Fantasy Aficionados discussion

I know Hollywood is currently caught up in "synergy" land, where the new video game is based on the movie which is a reboot of the TV show which was taken from the bestselling novel that was inspired by the role-playing game set in the world of the original video game.

Still, it struck me that I'm having trouble thinking of any successful fantasy film that was an original screenplay and not an adaptation.

Wizard of Oz ...adaptation
Princess Bride ...adaptation
Harry Potter ...adaptation
LOTR ...adaptation

(Admittedly, Princess Bride was not successful on initial release, but it's considered a classic now and certainly makes money for the studio. Princess Bride slot machines, anyone?)

OK, maybe Pan's Labyrinth. But it wasn't exactly a blockbuster and isn't really a household name outside of fans.

So, what are your thoughts on seeing the next Legend or Willow now that SFX are better and fantasy is one of the "it" genres in Hollywood? Certainly would cut down on authors and fans complaining, "but it's not like the BOOK!"

Sci-fi usually does better in this regard.

Same here, can't actually think of too many although there must be some. Perhaps there are loads of ideas that get pitched to the Hollywood execs but presumably dismissed easily. The more safe option is to adapt from a proven fantasy book that has been successful.

Labrynth, with David Bowie was first a screenplay. I guess it all depends on what you call 'blockbuster.' I think typically, fantasy genre in movies isn't considered 'adult,' most of the time.

Yes! What about The Dark Crystal.
No actual humans, but directed and filmed.

Not sure how it holds up today, but it was high tech when it came out.

Ladyhawke was a favorite of mine.


http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ladyhawke

It was, and is, a favorite of mine as well. I still think that Michelle Pfeiffer should have been cast as Galadriel in the LOTR movies.

I had never known that Michelle Pfeiffer was Isabeau.
It was a while ago.
;)
One of these days I am going to buy it on dvd. I looked for it recently, but wasn't available.
I am secretly worried that I'll be disappointed in it.

Raiders of the Lost Ark
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
...and not the last one LOL

Ghostbusters
Pirates of the Caribbean and its sequels
Splash
Highlander

Most Tim Burton Movies, in particular:
The Nightmare Before Christmas
Beetlejuice
Edward Scissorhands
Coraline

Every Pixar Movie
Every Miyazaki Movie

There are lots when you step out of "swords & sorcery"...

Brenda ╰☆╮ wrote: "I had never known that Michelle Pfeiffer was Isabeau.
It was a while ago.
;)
One of these days I am going to buy it on dvd. I looked for it recently, but wasn't available.
I am secretly worried t..."

I just watched it again recently. The special effects sure don't hold up (in fact they're quite horrific), but the story definitely did. And it was a lot funnier than I remembered too.

That's pretty much what I would expect.

It definitely wasn't popular.....but I watched Krull last week and the music alone is enough to drive you......

Conan The Barbarian
Dragonslayer

I think Conan would have been an adaptation, no?

Thulsa Doom was not part of the Conan stories. I may be mistaken, but I think he properly belonged in the Kull of Atlantis stories.

Willow

Willow has been badly underrated over the years.

"I'm having trouble thinking of any successful fantasy film"

So, as much as I love them, and some have found success post-theatrical release, I don't count:

Ladyhawke
Dark Crystal
Labyrith
Dragonslayer

I also don't go so broad in my "fantasy" category as to mean most of the Raiders series, Tim Burton movies, or Pirates of the Caribbean.

I'm talking more "classic" epic or sword & sorcery type movies.

I'd consider the Conan movies as adaptations, even if they don't directly stick to any of the Howard stories---the character/setting is not original to the screen.

The closest to success might be the Miyazaki films, but then he's almost a genre unto himself.

I love just about everything everyone has mentioned, I just perplexes me the dichotomy that Hollywood tends to do successful original sci-fi, but tends to only hit it out of the park on the fantasy side with adaptations.

They both require big budgets, suspension of disbelief, etc. So what's the difference? Is sci-fi just an easier action "sell"? Is fantasy too high concept and easier to sell as "adapted from the bestselling/beloved/popular novel"?

Brenda ╰☆╮ wrote: "I had never known that Michelle Pfeiffer was Isabeau.
It was a while ago.
;)
One of these days I am going to buy it on dvd. I looked for it recently, but wasn't available.
I am secretly worried t..."

Track it down.

Pfeiffer, Rutger Hauer, Matthew Broderick (when he was still funny). Richard Donner with some tight direction.

It's a little gem of a film.

Oh ....I realized....;)

It was just .....I was a teen when I first viewed it....
on HBO or was it Cinemax..

Well, Ladyhawke was a blockbuster in NZ, even if it wasn't at home. I remember it as being a monster hit back in the day :)

Brenda ╰☆╮ wrote: "Ladyhawke was a favorite of mine.


http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ladyhawke"

LOL
It was...

my family just didn't go to theaters a lot.
;)

Well, Hollywood budget/earning figures are notoriously inaccurate, and those quoted on Wikipedia even more so, but the page there has it with a budget of $20M and box office of ~$18.43M. So, it lost about $1.5M in initial release overall. Top b.o. for April 1985, but that budget ...

And by the time summer movie season rolled around you had Rambo 2, View to a Kill, Fletch, Goonies, Cocoon, Back to the Future, Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome, European Vacation, Pee Wee's Big Adventure ...the mid-80s were packed with fun movies.

ladyhawke is still a great movie.

'Ladyhawke' also had Leo McKern as the gravelly-voiced old priest. One thing that struck me about the movie was how well it handled the religious elements of the story.

And the Ladyhawke novelization is by Joan D. Vinge, no slouch in the writing department.

It was a quality production. It's a shame it wasn't better received in its day.

I keep hoping my local theater that screens some classic movies (http://festivals.carolinatheatre.org/...) would add it to the schedule sometime.

Dread the Hollywood remake/reboot machine deciding it's time to attack this one.

Hollywood still has to finish working their way through the Marvel and DC Comics catalogues, plus any number of old board games. They actually did a fair job with 'Clue', but 'Battleship'? Really? Who thought THAT was a good idea?
As for remaking old movies, H'wood tends to remake only the successful ones. Hasn't it occurred to anyone that lots of people have already SEEN the successful films? That's how they became successful.

I was going by its nominations and awards.
:)
From wiki
Ladyhawke was nominated for two Academy Awards, in the categories of Best Sound Editing and Best Sound Mixing (Les Fresholtz, Dick Alexander, Vern Poore and Bud Alper), winning neither. It won a Saturn Award for Best Fantasy Film, and was nominated in the categories of Best Actress (Michelle Pfeiffer) and Best Music (Andrew Powell)

S.J. wrote: "Hollywood still has to finish working their way through the Marvel and DC Comics catalogues, plus any number of old board games. They actually did a fair job with 'Clue', but 'Battleship'? Really? ..."

For some reason I actually watched Battleship--when I wasn't closing my eyes to avoid the motion sickness. There were a lot of 'so-dumb-I-had-to-laugh-or-groan' moments.

My husband got me The Dark Crystal a while back because I had liked it as a kid, but I couldn't get through it. So I'd have to say I don't think it held up.