So, I'm sure everyone's heard of this by now. The critically acclaimed book by Douglas Adams is being turned into a movie. To see the trailer, go here.

From the trailer, it looks very nice. The CG looks well done, balanced, and not over-used as Hollywood has become fond of doing lately. For the most part, the story looks the same, but there are a few things that seemed weird (such as Zaphod's heads). But that could be from my forgetting the events of the book.

Now, I'm sure most of us have read the book. I for one, immensely enjoyed it, but however, this is not the Books Thread. Now, thankfully, Douglas Adams wrote the screenplay so here's hoping the plot doesn't change all too much! *raises a glass*

Now for the cast. There aren't many big names. I'm not sure if that will be a good thing or not. The actors they've gotten have done well, in my opinion, in their past projects, so I'm still hopeful. Here's a cast list courtesy of www.IMDB.com

Martin Freeman .... Arthur Dent
Sam Rockwell .... Zaphod Beeblebrox
Mos Def .... Ford Prefect
Zooey Deschanel .... Tricia McMillan ("Trillian")
Bill Nighy .... Slartibartfast
Anna Chancellor .... Questular Rontok
John Malkovich .... Humma Kavula
Warwick Davis .... Marvin the Paranoid Android
Alan Rickman .... Marvin the Paranoid Android (voice)
Stephen Fry .... The Book (voice)

Now, I'm looking forward to it. But then again, I try my best to believe in humanity. I loved the book and I'm hoping the movie will be as good.

If anyone's got any other news, please share. If you've got any opinions about this, please share!


Oh, by the by, it opens April 29, 2005.

Well, no, there shouldn't be hoping that the plot will remain the same. Every single incarnation of the HHGG that Douglas Adams has written has been different from the last. The radio show had a different story than the last movie which had a different story than the book, which will have a different story than this movie.

And unfortunately, Adams didn't write the whole thing himself. He started it, and died before he could finish it, and they brought in a new guy to do the rest. I've read interviews with said screenwriter (whose name I've forgotten), and fortunately he was very influenced by Adams' writing and did his best to do it justice.

Hah, found it: http://hitchhikers.movies.go.com/hitchblog/interview.htm Karey Kirkpatrick is his name. Thanks, Google!

Nicely done! Cookies to Koroleva for her excellent researching.

I will admit to fangirlism here. I'm not always proud of it, but it served its purpose here.

Nice to see Warick Davis back in the movies.. kinda.

Can't wait.

I'm interested in finally seeing the new played-by-John Malcovich character, who Adams put in before his death. And the plot device that has Zaphod's heads being freaky instead of 2 actual seperate heads.

The heads certainly are a whole lot of creepy. I don't like how Marvin looks either, sort of like a trash can with a sphere on top.

I am definitely keeping my expectations for the movie low and hoping to be surprised. But as it stands I think the movie looks pretty bad. It's too bad Adams spent the last 20 years of his life in and out of production of this movie with various directors and in the end he'll never see it.

That's very true. Hopefully, this will be an excellent tribute to Adams.

I really like Marvin's look. Makes him like an iPod that wants to kill itself.

I thought Marvin should be tall and lanky

I don't know how many of you ever watch Futurama, but I thought Marvin to look a lot like Bender.

I sort of thought that too, but I think the movie's depiction of Marvin is pretty good. It really seems to have that air of suicide and pessimism that Marvin had.

I've got every episode of Futurama, because I am cool. I never thought of Marvin looking like that at all, really. I saw the BBC show, so that was in my mind a bit, but I like the new design. It looks a lot more like a real product, and I like the contrast in look to personality.

I've been following this film like a hawk since the first rumblings, and it definitely has the potential to be a bloody good movie. Some of the trailers released have been awful, and some of them have been absolutely hilarious, so it's all a bit up in the air as to whether or not it's going to be any good. That trailer there is actually about the worst of them. To get the brilliant trailer, which feels really and truly Douglas Adams-ey, try this one.

http://hitchhikers.movies.go.com/trailers/exclusive.html

That trailer just cheers me up about the whole thing.

Well, I saw the first trailer on TV yesterday. That was VERY cool to me. Seeing trailer on the web and seeing them on TV are two entirely different things to me.

Now I'm REALLY excited. Unfortunately, the hubby will be in dallas when the movie opens, so I can't see it opening night. *sigh* But we're planning on going the next day. I guess it works. hehehe

As much as this makes me weep uncontrollably, I will confess - I can totally see myself going to see this just to hear Stephen Fry's voice.

Good grief.

I've never really got on with the books, I did try to develop an interest but it didn't really work. But still! Stephen Fry, eh? Eh? Awesome.

Knowing me, I'll probably watch the film and then try and get back into the books. It sounds like a worthwhile endeavour.

Perhaps we should all wear Joo Janta 200 Super-Chromatic Peril Sensitive Sunglasses to prevent us from seeing any bits of the film which aren't quite up to scratch.

