Ender's Game
Genre: Science Fiction.
Studio: Unknown.
Production Company: Fresco Pictures.
Project Phase: Script Stage.
Who's In It: Although nothing has been signed, the script has been retooled with having Jake Lloyd (Star Wars: The Phantom Menace) play the young Ender.
Who's Making It: Robert Chartoff (Producer?); Orson Scott Card (Screenwriter?). Based upon the Hugo award winning novel Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card.
Premise: A young man is raised playing a 'game'. If he loses, Mankind may be eradicated. If he wins, Mankind may be the eradicators.
Release Date: Unknown.
Comments: Card's work on the Ender's series is well-known amongst science fiction readers. In addition to his novels, Card also wrote the novelization of James Cameron's The Abyss. Cameron felt that the majority of novelizations for science fiction films simply existed for the die-hard fans of the film. This time, the director wanted the novelization of his film to actually be able to stand alone on its own merits. For this reason he chose Card to write the book, and gave the writer room enough to flesh-out the backstories of the main characters, as well as add new material and expand upon the NTIs reasons for being at the bottom of the ocean. If you wanted to understand more about the film, the book's worth a hunting trip down to your local library.
Rumors: Unknown.
Scoop Feedback:
November 18, 1996... A scooper tells CA that back in 1995 a U.S. Midwestern comic book store owner tried to purchase the film rights to Card's novel. The store owner, presumably a fan of the book, was not successful in his attempt: apparently, someone had secured the rights a week or two earlier. [Scoop sent in by the enigmatic 'Onionhead'.]
November 19, 1996... A fan of the book, 'Sleeper' heard that producer Robert Chartoff (producer of The Right Stuff and Rocky, to name two of his credits) is developing the property. "If this movie & its sequels are done right (& it seems Card's been holding out on film rights 'til he could do a good job himself) it'll make the Star Wars saga look comic-book in comparison," the scooper claims. [Scoop info generously supplied by 'Sleeper'.]
January 1, 1997... Orson Scott Card, the author of the popular science fiction novel Ender's Game, told viewers on a Sci Fi Network television program that he had approved the screenplay for the upcoming movie version. Card didn't give any other details besides mentioning that only recently has special effects technology reached the point to be able to handle the requirements for his story. [Scoop sent in by 'Tarkus'.]
January 18, 1997... At a University of Delaware talk last week, Card told fans that as of now, he was rewriting the screenplay for the future Ender's Game film. Card was very excited about getting this project started, but he wants the script to be "just right before they move ahead." [Scoop filed by 'illusion'.]
January 21, 1997... A fellow who has a friend who met Card at a writer's workshop and "stayed in touch" with him has heard some of the trials and tribulations Card has undergone to get the project developed. "He's been claiming for at least two years that Card is excited about developing the Ender saga for film, and that the author has been quietly passing a treament around to 'reputable' filmmakers, unwilling to let it fall into the hands of some hack who'd just botch it up," the scooper says. [Scoop sent in by 'bubblehead'.]
July 21, 1997... We've asked Fresco Pictures for permission to post a link to the portion of the Ender's Game screenplay that appears on their site, as well as a request for additional information about the status of the project. Sean Kennelly, the Chairman of Development for Fresco Pictures, replied to our email; he's working to see if we can present that information on here A.S.A.P.
August 5, 1997... Sean Kennelly, the Chairman of Development at Fresco Pictures has graciously allowed us permission to link and post material from the Fresco site for our readers to see (there is now a direct link to Fresco's site at the bottom of this page.) We've also added a direct link to the screenplay excerpt featured on Fresco's site after receiving permission from Orson Scott Card to do so (hey, there's this funny thing called 'copyright' out there.) Check out their site; it's refreshing to see such a level of information provided by the film development company posted solely for interested readers and fans of the series. Other studios and production companies, please take note.
[The contact to Fresco Pictures could not have been possible had it been not for these individuals who provided scoops about the existence of the site: 'magic', 'datre', Anthony N. Evans, 'G 33', Mike Barklage, 'rportas', Rajeeva, and an anonymous individual - but especially to the patient David Reynolds.]
One scooper who spoke to Card at a convention learned that a new Ender book should appear around the time of the hoped-for movie. Working title: Mazer Rackam. [Submitted by 'kat'.]
Another scooper recalls a Daily Variety from June 1996 article that mentioned Card was being paid $1.5 million to write the screenplay for Ender's Game. Incidentally, it was mentioned Chartoff subsequently hold the rights to all of Card's 30+ novels/story collections. [Filed by 'Old News Dep't'.]
