The Dark Is Rising!

[meteorite]

OMG!! I saw the new Harry Potter movie today, and just saw a trailer for a movie adaptation I had no idea was forthcoming -- Susan Cooper's The Dark Is Rising series. They appear to be starting with book 2, where Will Stanton comes into his powers as an Old One (if you don't know what I'm rambling about, I highly recommend you check out the series.) For an intro to the series, it is probably the best suited, even though The Grey King was the Newbery winner. I'm wondering how faithful it will be to the books.

If they're working on this, how far behind can DD's books be?!?!?

[spyells]

I have never heard of the dark is rising. Maybe I should go look it up. Do you mind giving a summary of what it's about? Maybe it will seem interesting to me. But now that I think about it I think I might've seen the preview when I went to see Harry Potter on Friday.

[Garrett Fitzgerald]

Start at the beginning, Over Sea, Under Stone.

Apparently, when converting the book into the movie, they only changed three things.

1) Will's nationality
2) Will's age
3) Everything else about the story. :-)

I'm not wasting my money on this movie: I'm putting it toward buying the books for a re-read instead. :-)

[Elder Math]

I know this might sound horrible, but I often don't like it when a movie goes exactly by the book. They seem to have made some pretty hefty mistakes, but i'll be happy if they manage to keep the feel of it.

I'd be willing to give it a try if I hear good things.

However, of any book, I've had friends tell me that I remind them of Will from the books, and that has always made the book closer to me...if they mess it up as bad as the preview shows, I will avoid it.

[A Traveller with Magic]

I'm not sure whether I prefer that a movie go by the book or if I'm happy with "the feel of it". Often it's impossible, financially or otherwise, to film every scene as presented. However, I know I preferred the movie adaptation of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe to the book, and to my memory there is very little difference in content between the two.

I'm considering watching The Dark is Rising, having reread the book many times. I actually started the series with this book (for some reason, Over Sea, Under Stone didn't really agree with me- I never finished it) and it remains my favourite. Mostly I'm looking forward to how well the Rider will translate to the screen.
For me, there's a greater chance of watching The Golden Compass than The Dark is Rising though.

[Garrett Fitzgerald]

Originally posted by A Traveller with Magic:
Mostly I'm looking forward to how well the Rider will translate to the screen.

After seeing what Christopher Eccleston could do as The Doctor, I'm not really concerned here. :-) However, what I am concerned about is that it's directed by the same guy who did The Path to 9/11. He has been quoted as saying that he's called to be a missionary to Hollywood. How that's going to tie in with the pagan nature of TDiR cannot end well...

[Lazy Leopard]

Yes. I've heard that the Arthurian echoes in the story have been lost along the way, too. I fear they may have butchered the story beyond all recognition. That would be a shame. It's a good story and deserves an honest telling...

[Dragon Writer]

i've been wanting to read this book FOREVER the movie just reminded me to do so...speaking of which...*runs to check it from the library* the movie actually looked pretty cool, though./

[DameRuth]

Originally posted by Garrett Fitzgerald:
Apparently, when converting the book into the movie, they only changed three things.

1) Will's nationality
2) Will's age
3) Everything else about the story. :-)

I'm not wasting my money on this movie: I'm putting it toward buying the books for a re-read instead. :-)

Ooooh, I'll agree with you there. From the advance buzz, about the only thing that could get me to watch it is Christopher Eccleston, and even though he's a fantastic actor, I don't think that'll be enough.

I'd recommend that interested folks read the books first, so they get to enjoy them "in the clear" without having movie images getting in the way.

-- Ruth

[Kathy Li]

I had such high hopes back when Henson had the options to the Dark is Rising sequence. I remember asking Lisa Henson questions about it at Comic-Con. And then the option lapsed and Henson wasn't making it, and just from the names involved, I kinda knew it was going to be horrible. (sigh). Oh, well, one hopes that Susan Cooper is at least getting a Brinks truck full of money.

[A Traveller with Magic]

Originally posted by kli6:
I had such high hopes back when Henson had the options to the Dark is Rising sequence.

Mmmhmm. My original sources aren't always up to date, sadly.

Originally posted by DameRuth:
Ooooh, I'll agree with you there. From the advance buzz, about the only thing that could get me to watch it is Christopher Eccleston, and even though he's a fantastic actor, I don't think that'll be enough.

Ha! True, although now I'm mostly curious as to what will go wrong in TDiR between the movie and the book. Call it...a social studies project, perhaps.
Although from the looks of it now, I'll be spending any breaks I have between this coming September and June on homework/projects or in a nervous breakdown.

[DameRuth]

Originally posted by A Traveller with Magic:
Ha! True, although now I'm mostly curious as to what will go wrong in TDiR between the movie and the book. Call it...a social studies project, perhaps.

Based on what I've seen, you could write a thesis on "what went wrong" . . . And yeah, I try not to be unfair about an adaptation before I see it, but the trailer was just abysmal in that regard. Oh, well, if it gets more folks to read the originals, that will be worth it.

-- Ruth

[Dragon Writer]

The movie looked alright...but i've yet to read the stories. *figures it'll be good as a movie, but not as an adaption of a book* possibly. which is often the case with movies, quite truthfully....*is kinda saddened by that, but that's the way things are* on the brightside, i managed to get the first book, and i look forward to FINALLy reading.

[Lazy Leopard]

I'm fairly sure I've seen an edition with all five books bound as one fairly portable volume (a trade paperback, I think). Some of the story, particularly Over Sea, Under Stone, is rather rooted in Sixties middle-class England, but don't let that put you off reading it.

I'm hoping against hope that the movie turns out better than reports suggest...

[Dragon Writer]

that woujld be a VERy nice thing to have...however, i'm doing it the old fashioned way and reading htem seperately...if i can ever get start4ed on them, anyways. i actually ahve the first book in my house, and a later book i actually OWN though i've never read it (that i remember) past a couple paragraphs...