, who will know that they have a large and vocal contingent of fans to please – as well as a mainstream audience to win – in the tricky business of converting a novel into a movie.
Nerdrage and geekgasm
My inner geek already twitches at some of the phrasing in the press release:
‘In “Dragonflight”, the first in the epic “Dragonriders of Pern” series of novels, an elite group of warriors take to the skies on the backs of giant, fire-breathing, telepathic dragons to save the wondrously exotic planet of Pern from a terrifying airborne menace.’ Read the entire press release here
Not sure that I’d describe Pern as ‘wondrous’ or ‘exotic’, and the idea of dragonriders as ‘warriors’ doesn’t entirely sit right with me – but at least they’ve got in the fire-breathing and telepathic bits. Though ‘giant’ makes me wonder if we’re going to see a ‘size-gate’ here, whether Ramoth ends up the size of an Airbus or a Cessna.
But let’s hope this one comes off, and that in its execution it’s more Lord of the Rings than Dungeons and Dragons or Eragon!
Continue to New short story: Weyrlingmaster
While I’ve been a fan of Pern since I was eight, I’ve always had the impression that McCaffrey’s books are heavy on setting, but light on story: They read like news articles, or like dry histories – with the unfortunate exception of scenes involving sex, which is usually non-consensual (or just barely consensual). This puts me in the interesting position of loving Pern itself, but disliking the Dragonriders books.
I wonder how the screenwriters and director will deal with the lack of story (dragons and time travel are plot devices, not stories), and the subtle sexism, without offending legions of fans.
Also, my first reaction is to cringe at something associated in any way with the Transformers movies. There’s a perfect example of movies with stunning special effects, but that were nevertheless boring 😛
While there were a fair number of empathically induced sexual liaisons, there was also a good bit of love (rather than sex): F’Lar and Lessa (though their first was definitely dragon-induced), F’Nor and Brekke, Robinton’s father and mother, and the interesting case of Menolly and Sebell (with the mutual attraction of Menolly and Robinton). Among others…
Of course, the rotten example set by Kylara and Meron is very distinct, but is hardly non-consensual. Fax and the Old Timers were not the rule, but rather the exception…and a negative example to all.
I’m really looking forward to the movie – and hope it will actually make it! I’ve loved Pern right from the start and can’t wait to see how they treat the dragons, their riders and wonder if they’ll squeeze in fire lizards, even though they weren’t featured (known) in the first novels.
Has there been anything new on the making of the movie? I have looked everywhere for something and haven’t seen anything posted this year on where they are at.
Not that I’ve heard. I knew it was too good to be true! Time will tell…
We have been waiting a long long time for Pern to appear on screen (Movie).
With all the silly 3D releases in the Movies theaters, I would think going “between times” or “timing it”.
would be perfect for 3D in the films.
I would also think Crystal Singer would be a special film that could be presented in 3D…
JR Namida