If SYWTBAW was turned into a movie...

[Jenn]

I love movies based on books, but there's only one problem with them:
If there's someone my age (or a bit older) in a book, who sort of fits my physical description, I imagine myself starring in a movie as that character. I'm really into acting. For instance, I was devestated when Ella Enchanted came out. Also, I was upset because it was so different from the book I love so much. Though if DD's writing the script, it'll be as close to the book as possible...
And they should cast like A Series of Unfortuanate Events, with some unknowns in the kid leads (Me, I wish) and one or two famous people as adults. I don't think Jim Carey would work too well, though...(For Jim Carey fans: I'm not saying he's a bad actor, he's just mainly known for comedy.)

[Gibby Gibson]

[curlytop1222]

i think it should be flashes between evil and scary scenes like the battle with the copter, the eldest meeting the pryton attacks ect. ect.

washa

[FireWitch]

FireWitch, actually the Lone Power wasn't ambivalent until *after* HW. That was kind of the point of Dairine's Ordeal. Nita's and Kit's just made Dairine's possible, gave the Lone One the *ability* to have a way out. Remember? (picky Annagail)

I copied that quote straight out of my copy of HW...I can see your point, but I think that DD meant more of a malevolant ambivolence...does that make sense?

As for the pictures of who should play who...
I'm with seabiscuit on the Lindsey Lohan thing. She's way too old, and she's just not the right kind of person for the job...Dairine needs to come accross as really smart, and Lohan is too much of a party girl.
I also wasn't crazy about the choice for Mrs. Calahan. One, she's supposed to have red hair. Two, she just didn't have that spunky-yet-motherly thing going on.
By the way, who could play Kit's parents and Carmella?

[seabiscuit1009]

OOOPS! I had a post all typed out, and then instead of clicking post now, I clicked exit...that was dumb of me.

Those pictures do seem a lot like what I imagined the characters to look like...except for Dairine...it's Lindsey Lohan! Ok, it's a younger Lohan, but it still doesn't look like Dairine...she's not, I don't know, I guess I pictured Dairine looking a little more geeky...but a cool geeky. Maybe I am crazy...But that link's really interesting, *looks at some other books* yeah, they all seem right. The YW ones are pretty true to the pictures I've had in my head since about 4th grade.

-seabiscuit, a.k.a. hungry

[alla]

Hi Annagail!! Dai'stiho cousin and welcome to the boards!

Why haven't the books been made into movies? Theres a topic on it somewhere in which DD Herself has given an explaination and the question comes up often in the DD chats. *goes looking* Ah, here it is.

As for what the charries look like, I rather like this. Its someone's ideas as to what/who they think the characters look like. Theres some other books on there too .

Alla

[Annagail]

/slight hijack/ FireWitch, actually the Lone Power wasn't ambivalent until *after* HW. That was kind of the point of Dairine's Ordeal. Nita's and Kit's just made Dairine's possible, gave the Lone One the *ability* to have a way out. Remember? (picky Annagail)
/end slight hijack/

Personally, I don't know why they haven't made movies out of these books yet. Lest anyone think I'm a johnny-come-lately (due to the fact that I'm a new member of the forum), I've been in love with the series for the last, oh, 8 years? 9 maybe? I understand the problems with putting actors' faces to various book characters- but I think it could be well done, if the people who were casting and directing and producing the movie(s) were as dedicated to the books as Peter Jackson was to the LOTR books and movies. I guess I'd fear the same thing happening to these books as happened to HP (not a fan of the movies AT ALL- I thought they jumped the gun on them and should have waited for the whole series to finish and let the characters gel- instead, it was mostly about raking in more money on the series).

Anyways. Hi.

~Annagail

[seabiscuit1009]

It'd be so cool to have a YW movie...but it also would ruin the books for me. I have my own visions of what everyone looks like, and sounds like, and acts like. No offense, but most movie versions ruin the book for me. Take LOTR. While I loved the movies in their own special way, I can't read the books without picturing Viggo Mortenson and Orlando Bloom. And in my brain, that's not what Legolas and Aragorn had looked like.

Okay, off topic. Bottom line, I don't want a YW movie. I'll take my own private screening in my mind.

-seabiscuit, a.k.a. hungry

[Fay]

I see movies in my head when I read too. That's part of the fun in reading. You guys aren't alone. Now that I have thought about it more I guess SYWTBAW or any of the YW books being turned into movies might ruin the magic a little. And what fun is it when everyone gets the little jokes YW readers share? IE: The 'I'm on Errantry and I great you' t-shirts. If I wore one to my high school no one would get it except a few of my frinds who I forced into reading the YW books. I understand your passionate feelings against a YW movie now Arkm, books are truly magical.

[Kathy Li]

No, I do, too. But it's usually strong enough to withstand the movie version (e.g., Lord of the Rings.) Personally, if the book's that special to you and you don't want to be contaminated, then don't see the movie.

