Chris Columbus In Talks For Kiddie Fantasy 'The Lightning Thief'
Filed under: Action, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Deals, 20th Century Fox, Family Films, Harry Potter
He may have been the least inspired director involved with the Harry Potter franchise, but Chris Columbus was at least sufficient a talent for the task. He adequately set up the series with the first two movies, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, so that Alfonso Cuarón could come in and comparatively deliver a masterpiece with Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. While the idea continues to be tossed around regarding Columbus' possibility of returning to the Potter movies, the director, whose last film was Rent in 2005, has also been offered the chance to start up another franchise by directing Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief.
The movie will be adapted from the first book in Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. The plot involves a 12-year old boy who discovers that he is a demigod, the offspring of Poseidon and a mortal woman, and follows him in his adventures through Hades and Olympus in order to save the world from an apocalyptic war among the gods. The most interesting, albeit traditionally unfaithful, thing about the books is that they place the entrance to Hades in Los Angeles and they feature Olympus floating above New York City. As an enthusiast of Greek mythology, I am curiously looking forward to the movies (I'd pick up the first book if it wasn't intended for such young readers). Hopefully once Columbus finishes his set-up duties with this series, either after Lightning or the expected sequel, Percy Jackson and the Sea Monsters, Fox 2000 will hire a filmmaker with more talent and more style in order to continue the franchise.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
4-18-2007 @ 6:08PM
mike said...
Masterpiece is a pretty strong word for Azkaban. Sure, it didn't suck, and wasn't a filmed play-by-play from the book, but it wasn't flawless or even great. It looked cool, the acting was better, and Gary Oldman's neat. However, it also made very little sense, and failed to adequately set up the rest of the franchise. As a stand-alone movie it was alright, as a part of a franchise it was sub-par.
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4-18-2007 @ 7:48PM
Christopher Campbell said...
I don't consider it a masterpiece, but it did garner a lot of esteem, particularly in contrast with Columbus' installments. I just meant that relative to the first two, it seemed to many to be a masterpiece.
Myself, I prefer Goblet of Fire.
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4-18-2007 @ 10:15PM
Mike said...
Chris, you should give the book a try. I loved it and the second, and I'm 41! It did not seem like it was aimed any lower than most young adult fantasy and is a lot of fun.
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4-19-2007 @ 11:13AM
Jim Kosmicki said...
what audience do you think the Harry Potter books are aimed at? Heck, Philip Pullman's "His Dark Materials" books were published as Young Adult, and by the end, they're dealing with some pretty strong stuff. young Adult fiction has some of the better series fiction, and some of the better fiction, period, being published in America today. Think of it this way -- teens are very reluctant readers. Any author who comes up with books that can get teens to read them has got some chops.
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4-22-2007 @ 7:27AM
JJSBrooks said...
Read the Percy Jackson books. They're terrific--sophisticated, complex, clever. While it's true that young teens find them very readable, the intricate plot and substantial characterizations make these YA books a good read for adults as well.
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6-25-2007 @ 1:40PM
Jordan said...
Hey Chris I am a great fan of the Percy Jackson series. I have read all 3 books, the Lightning Theif, the Sea of Monsters, and the Titans Curse. They are all great books and i'm glad that you are making a movie out of them. I would like you to please E-mail me if you see this and tell me if there will be a talent search for the movie and if there is will you please tell me when and were?
Great Fan,
Jordan Owen
P.S. I thought that the 1st movie in the Harry potter series was the only one that was anything like the book.
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