I always imagined him looking like X-Bot out of Ctrl+Alt+Del actually, because *it* keeps doing weird, abstract things too.

Maybe I'm just weird.

Can't wait to see the film - my girlfriend is getting embarrassed at being seen in public with me, because I keep standing infront of cinema posters and making excited little sqeaking noises

Funny. heheheh THAT I'd like to see.

I just start giggling when I see a link for it online, or see a trailer on the tv. My hubby starts laughing at me.

As far as Marvin... I can see the thought of him being lanky. I guess I just always thought of him being more... articulate. More facial expressions. Not short or tall. But what they came up with will work for me, mostly just from hearing the voice. It is SO right.

I'm just thrilled with Arthur. Didn't like who they choose for the TV... Never thought he looked right, and the voice didn't do it for me either. Course, didn't like Ford in it either, and I'm still not sure about the choice for the movie, but the rest looks good, so..

It's amazing how much of an idea we get from the book, really. For me, Zaphod has a serious rockstar look (which they seem to have gotten for the movie), but with dark hair and dark skin (tanned, really). Trillian? Pretty. Not drop dead gorgeous, but pretty and rather bookish.

We'll see how it works.

*watches aku's avatar*

what. the. fuck?

is that pikachu thing smacking it's ass?


wait. i had something to say.

oh yeah.


how much is this book? I'm not sure if I want to read the book before I see the movie, so i won't be let down.

Actually, alt, it's 4 books... Well, 5 if you count the last one, but to me that one was a real let down, so... heheheh

And I actually have an 'extra' copy of the sort of whole thing... It's only the first 4, but they're all in one happy book. I had it for a while, and then my hubby bought me another one (with the 5th book in there), and I've got the two of them clogging up my bookshelf. PM me your address, if ya want it!

I have all five in one book (heh, trilogy in five parts), but it was a gift, and I went to go find it to check the cover price, but aparently my fiance never gave it back to me after lending it to him. I think it was $40-50CAD, and was a hardcover.

The book I have.. since I never remove the little sticky price tags on the back...

For the paper back 5 part Collection, it's only 18$ at hastings, not bad I don't think.

Also quick question. Was I the only one to squeel audibly when you saw the saw the trailer for the first time?

Oh no... I was squealing, laughing, giggling, and calling for my hubby. You're not alone. hehehe

Don't know how much either of mine were. Got the 4 part book a LONG time ago, and the 5 part book as a gift (and the hubby's good about taking tags off). So I have no clue. Both are hardcover, and I don't remember the 4 part being real cheap, so..

Can probably get them individually on Amazon cheap though.

So... My question is: Who's going to see this opening night? I'm not going to be able to... Hubby will be flying home that night, and he'll be in no shape to sit in a movie theater, so... I'll have to wait.

Well I kinda sat with my mouth open watching it, then I had to yell at people to be quiet, then I squeeled and watched it again.



I want to go see it, but I have the horrible sensation that no one will want to go with me to see it

I might have to go and see it the day after it opens, but I vow to see it as soon as is humanly possible.

At the risk of sounding incredibly creepy (again)....

....but if all else fails, sign me up!

One way or the other I'm getting in to see that movie, and if I have to beg, scrape, steal or spend the evening in the company of an exquisite young lady (who can pay for me to get in) to do so, well...

...they're just sacrifices I'll have to make

Oh, Illu. You're such an altruist.

I feel so left out!

And thanks anyway Kat, I'm going to try and find the hardcover versions of it and get them myself.


Hey! I just got a good idea. We should find a book that the majority of LICD likes, and collectively share it! each person who reads the book has to sign it and leave a LITTLE message for each reader. It'd be nice and community like!

Sweet gibbering Jesus, altrocker, that's an awesome idea.

Gimmee just a sec, let me sort something out....

<EDIT: Clicketty-Click!

No problem. Just thought I'd offer since I have this one (hard cover, but as I said, not all 5 books) sitting around collecting dust...

Bad news: judging by this review, the movie appears to suck. They took all the best dialogue and jokes out, according to the author, and while it's merely an opinion, it's still *something*. Of course, it's wrong to a judge a movie before one sees it. Well, here's the review, anyway:
http://planetmagrathea.com/longreview1.html

Man...the movie sounds like complete shit according to that review. I'll probably still see it, because I'm a curious motherfucker like that.

Ugh. Yeah, that's what we call a fanboy. You know the guys that hate the X-Men movies because they think they got Jean Grey's hair slightly wrong? That's his equivilent.

There are 3 different, shining reviews over at Aint It Cool News that I've read. That is the first negative.




Edit: Also, as the guy notes, every version of the guide is different. On purpose. This guy knows this but also makes a list of shit that's different? Fucking idiot.

I've never listened to review for movies, and I'm not about to start with this one! I will be seeing this movie, no question.

And I have to agree, Aku. There's ALWAYS going to be someone that hates it and loves the series. Just the way it works.

