This gets my vote for silliest thread ever*. How many times do we have to cover the same ground? Every few months, someone shows up who hasn't bothered reading any of the rest of the discussion, and makes some point that has already been made two or three times before. Allow me to summarize:

There are two camps; one says the novel is sacred text and should not be transmuted into cinematic form because nobody in this universe is qualified for the task. The other camp thinks those people are retarded.

Those who favor adapting Neuromancer into film are split into those who want it live action, and those who would prefer it as an animated piece. The people who would like it animated can be broken into those who want anime style and those who want 3D CGI.

Those who would like to see it as a live action film are generally split into two camps as well: the ones who want the latest Hollywood bankables in the cast (big budget action vehicle), and those who want it as far from Hollywood typecasting as possible (independent art style).

Usually when people begin listing who they would like as director, they think about what the imagery looks like in their head while reading Gibson's prose, and then think of a movie that matches closely to that.

OK? So let's not go over all that stuff again and again. Figure out which camp you belong in, and then if you still have something to add to the discussion like a really cool casting choice no one else has listed, by all means, please do so. Otherwise STFU n00b*!!!



*please keep in mind, im just being sarcastic. keep telling yourself "it's only a joke"

Perfect. This should be the first post in every page of this thread.

good idea, stone them both.

quote:

Originally posted by Black*Star:
The worst part of it is that there *can't* be a Neuromancer film and no way will there be a Sprawl trilogy, despite how awesome it would be... The Matrix and it's rather dodgy sequels saw to that. The comparisons would be too many for anyone not familiar with Gibson's material and that would murder the whole project. I personally think the Wachowski's should be stoned for this, who's with me?

Stoned? The W. Bros look stoned already!

A-ha. I know it's a bit dull for old timers here to re-read old subjects, BUT, remember:

1) You were new once
2) You too asked those same questions
3) Yes you did
4) No really, you did
5) No, lets not get into an arument - you did
6) If a subject says "5345" posts, it's easier just to ask - face it, reading other people's old threads is dull dull dull!
7) These old subjects are usually actually the really interesting stuff and the stuff your talking about since is great, but it's generally snacking and picking rather than dining. Absolutely nothing wrong with that obviously. Snacking's regulalry as interesting or more so than dinner! But, that's why it always comes back to the hard core stuff.
8) So, just bear in mind the usual "hey, check the old thread! " reposte to the hardcore again-and- again questions is just as dull. Beware! People who are not dull being dull! It does not suit you sirs and ladies.

...so, I think Michael Mann or Wong Kar Wai should make it. Has to be someone who makes the whole thing looks sharp like a lucid dream, rather than druggy or "futuristic".
Or maybe no-one should make it at all.
The book itself has been so instrumental inspiring so many great films.
Maybe that's what it's here for.

I'm sure someone has written this before, and will write it again. I am happy for this post to crumble into dust and be replaced by something similar, but not quite the same.

Nothing's never quite the same.

Robert Rodriguez?

On a bit of an off-topic, touring Chapters yesterday brought to my attention that the Neuromancer hard cover 20th anniversary edition is on shelves. Not sure if it's been mentioned in the plethora of posts here, as I just signed on (after a decade of not bothering to find this place... ) but there it is. Nice little edition.

lates,
az

Ok, being lazy I havent bothered to read through 8 pages of who'd be the best actor for who, but I do believe that Bruce Willis would fit the role of General Willis Corto/Armitage to a tee. He seems to be physically a match as described in Neuromancer...

quote:

...so, I think Michael Mann or Wong Kar Wai should make it.

Mann was rumored to be attached to it at one time. But I had a hard time imagining the director of Heat and Collateral and Manhunter doing a sci fi film.

quote:

Originally posted by Galaxy-no-hands:
The book itself has been so instrumental inspiring so many great films.
Maybe that's what it's here for.

I was thinking today that Neromancer has had an effect on cinema much the same way that Catcher in the Rye has had. Neither has been made into a film proper but reading both you see the tendrils of the narrative in so many other works, subtle and blatent.

It's almost to the point where if you made it into a film at this point it would come off to anyone who hasn't read the novel as a rip off of a bunch of films, ironically enough.

I think WG would almost have to reimagine Neuromancer for it to be even worth attempting. Use the novel as a jumping off point rather than filming it as is.

quote:

Originally posted by Resonance:
[QUOTE]Mann was rumored to be attached to it at one time. But I had a hard time imagining the director of Heat and Collateral and Manhunter doing a sci fi film.

I don't know that it's all that important to have a director familiar with sci-fi to do it justice. Like all great sci-fi the fact that Neuromancer is, in fact, sci-fi is almost incidental. I think Mann's films are spiritually in-line with Neuromancer if not in that genre exactly.

In fact, I'd put good money on a "sci-fi director" having a greater likelihood in ruining a WG work, any of them, than a "non sci-fi" director. At least the latter would have a fresh view on the subject matter.

quote:

Originally posted by TigreMono:
good idea, stone them both.

quote:

Originally posted by Black*Star:
The worst part of it is that there *can't* be a Neuromancer film and no way will there be a Sprawl trilogy, despite how awesome it would be... The Matrix and it's rather dodgy sequels saw to that. The comparisons would be too many for anyone not familiar with Gibson's material and that would murder the whole project. I personally think the Wachowski's should be stoned for this, who's with me?