Collected thoughts taken from those who've read Card's opening pages of the screenplay:
"The movie actually begins during the first human/ah heck war; shedding some light on why children, such as Ender, are being trained for space battle. I think Card's revelations of the events leading up to Ender's participation in battle school are an excellent idea for setting up the movie." [Sent in by 'G 33'.]
"...in case you were wondering how they were going to handle the age span of Ender (during the course of the book he goes from age 6-10), they say that they will either condense the story to take place in a year, which I personally think would be a travesty; or they may use a 'young Ender' and then an eleven-ish actor. Card is appearantly very excited about finally having the special effects to make the film work." [Sent in by 'Lenoir16'.]
August 9, 1997... 'Lenoir16's' scoop mentioned that Ender's age in Card's book was between 6 to 10 years of age. As this scooper would like to clairfy, Ender is actually three years old at the beginning of the book and twelve when it ends. "I know this is not crucial, but details are details," the scooper adds...and they're right. [Sent in by 'tcns'.]
November 22, 1997... Last Thursday one of CA's readers bumped into Orson Scott Card and had the chance to ask him how the movie was proceeding. Card told the scooper he had been been devoting a lot of time towards the project: the screenplay is complete, and now it's time to work up the film's budget and scout for a director.
For the budget, Card mentioned a figure of $60 million, but that's more of a estimate rather than a bottom line decision. For the director, the scooper said Card wanted "...someone like a Penny Marshall, who knows how to deal with children."
There's definately only one Ender seen in the present script. At one point there was a plan to utilize two actors, but that would've forced the casting and shooting of young Ender scenes with too many other child actors to be cost effective for the rest of the film's special effects budget. As a result, the story's been compressed into a year of Ender's life, and the audience would be made aware that Ender's "not just playing games" right from the start.
Finally, the film's CGI sequences. Card talked about the ideas he's had for the Battle Room. "It sounds like the plan is for the Battle Room, and its inhabitants, to be *entirely* CGI. The actors' faces would be 'pasted on' to CGI models that could perform all the complicated 3D combat that takes place in the book," the scooper said. "All in all, seems like a promising film, and Card is taking a very hands-on approach...I know we've heard this before, but it appears he really does wants it done *right*." [Thanks to 'Grond' for playing our own game.]
August 4, 1998... Card has now removed the script excerpt from his Ender's Game screenplay from the 'net, citing too much "constructive criticism" from fans. Our scooper also had this to share with us:
"Someone who claims to have read the script told me that a large part of the 'Giant's Drink' episode in the book had been scrapped, and Ender's hallucinations instead being set in the playground where he fought Stilson. A large part of the Valentine/Peter interludes have also been scrapped. The conclusion, in which Ender meets the Alien Queen, has been extended and is more detailed."
[Thanks to 'Locke' for the update.]
March 16, 1999... We've been told Orson Scott Card is rewriting his script. ['Cybertraek'.]
May 2, 1999... "The biggest scoop yet on Ender's Game" is how this person descibes their scoop. Read on and learn why:
"I was very fortunate to have met Orson Scott Card at a book signing for his new novel Enchantment. During the question and answer period, I made sure he addressed the Ender's Game movie. He shed some light on why he is rewriting his script as was reported in March.
"The main emotional burden in the book is on Ender, but Card figured there was no way to find a 9 year old actor capable of carrying this, so he wrote the prior scripts with the emotional burden on the adults, even moving some characters that appear later in the book up to the beginning of the script.
"This script was shown to some people in Hollywood, and somehow, according to Card, it was shown to none other than Star Wars Episode I star Jake Lloyd. That's right. Lloyd evidently loved the script so Card, Lloyd and his parents had a meeting to discuss it. Throughout the meeting, Card was greatly impressed by Lloyd.
"Because of this, Card decided to rewrite his script to put the emotional burden back onto Ender's character, as he feels convinced that Lloyd is the right kid to play the part. He stated that the new script will be done hopefully in a few weeks and then the tentative deal with Jake Lloyd could be turned into the actor attaching to the project.
"Card also mentioned the names of a few directors who would NOT be shown the script as he does not want their particular talents to affect his story. He was very diplomatic about it, but mentioned that neither Steven Spielberg nor James Cameron would be shown the script. (I did backflips of joy at this point)
"SO here it is, straight from the author/screenwriter the biggest scoop yet on Ender's Game. But there is more that was mentioned that I will send at a later time."
[Anonymous.]
May 3, 1999... As Card continues his book tour circuit promoting Enchantment, CA readers have been hearing first hand from the movie's screenwriter the latest developments with the project. Here's another field report filed today -- although we must say there are minor spoilers contained in the scooper's email that will give away some story elements that may appear in the movie. Readers of the Ender's Game series should take special note since our scooper also dishes out future Ender novels Card is working on.