Bah, I refuse to read any reviews of it until I see it, which will be the day it's showing in a theatre around me. And if it doesn't (the english minority tends to get screwed in small towns in Quebec) then I'll jump on a train to catch it downtown.

Now I've just got to figure out who I can drag out to see it. It won't be someone I'm actually interested in, because it's safe to say that I'm going to absolutely ignore them for the entire movie.

Aha, it opens on a sibling's birthday. I'll play altruistic and bring him out to see a movie to celebrate.

The BBC's Radio Times (UK TV and radio programme guide) is offering two tickets per copy of the magazine for premiers on Sunday 24th April at around 15 cinemas across the UK. Sounds interesting, but I'd hazard a guess that you'd need to be queueing for a day or two to be sure of getting in.

The review did have a lot of "things that were different/weren't there", and you can't expect a movie to be exactly like a book. However, differences aside, the jokes do seem lame and the plot seems mangled--just from this guy's review. I'll see the movie myself and judge it. I'm sure it's not *that* bad.

Apparently they had to cut a whole lot out of the book to make it a watchable length. Even now it's about 2 hours long. That guy couldn't honestly expect it to match perfectly, even without the massive cuts made to the story.

I'm so incredibly excited for this. I may need to organize another mass gathering to see it like I did with my friends for Sin City.

I am absolutely salivating at the prospect of seeing this movie, I have waited for this for the last half of my life, if not more.

The one thing I'm not happy with though is Mos Def playing Ford Prefect.

I'm sorry guys, but call me what you will, be it racist, bigot, or whatever, but an african american rapper playing Ford Prefect isn't right.

Ford Prefect was meant to be (if my memory serves me well) the veritable English Gentleman.

It looks like racial equality has reared its head and demanded that a black chap play a vital role in the movie. I'm fine with racial equality, I really am. If anything, I think that a lot of roles in movies that have gone to white people should really have gone to minority actors, but Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy isnt one of them.

I will wait to see this movie with baited breath, hoping and praying that it lives up to every Douglas Adam's fanboy's expectations around the world, but I really cant see Mos Def doing the part any justice at all.

I'm not saying that he shouldn't get the part because he's black, I'm saying that I'm annoyed because he doesn't even ATTEMPT to try and play an Englishman. If he could pull off an English accent (which listening to the sound of his voice in the trailer, he probably can) then that would be all well and good, but it's the lack of effort that puts a downer on what could potentially be the best movie made in the last 10 years.

Call me what you will, but I wont back down on this.

I hope we get a little Ford Prefect free-style!




Heh. I think it works:

A) He's a fucking alien.

B ) The Hitchhiker's Guide is about contradiction in each new medium - I won't repeat it again, so get over it. That's the spirit of the series, and it's intact.

Double posting makes me cool!


I just found this amusing on the IMDB page for this movie. Most of you should know which part of it is enjoyable:

Bwahaha, brilliant

Hahaha - of course!

At first glance, I'd agree with KSE on the subject of Ford. But let's see how it all works out on the screen.

And as an aside, the BBC are broadcasting the last radio series starting on May 3rd. Each episode will be available on the Internet for a week after it's broadcast. Lots of info on the BBC H2G2 website. I'd recommend a look.

Don't feel bad, KWE, I was feeling the same way when I first saw it. And I'm still not completely sure about it, but something about seeing the trailers made it a little better. Don't know what it was. Maybe it was the way he handled the lines, I don't know.

It'll just be a matter of seeing the movie. Still can't wait.

Preach, bruthah KSE!!

...I agree with you completely. Now, I'm no racist, but I HATE it when parts that are *supposed* to be white go to minority actors, and vice versa.
If someone has to be Mexican, get a Mexican to play him/her; if a character needs to be English and white, get a white English guy.
It really pissed me off when in Daredevil, the Kingpin was played by Michael Clarke Duncan, a BLACK guy. Good actor; not right for the part.


Aku, I love you. That is FANTASTIC.

I don't know, Ford always struck me as someone who wasn't an english gentleman at all. I mean, his cover job is that he's an out-of-work actor, that doesn't seem like a gentleman's job. I didn't like it at first, but I think he'll do fine in the role. My fan-girl soul is at peace with this particular casting decision.

I agree with what was said about giving white roles to minorities. I'm all for equality and whatnot, but when it's specifically said someone is white, black, Hispanic, Asian, etc, they damn well better be.

As for Ford Prefect, I can't remember, but did Adams say Ford was white?

It was never very specifically noted, but there were passages about him getting horribly tanned on some planet. It's infered that he's a white dude, and he was in all the other incarnations when he was actually played by anyway.

But no, I don't think Adams ever came out and said Ford Prefect's real name was Honkey McCracker.

It was also mentioned that he had fair hair. So yeah, he was white in the books.

I don't really mind that he's played by a black guy, mostly because Ford doesn't have a particularly white or black personality, in the stereotypical sense. He's pretty neutral. Now, if they ghetto-fy him in the movie and have him saying stuff like "Yo, Zaphod, wassup mah brothah?" then I'll start being pissed.