OMG!

[kelliem]

I don't know whether to be elated or terrified at finding out today that they are making one of my all-time favorite fictional worlds, Susan Cooper's The Dark is Rising series into movies. O.o

I was all set to be elated, when I read this article which leaves me more in the terrified camp. I can't see how anyone could put a "Biblical" spin on that series without totally ruining it. Walden Media did pretty well by The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, but the Christian allegory in those books was there to start with, it didn't need to be tacked on.

That said, there's at least one bit of casting that I love. Check the IMDB entry and I'll bet you know who I'm talking about. :)

ETA After reading a bunch of posts on thedarkisrising I think I'm definitely in the terrified camp, despite the casting. ::whimper::

Comments

[juliabk.livejournal.com]

Oooh, cool! Ian McShane!

*snerk* :-)

And that other guy! :-):-):-)

This could be interesting, that's for sure.

[bethbethbeth.livejournal.com]

Equally scary: rumor has it that the family is American!

[shrewreader.livejournal.com]

I am quite delighted both by Eccleson & McShane. That should be a quite interesting pairing.

Having said that, I have to say I've found the works overall quite Manichean. Not overly overtly Christian -- in fact, they were a large chunk of what led me to my enthusiastic neopagan period in college -- but at the same time, for a broad audience, making them more Christian is not too much of a stretch to my mind.

Having said -that,- (puts on her Economists' hat of Kali) I also got out of the series that 'Good' is not a function of 'Faith.' Wasn't one of the antagonists an ordained something or other?

[kudra2324.livejournal.com]

if you're interested, i know i've seen at least a couple of posts about the movie over at [Bad username or site: shusu / @ livejournal.com]'s journal.

[chickwriter.livejournal.com]

I'm pretty much terrified, however much I like some of the casting.

[celemon.livejournal.com]

Hi - I got here by way of silme...
I think I fall into the 'terrified' camp here. I also note that I find nothing particularly Christian about the books, nor do I find them offensive to any Christian sensibilities of mine. Could they sometimes let a book be just a book..?

[ann-tara.livejournal.com]

Well, I haven't read the books, but the premise sounded exciting on first read. The casting is certainly looking terrific, with several actors I like signing on board. However, I hate to see any work changed or even perverted just to appeal to a certain audience. *sigh*

[aukestrel.livejournal.com]

I am terrified just on HEARING about it. God. Go leave our beloved books ALONE, Hollywood, and try coming up with something original and fun all by yourselves!

[highnez.livejournal.com]

If I had known Ian McShane was in Deadwood, I would have made more of an effort to watch the series! I haven't seen him in anything since Lovejoy.

But, I don't think having him and Christopher Eccleston in the show is going to draw me in.

My favorite book of the series is Greenwitch, but I like all of them.

It's really too bad the director feels he needs to "convert" the story to a Christian one. Sounds like it might be as big a disaster as the Earthsea project, which someone else has mentioned.