Doctor Who To Become Hollywood Feature Film 357
Hugh Pickens writes writes "Variety reports that David Yates, who directed the last four Harry Potter films, is teaming up with the BBC to turn its iconic sci-fi TV series Doctor Who into a Hollywood franchise. 'We're looking at writers now. We're going to spend two to three years to get it right,' says Yates. 'It needs quite a radical transformation to take it into the bigger arena.' But not everyone is enamored with the idea of Doctor Who on the big screen. 'I fear that high production values and the inevitable sexualisation of the lead characters that a Hollywood treatment brings will destroy the show,' writes Andrew M. Brown in the Telegraph. 'The ecosystem of a great television programme is a delicate thing. Please, Hollywood, don't spoil Doctor Who."
Re:I'm sorry (Score:4, Interesting)
Depends on the Potter film. The directorial quality jumped around... was it the third movie? The bigger issue is themes. The potter themes are pretty simple. The Who themes are more bipolar--the deep loss and the brilliant moment. The writers sometimes do a good job with this. The themes are good enough, though, that you could do it very well. My guess is it will be better than the last horrible attempt, but still trying to serve a non-who and a who audience, which just doesn't work. You need to serve a who audience in a way which neither leaves everyone else in the dark nor wastes ridiculous time on backstory.
Hugh Laurie (Score:5, Interesting)
Yeah, because that worked out so good before (Score:4, Interesting)
I personally am looking forward to a bunch of people stumbling around with a human inventor whom they call "Doctor Who" as they remake one of the more pedestrian and overused storylines. That would be so much better than, say, bringing back Paul McGann (who got robbed in my opinion) and filling in the final time war and destruction of Gallifrey that occurred between Doctor Who (1996) and Rose (2005) but was never filmed.
it started in 2005 (Score:5, Interesting)
One of the things I liked about Dr Who was that he was old enough to be cool and detached. He thinks his way out of a problem, not shoots his way out.
Now it's all "RUN!" and zapping things with his magic wand, err, sonic screwdriver. And sublimated smootchy-face that would embarrass booger and Mrs diPesto.
I've liked the story arcs with Amy, the way they try to enmesh every single goddamned little thing back into the big story. I just remind myself this isn't Dr Who, it's Han Solo with a Time Machine and a British accent.
Oh, and apparently they're trying for some sort of record on how fast they can turn over doctors.
Re:Lol (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:it started in 2005 (Score:5, Interesting)
Now it's all "RUN!" and zapping things with his magic wand, err, sonic screwdriver. And sublimated smootchy-face that would embarrass booger and Mrs diPesto.
Well they've run into one of the issues many shows do, they've overpowered him with the "time can be rewritten" arc, saving himself from the prison box when the whole universe has turned against him and so on. That you can't cross your own time stream was like the most important limit to his powers, the answer to "Why can't we just go back with the TARDIS and undo this?" So they've had to offset that with an action pace, because if there was actually time to stop and think about it, there's a million ways he could have gotten out of that easily.
So what would make it okay? (Score:3, Interesting)
1. Daleks. Use the color-coded Daleks but use their funny appearance more deceivingly and realistically lethal. I mean, much of their bodies are supposed to be highly sophisticated tech not people hidden inside. Use it. (Turn all those half-balls on the side into hunter-seeker spider-like drones?)
2. The Tardis is big. Really, really big. Except lately we never see much of what's in it. (One exception was when the Tardis computer was extracted) Earlier series often showed the swimming pool, personal rooms, walk in closets, the warning room, etc. If Hollywood's doing it at least take advantage to show off the greatness that is the Tardis. Explore the concept. The Doctor is a scientist and time/space traveller and he doesn't have a personal lab or nic-nac room inside?
3. The Time Lords. I was a little annoyed that the Time Lords all become Evil and Had To Be Banished. Maybe it's because I liked Romana and the times the Doctor visited but, again, have Gallefry live again.
4. The Master. I loved the look of the old Masters. The new one seems to have lost much to the Time Wars. Make him intelligent Evil Overlord who pays attention to the Things I Will Not Do When I Am an Evil Overlord. Heck, have him READING it during the movie-now that would be funny!
5. Companions. Have a more useful seeming Companion mixed in with one or two that needs to be rescued. Not too much so but Spock and McCoy were not captain of the ship and they rocked.
6. K-9. Classic reborn but no real dogs please. Or perhaps mix him with the T-2000 and make him a K-9 with monomolecular teeth. Woof!