Sam Raimi: from superheroes to short, blue people
Filed under: Action, Comedy, Family Films, Comic/Superhero/Geek, Remakes and Sequels
After he finishes Spider-Man 3, director Sam Raimi will
reportedly be heading in a very different direction, taking the helm of an adaptation of Terry
Pratchett's Wee Free Men. The book,
which is apparently wildly popular among the younger set, tells the story of young girl who has to rescue her brother
from parallel world when he's been taken by a "malicious fairy queen." (Hmm.
Sounds a lot like Labyrinth - I wonder if there's singing.) While in Fairyland, the girl finds allies in "6-inch-tall blue-faced rowdies who dress in kilts, speak in broad Scottish brogues, pinch
sheep and swig a lot." Yes, it really says that. The script will be written by Pamela
Pettler, whose only other film is Corpse Bride - if
nothing else she certainly knows how to deal with something this quirky.So, has anyone read Pratchett's book? The story sounds wonderful, and the presence of Pettler is certainly encouraging. In addition, Raimi's past - hello, Army of Darkness! - suggests he's also got just the right outlook for something this outrageous. Needless to say, it'll be ages before anything moves on this one, but it certainly is worth keeping an eye on.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
1-10-2006 @ 3:19PM
Mark said...
I actually own all of Pratchett's Discworld novels...I'm a huge fan. The Wee Free Men is a fantastic choice for a film.
And the girl doesn't technically find the Nac Mac Feegle in fairyland. They live in the same side of reality that she does.
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1-10-2006 @ 7:16PM
Roy Behymer said...
While the Wee Free Men is definitely written for a younger audience, older readers can readily enjoy it's quirky style. It fits in nicely with the rest of Pratchett's tongue-in-cheek series of fantasy stories. Quite a few of them also poke fun of our real life institutions, though set in his Discworld universe. Can't remember a single book by Pratchett that I didn't enjoy, though I can't say I've read everything he has written.
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1-10-2006 @ 7:50PM
Jette said...
It's a lovely little book. It doesn't sound to me like the sort of thing Sam Raimi would direct, but it might be quite a nice change of pace for him. Plus, the Nac Mac Feegle have the right sense of humor for someone like Raimi who practically worships the Three Stooges. (Also, there's a sequel, so if this movie does well ...)
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1-10-2006 @ 8:53PM
Slybri said...
Smurfs....that's all I gotta say. Smurfs.
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1-10-2006 @ 10:11PM
Targ8ter said...
I'm a big Pratchett fan, but his plots are so complex and packed with twisting wordplay and hilariously explanatory asides that they simply can't work as books. In that respect, he's a lot like Douglas Adams. Fortunately, his children's books are much simpler, and this could be great.
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1-11-2006 @ 3:06AM
Grums said...
"Smurfs....that's all I gotta say. Smurfs."
That's violent smurfs on LCD, ye daftie.
Quote:
""Whut's it we're famous for?"
"Stealin'!" shouted the blue men.
"And what else, lads?"
"Fightin'!"
"And what else?"
"Drinkin'!"
"And what else?"
There was a certain amount of thought about this, but they all reached the same conclusion.
"Drinkin' and fightin'!"
"And there was summat else," muttered the twiddler. "Ach, yes. Tell the hag, lads!"
"Stealin' an' drinkin' an' fightin'!" shouted the blue men cheerfully."
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1-11-2006 @ 3:11AM
Grums said...
Sorry about the big comment. :(
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1-11-2006 @ 3:32PM
Girly said...
Terry Pratchett is brilliant! I've got all of the Discworld series and the two Tiffany Aching books ('Wee Free Men' and 'A Hat Full of Sky'). As a fan of both Pratchett and Raimi I can honestly say I'm fizzing with excitement about this film.
Bigjobs!
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