"Went to the local bookstore to catch Orson Scott Card on his booksigning tour to promote his latest novel Enchantment.
"He opened by answering some questions, and gave some more details on the status of the Ender's Game script:
- the first draft of the script (part of which was once posted on the Fresco Pictures site) focused less on Ender and more on Mazer Rackhem, due to the fact that there were no big name child stars that could pull in support for the budget necessary. However...
- since that time, a young actor who had read the book and is interested in the role of Andrew Wiggin has a major pic opening this month. So, with the possibility of Jake Lloyd attached to the picture, Card has rewritten the script to focus on Ender.
- The Buggers have been renamed to Formics, in an attempt to distance the production from the recent Starship Troopers. The name comes from the formic acid that ants produce, so the Bugg..I mean Formic race will most likely be antlike in appearance.
- (spoiler) The movie will also not continue into the Speaker of the Dead storyline as much as the book. Instead of traveling to another planet to find the new Hive Queen's egg, it will be hidden somewhere in Eros Base. Eros is the asteroid that the Buggers dug out in our solar system and that Earth recaptures after Mazer Rackham's victory. This movie ends with Ender finding the Queen's egg.
- A possible best hope release date that Card mentioned was late summer 2000. I doubt this was a firm date in any official sense, as he seemed more to be wishing aloud than announcing an opening week.
"The most interesting info, however, came when Card discussed his upcoming book: Ender's Shadow, which covers most of the same events as Ender's Game from the point of view of Ender's protege, Bean. He apparently hopes that Ender's Shadow will do well enough to give a further boost to the movie's effort. He then said his biggest hope is that they can film TWO films, Ender's Game and Ender's Shadow, at the same time. Hey, it worked for Back to the Future II/III, right? Ender's Shadow comes out in September, btw.
"I'll end the movie scoop info here, but reveal some more about Card's future novel plans in case any of you fellows are interested. After Ender's Shadow comes Shadow of the Hegemon. Apparently, Bean becomes Peter Wiggins' military command, and the book covers their combined efforts to build the united Earth government.
"Shwew....I gotta start rereading all these books."
[Report filed by 'Demosthenes'.]
August 11, 1999... Orson Scott Card has posted the first few pages of his latest rewrite of Ender's Game on the Fresco Pictures web site and given his fans an update as to what's happening right now with it. It's best to go read what Card has to say about his changes in his own words, but here's some hard facts: the new script's 136 pages long and the parts for Ender and the rest of the children playing the game have been beefed up. The script's gone out to directors and hopefully one of them will take a bite.
Interestingly enough fans of the book who're anticipating the day they'll be able to see the movie are getting excited about dreamcasting Haley Joel Osment (who now can be seen in The Sixth Sense) as the right child actor capable of playing Ender and not Jake Lloyd (The Phantom Menace). [Scoop submitted by 'JazeGazer'.]
September 26, 1999... "Update on news from the 'Ender's Shadow' book tour from Denver, CO (9/8/99):
"Card started off by answering the question that was on everyone's mind, 'What's going on with the movie for 'Ender's Game'?
"The latest script was finished four weeks ago. Previous information on Jake Lloyd being the best candidate for Ender is correct. He did mention that people kept asking about Haley Joel Osment from Sixth Sense, but that a) Haley seemed like someone who needed protecting--not the image he was trying to give for Ender (Dink, maybe); b) he is 11 years old; c) he is too tall--most of the other kids need to be bigger than Ender.
"(On a side note, he did mention that he has not seen Sixth Sense because the preview looked too much like Lost Boys. He seemed worried it would be a little to close to home.)
"As of this date, no director has been signed. He did mention some of the directors he did not show it to (basically action and 'green screen' directors). It seems difficult to find a 'serious' director who is willing to take a chance on a science-fiction movie as a lot of them are afraid of being typecast. At the same time, he spoke of using virtual technology to depict the battle room with no live action needed.
"Card mentioned that since the re-write, instead of needing to find one child actor who could do okay, they need to find 12 good child actors for the support roles. They are trying to find younger children (no older than 10) to play the parts. 'So if you know a 14 year old who wants to be in 'Ender's Game... console them.' "
[Thanks to 'AiYume' for covering the Denver book scene for us.]
October 19, 2000... Alive? Yes. Kicking? Somewhat. That's what the enterprising Guru had to say: "Orson Scott Card did a book signing for his new book Sarah: Women of Genesis in my town (Columbia, MO) [last night] and I asked him the how things were progressing on the Ender's Game movie. He said very slow right now. The film is at Universal and he is working on the third script revision although the opening is the same as the version posted at the Fresco site with Mazer in the first invasion. He said it is really hard for the studio to feel the same emotion from a screenplay that you do from the book. I have to agree, that is what the actors are for. He also said it was hard trying to cast an entire movie of nine year olds. Not much of a scoop since there isn't really any news, just wanted to let it be known that the movie isn't dead."