If you haven't, check my thread Gibson on the Matrix.

I guess one of the main problems of someone else adapting a favourite book is that once you have seen it, it's imagery and characterisations will often supplant your own internal visualisation. For example, as anyone read LOTR since the movie came out? Just try to picture anyone other than Viggo as Strider. Go on! And in the animated version, he looked more like a Red Indian! There's also the problem of casting. Bruce Willis, no matter how well he plays Corto, will always carry a set of 'Bruce Willis' associations. I'd personally go with unknowns for the most part, but take the whole method-acting thing to new extremes - you know, pump the guy playing Case full of speed and gaffer tape a komputer monitor to his head for 6 months before filming starts etc.

I also get a sense from the book that the meat world should be somehow less real than cyber-space. Maybe you could shoot it on HD and desaturate it slightly while the virtual scenes could be full on 70mm opulence or super saturated CGI. Infographics have evolved a lot since '83 too, so the depictions of cyber-space would have to be a bit more elaborate than pink spheres.

Probably, one of the hardest things to do would be to communicate a consistent and believeabe internal logic - for instance, how do you show the bruises on the salarimen wives' faces as being an old fashioned and conservative trend?

I think Neuromancer would make a wonderful collaborative online project, even just at an animatic level. Imagine lots of people picking scenes to craft with the esteemed Mr. Gibson overseeing the whole thing, saying things like "Naw! It should strobe more here" or "Molly's leg should break to the left" or whatever. It could even end up being used as a resource by some filmmaker (please not Rodriquez!!) or by some hot-shot independent to help get funding. Or maybe I'm just a lone dreamer.... ahhhh.

quote:

Originally posted by Gregg:
It's almost to the point where if you made it into a film at this point it would come off to anyone who hasn't read the novel as a rip off of a bunch of films, ironically enough.

The same thought crossed my mind.

However, WG does not own or even remotely controll the filming rights to Neuromancer. So I'm afraid, sooner then later we will be presented with an pure Hollywood adaptation of the book. Stone-washed and brain-dead if you like.

Why am I so sure? Because at this stage Hollywood has run out of ideas and is trying to film everything that promises to be new.
(Recently a few good movies have been created this way, like SinCity. But at the same time lots of crap.)


I (sort of) see forward to watch the Pattern Recognition Movie ( http://imdb.com/title/tt0409138/ , but fear that I will terrible hate it. Not because it's going to be a bad movie, but because I knew London quite well, and certain scense of the book burnt it's self into my memory. It is doubtful the location scout will choose the same locations.

I think the reason why Sin City turned out so well is a couple of reasons.

First the movie directed by Frank Miller, the guy who created Sin City. Miller also had complete creative control of the film. If he did not like how the test seen went and turned out the rest of the movie would have been scraped.

Second, it was just about a shot by shot remake of the the graphic novel, and visually looked liked the graphic novel. This made it extremely easy to shoot meaning the story board was already done.

Neuromancer has none of these things going for it. Gibson has no control of the film rights, he sold it long ago. So if Hollywood, god forbid, wanted to cast the movie with Brittany Spears and the Back Street Boys, Gibson has no say in it.

As mentioned earlier by someone else we all have our own vision of how everything looks. Personally I think Molly's left leg was broken because most people are right handed and the swing of the guard would most likely go in that direction, unless the guard came up from behind. The leg would not be a hugh complete brake meaning the leg would not be sticking out at some weird angle, it would most likely a fracture.

If and when Pattern Recognition gets made into a movie, I feel it has some of the best chance out of all his books to be made into a movie. Simply because it takes place in the present, and not the future.

If time were not an issue, I'd like to see a young Gary Oldman as Case. Or Tim Roth, or any number of skinny, pale, no-chin Brits.

Has anyone besides me seen "Code 46"? Best non-WG WG movie I've seen yet. And I've mentioned this on other threads (and it's a bit off-topic here) but I would love to see Samantha Morton cast as Cayce.

Anyone?

And while I'm at it . . .

I just re-read Neuromancer for like the millionth time this weekend, but with more of a mind on casting the movie.

Someone mentioned Paul Giamatti as the Finn, and as I was reading, that's who popped up. Perfect!

Linda Lee: Taryn Manning. Kinda trashy, but undeniably sexy.

Molly. Molly's a tough one. I like the pics of Kate Beckinsale from Underworld that I've seen, and just Netflixed it, so I can't really say yet. In regards to the Carrie-Anne Moss issue, did any WG fan NOT see the opening of the first Matrix movie and whisper "Molly" to themselves? But after that, the comparisons fade. I see Molly as being tough, sexy, tomboyish, and also funny. CAM is just too . . . aloof? Cool? Is it me?

quote:

Originally posted by Resonance:

quote:

...so, I think Michael Mann or Wong Kar Wai should make it.

Mann was rumored to be attached to it at one time. But I had a hard time imagining the director of Heat and Collateral and Manhunter doing a sci fi film.

I read somewhere on a Mann bio that he had optioned Count Zero, not Neuromancer.

In my film class last year the TA said she'd heard that Christopher Madden (i think thats how his name is spelled) had been attached to Neuromancer.

Given his music videos he might not be a bad choice. ALthough can anyone really create the feel of Chiba better than BladeRunner did?