Nerd Alert! Anne McCaffrey's Dragonriders of Pern Movie Is Actually Happening
In news that might have caused my fifth grade self to break out in an awkward dance of joy, there is actual movement on a long-attempted adaptation of Anne McCaffrey's The Dragonriders of Pern series. X-Men writer David Hayter will reportedly adapt Dragonflight, the first novel in McCaffrey's celebrated book series set on the planet of Pern, where generations of humans form telepathic links with fire-breathing dragons to defend themselves from a deadly enemy known as Thread.
Allow me a moment to geek out over McCaffrey's Pern series, which has been a staple of any sci-fi/fantasy-loving geek kid's personal library for decades. At least, it served as such for me; I spent my youthful days devouring every installment in McCaffrey's 19+ book series (she wrote additional Pern stories with son Todd). Though Hayter is starting with the first novel, originally published in 1968, there are literally generations upon generations of Pernese stories to tell, including more traditionally sci-fi-oriented origin tales. But embarking on this franchise, with its many potential sequels and prequels, should be no small commitment for whichever studios and production companies might eventually come on board.
According to HitFix, Don Murphy and Susan Montford's Angry Films are currently involved and production is slated to begin in early 2012, but there's no director or cast yet attached. And, as a warning to hopeful fans, remember that this is not the first time an attempt has been made to adapt the Pern saga for the screen; before current production company Copperheart Entertainment optioned the rights, The WB was attempting to make a version for television under Ronald D. Moore (Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Deep Space 9, Battlestar Galactica) and had even built Ruatha Hold and Benden Weyr sets before production was halted days before it began.
But with its blend of fantasy, romance, science fiction, and medieval-like setting, Pern is a fictional world rife for cinematic imagining. One would assume CG effects will be involved in the depiction of its dragons, who, bound to their human counterparts at birth, take flight to mate (trust me, it can get pretty hot what with the humans linked psychically on the ground) and fight the spores that rain down periodically upon the world, devouring everything organic in sight. Fans might hope that the adaptation has the budget to cover massive sets and casts on the scale of a Lord of the Rings, WETA-driven production -- or else have a director with a really good workaround plan.
More as it develops... in the meantime, where my Pern fans at? Chime in below.
· X-Men scribe David Hayter will adapt first 'Dragonriders of Pern' novel [HitFix]
[Original cover art by Michael Whelan]
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Comments
Q$*(Q$)#asdfadfg@#!@@)#$!!!!1!1!!!
Uhhhhhh. I just had a nerdgasm.
This nerd says oh, yeah.
Yes! My people. Let's all cross our fingers and hope for the best.
I hope this movie script is as good as the tv script by Ron Moore was. And that the progress this time doesn't stall. I was a member on The Kitchen Table when the WB whatever it did to cause Moore to back out, and it sucked. (That said, I don't mind that he went on to make stuff like Battlestar Galactica.)
I know most fans are waiting for Lessa and F'lar and Ramoth and Mnementh on screen, but I can't wait to see who they cast as Masterharper Robinton. I
Can't. Breathe. SQUEEEE!
Let's hope for their sake the author stays far far away from the project...
Unless they want to answer the inevitable, "So do you ALSO think anal sex magically turns people gay?"
"One would assume CG effects will be involved in the depiction of its dragons"...well, they tried to get real dragons, but they were to busy with the hoarding of the gold and all. Really?!?
AAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!OMG OMG OMG OMG!!!!!! DOING THE HAPPY DANCE!
So freakin excited!!! This is a dream come true!
This makes me want to revisit the novels again. It's been sooo long. I fear that this franchise would fall the way of the Narnia novels, just not enough interest to make it a viable hollywood franchise. This just became the movie I'm waiting for almost as much as World War Z.
The dolphingirl says... bout time. Let's hope the Hollywood bigshots let the director make the movie without any fuss. I have waited a long time for this, I'm not getting any younger.
For those of us die-hard fans who have been playing MU* text-based role-playing games based on the Dragonriders of Pern books since forever ago, this is the kind of news we're afraid to be hopeful about.
If it happens, that will be awesome, but I'm not going to start getting excited until they start production.
If anyone is interested in that game I'm talking about, check out our Anne-approved website: http://fort.wikidot.com/ New players are always welcome!
wow, i had forgot what a nerd i am.the white dragon was my first of the series
I AM SO EXCITED!!!! I was talking to my brother yesterday about how we each would love to see this series made into a movie. We have discussed in the past how it could be done and now to see that they are going to do it thrills me. I just hope they stick as close to the books as possible and it will surely please any who see it.
I would also like to add that my love for these books was lent to my original e-mail WhiteDragonRidr which was mistaken for something more perverted by those who never read the series, and still at times is misunderstood.
Too strange for me, the timing of this comment thread (no pun intended, really), since I just recently began rereading the series for the third time. Good news, I guess, but I have my doubts that any film can do the books justice. The HP series in print far excelled the films, which were well done, and, on a lesser note, look at what M. Night Shyamalan did to Avatar: The Last Airbender!
This is a dream come true for me. I have been a fan of the series for decades (no, I am no spring chicken) and, after finally reading one of the books to stop my constant nagging, my husband is now an addict too! As a teen, I used to Dream about which character I would love to be. When I bought my Kindle, the first downloads I had were all the available Pern books. Everytime we watch Avatar, LOTR, I would complain that if they could do that, they could certainly do PERN! I hope this time they can stick to the storyline and please Ms. McCaffrey, since this is her "baby", because if so, it should be fantastic! Can't wait!
Why should the "mother" of PERN stay away? If they cannot do the storyline justice, then they should not do it at all. I, for one, hope she is there to make sure they stay true to the characters and the story. And I think your anal sex comment was totally inappropriate; it is not what the books are about, it is just one miniscule part of a very large society of people, some of which prefer same sex relationships (no different from real life). If that is the only thing you take away from these awesome books, maybe you should go back to Dr. Seuss where your morals won't be compromised.
I am so happy to read that someone will finally bring the Pern sagas to life on the big screen. With all the "Avatar" type technology available today they can make the dragons so life-like that they will seem as human as their telepathicly-bound counterparts. I really hope this will become a reality in the near future. Hooray!
Why couldnt he start with Survey, P.E.R.N. and Dragon's Dawn?
Just got done watching the movie Dragon with my daughter for the umptenth time, and this all of a sudden hit me and I had to search. I have no doubts that any mere movie could ever match what has been put in words for the Pern series. BUT you could bet I would be one of the first in line to see it, if and only if it follows the books. Here is the hope for not only a movie, but one that meets the authors approval, and guiding hand if needed.
I'm actually a new fan...just picked up Dragonflight last year and just finished Dragonquest (totally love them). The movie thought actually crossed my mind, but then I don't know if they are going to do it any justice (many examples to choose from where the movies were just plain bad in comparison to the books). So, I actually have mixed feelings.
OMG I would so love to see the Novels Made into A Movie or Movies... I Love The DragonRiders of Pern... OMG I used to dream as I read on how A Movie would look like..
I almost never go to the theater (last one was Star Trek) but I guarantee that I'll be first in line when (note I said WHEN) this one hits the screen.
I vote for Roger Daltrey to play the master harper. The right age for the story. Extensive musical knowledge, and he can act! His CSI performance provesd that.
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