[Thanks to Guru.]
January 9, 2001... We've received the latest development on this still suffering in development hell, paying for its cinematic sins, project today. The word comes from a reader who attended a Orson Scott Card book signing that happened last week in New York...
"At a recent book signing (January 3, 2001, at the Book Revue in Huntington, NY), OSC stated that Richard La Gravenese (The Ref, The Fisher King) had come on as an associate producer. La Gravenese was also assisting with the third screenplay (not 'co-writing', if I remember correctly, but assisting). LaGravinese also brings with him a personal contract with Universal for two or three films. Perhaps Ender's Game will be one of them?
"Also, OSC stated that he is no longer pursuing a separate filming of Ender's Shadow (a 'parallel novel' to Ender's Game) but has, in fact, folded in Sister Carlotta, Achilles, and the new and improved Bean (readers of ES will know what I'm talking about) to the screenplay. He stated that it resolved a number of critical problems, foremost among them the unfilmable internal conflict between Ender and his off-screen brother Peter. I would assume that the new conflict will include Ender, Bean, and Achilles.
"Other than that, nothing to add or change..."
[Enter the dragon, or Stephen Sywak.]
December 3, 2001... The Philotic Web exchanged emails with Orson Scott Card to catch up on the latest developments with the Ender's Game movie. The following is direct from the novelist himself:
"Paramount and Universal both passed on EG during 2001, though Nickelodeon wanted it to be their first grown-up feature. But then, the Tues. before Thanksgiving, Miramax made noises that sound like the real thing. They aren't a studio (i.e., no distribution) but they have the money to make whatever they want to make, AND they make classy movies, not just action junk, so the goal will be to make Ender's Game truly as good as the book. There's many a lawyer between 'yes' and an actual deal, but they already know about the elements that have been deal breakers before (i.e., OSC as writer, Ender played under 12 years old), so maybe it will actually happen. Nothing definite, but I thought you'd want to know."
[Thanks to Ethan at Philotic Web for the heads up!]
February 11, 2002... According to the film's production company, Miramax Films has decided to pass on picking up the rights to Ender's Game. "Such are the ways of Hollywood," notes the writer on the Fresco Pictures webpage. "The good news is that we have a couple of serious offers lined up behind Miramax - though, given the culture of Hollywood, chances are very good that the fact Weinstein dropped out may make them get panicky and drop out, too. Nothing is certain until after it's done!"
And there was a tidbit about what kind of story we'll eventually see one day in an Ender's Game picture: "Meanwhile, OSC [Orson Scott Card] continues to work on the screenplay, which will combine Ender's Game and Ender's Shadow into a single film focusing on the relationship between Ender and Bean."
[Scoop delivered by anonymous; originally appeared on the Fresco Pictures website.]
May 13, 2002... In the latest update to Fresco Picture's listing about the Ender's Game film, the website announces that an agreement between a director, producers and studio executives has been reached. An announcement revealing where Ender's Game has been set up and who is working on the movie has been promised by the site "as soon as we are authorized to do so by the publicity department at the studio."
A new screenplay is being written that combines the events of Ender's Game and Ender's Shadow into one storyline. However, the voice of the website was careful not to mention too much else, except maybe the following to ease any concerns fans might have about the adaptation. "All we'll say is this: Ender is the main character. Bean is also very important and will be a point of view character, too. Both Col. Graff and Mazer Rackham will be major adult roles, and major children's roles will definitely include Petra, Alai, and Bonzo. There will, of course, be many other lesser roles for adults and children."
[Jason Tanner was the first to get it to us.]
Who might this director be? Well, Orson Scott Card offered this clue about their identity during a recent interview with American Alien: "...the one we're working at is one in whom I have the utmost confidence, because while he has filmed action movies, they have been smart, bold, and extremely well-written and well-acted ones." [Jame rules.]
Related Sites:
Fresco Pictures - The independent film company that is developing the forthcoming Ender's Game film. On here you'll be able to find the latest news about the picture.
Orson Scott Card's Webpage - Maintained by the author. Provides a wealth of information about Card's works, his involvement with Fresco Pictures, writer's groups and allows the opportunity for readers to contact the author.
Acknowledgements:
[Special thanks goes out to Sean Kennelly at Fresco Pictures for all his help, and to Orson Scott Card for being cool enough to post part of his work on-line for his fans to enjoy...for at least a little while.]
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