I like movie versions, if they're well adapted, because a lot of people don't read. And it takes a lot less time to see a movie than it does to read a book and it gives them a sample of what reading the book will be like. And if it's EXTREMELY well done, they just might top the movie in your head. Again, I have a feeling that a LOT more folks have picked up and read LoTR because of the films than would otherwise have been the case.

Movie versions don't destroy books--the books are still there on the shelf to be read and experienced.

When a movie diverges from the source material, though, it becomes a different thing in your head. I'm a comic book reader from way back, so the idea of alternate-versions of things (Earth-A, Earth-B just works for me. I can treat movie adaptations as coming from Earth-Movie for me, and not get all bent out of shape, for example, that Miyazaki exapanded and depicted a war in Howl's Moving Castle that Diana Wynne Jones didn't write into the book.

[Arkm\'iilowzi]

I don't think SYWTBAW should be turned into a movie. When you read, you have basically a movie playing inside your head that your brain makes up. You usually don't really have a clear image of what the characters look like, unless you go to the front cover and use the people on there in your movie.

I think it just ruins it when there's a movie. You have a great character in your mind, but when the movie comes out, you go, "What?! Why does he/she look like that?!" when the character's completely different. I would just start using the characters from the movie in my head, just like how you would for characters on the front cover. Then, the characters are really hard to get out of your head even if you try to. So, when you're reading, the people from the movie keep coming back.

Some people lose their whole reason of reading after they see the movie. They just don't feel like reading anymore. And that's what will restrict the glory and enjoyment of reading a YW novel. If a movie does come out, more and more people will feel that way and the magic of reading a YW novel is lost.

Some novels are just (in indescribable terms) much, much better without a movie behind it.

Of course, this is my opinion, and some people are bound to disagree, but this is how I feel.

Am I the only one, or do other people have a movie in their head when they read?

[Brenna]

The cool thing is, I can see a fair bit of your ideas playing in my head. lol! Well I sort of had my own idea for what a trailer might be like...sort of. But the voiceover would be Nita saying the oath and in between sentences would be flashes of clips through out the movie and music building up. And after the final line it would be silent and cut straight to Nita in her room looking at the manual and then looking around her room as if expecting something to happen. Then she'd sigh and close the book and the screen would black out. and do the whole:

So You Want To Be A Wizard. In theaters *insert date*

Yeah, it could go something like that. It looks SO cool in my head. lol! I was reading the oath from the book and in between the lines I was imagining what a scene might look like. Man, it was cool in my head! I think a movie would be such a cool idea but I can also understand why it would sort of ruin the imagination of what the characters look like. I, personally, am in favor of a movie. OH! I'd love to be IN the movie! That'd be the coolest thing ever!

[FireWitch]

Hmm...interesting...
But I prefer a HW trailer:

[Scene: Nita's living room]
Carl: There are forces that are ambivilant towards live.
[flash of BEMs chasing Dairine, sharp, stacatto music]
Tom: One in particular...the one that created death.
[flash of the Lone Power thowing lightening, more stacatto music]
Carl: New wizard's meet it in one form or another...
[flash of Dairing and the mobiles]
Tom: If they're careful, they survive.
[scene: Dairine in the bathroom at the planetarium]
Dairine: *whispers* Red Five
[Flashes of Dairine's journey, different planets, the mobiles, etc]
[scene: the Motherboard, Kit with Peach on his arm, Nita next to him]
Kit: Fairest and Fallen, greetings and defiance!
[black]

[Gigo]

*screams* Turned! *writhes from bad spelling damage*

I'm in two minds about this one. My left mind is violently retching, and says that putting actual faces to the characters sort of destroys the whole feeling.

My right mind says that a movie would be fantastic. Especially the HW movie. XD

I have to confess, I never really got the 'spelling problem' pun....:S

So, yeah.

Ending? That's easy.

[Black screen: The words "So you want to be a Wizard" appear]
Narrator: So you want to be a wizard, appearing in theaters on (date)

My idea of a trailer???

[Scene: air view of the library, zooming down and entering: possibily a crane shot, then zooming in? Enter the library, where we see Nita]
Narrator: Sometimes a simple word can make all the difference.
[Scene: Library] [slightly mysterious music, Nita is taking out the Manual]
Narrator: Sometimes, it's not so simple. Especially when you discover -
[fast-foward shoot to somewhere...Carl's, Nita's bedroom, Kit and Nita's first meeting together...anywhere.]
Nita: *in disbelief* I'm a wizard?
[Dramatic music]
*Fay's video clip*
*text on black background between clips*
[bright flash]
Narrator: So you want to be a wizard. Appearing in theaters everywhere on (date).


Whew!

[Peter Murray]

Well, as this is all quoted from the book, it can't be fanfic...

The correction is when Nita modifies the LP's name to allow the possibility of him changing.

Part of the scene with the fireworm should be included, as it should be visually appealing. And some of Fred's expelled objects appearing.

Maybe people want Nita and Kit action figures . I wonder how DD feels about that idea, though?