HBO developing "Foundation" series

[Joelist]

http://www.thewrap.com/interstellar...ing-foundation-series-for-hbo-wbtv-exclusive/


While part of me says "Yippee!" because the original trilogy stands as some of the greatest Science Fiction ever written (granted the fourth and fifth books were disappointing as Asimov descended into Gaia-istic nonsense), I also am leery of how HBO will treat it.

Can they resist the temptation to fill it with sex scenes, soapy drama and over the top violence? Can they retain the intelligence of the original trilogy? We'll see...

 

[Overmind One]

http://www.thewrap.com/interstellar...ing-foundation-series-for-hbo-wbtv-exclusive/


While part of me says "Yippee!" because the original trilogy stands as some of the greatest Science Fiction ever written (granted the fourth and fifth books were disappointing as Asimov descended into Gaia-istic nonsense), I also am leery of how HBO will treat it.

Can they resist the temptation to fill it with sex scenes, soapy drama and over the top violence? Can they retain the intelligence of the original trilogy? We'll see...

I get that too. Can they do it justice, or will they merely borrow heavily from it to sprinkle it on a dumb common melodrama which reminds us of something else? They certainly have the resources to do it right, Foundation deserves the full treatment.

 

[Joelist]

I'm leery that they won't be able to properly translate the story to the screen, especially the underlying element of the Seldon Plan. Instead they'll have dashing heroics which in the original trilogy (sorry but I prefer to just disregard Foundation's Edge and Foundation and Earth - to me they are dreck) were shown to appear to make things worse while the tide of historical events moved forward as projected and things resolved....until the Mule of course.

 

[ecgordon]

At least it is an improvement that Jonathan Nolan is now on board, because when it was originally announced a few years ago Roland Emmerich was attached.

 

[Bluce Ree]

At least it is an improvement that Jonathan Nolan is now on board, because when it was originally announced a few years ago Roland Emmerich was attached.

Oh, them's fightin' words for OM1. He is a huge fan of Roland.

 

[Jim of WVa]

http://www.thewrap.com/interstellar...ing-foundation-series-for-hbo-wbtv-exclusive/


While part of me says "Yippee!" because the original trilogy stands as some of the greatest Science Fiction ever written (granted the fourth and fifth books were disappointing as Asimov descended into Gaia-istic nonsense), I also am leery of how HBO will treat it.

Can they resist the temptation to fill it with sex scenes, soapy drama and over the top violence? Can they retain the intelligence of the original trilogy? We'll see...

The following book was written as an extension of the original Foundation trilogy without the Gaia-istic stuff of Foundation's Edge and Foundation and Earth.

 

[ecgordon]

Oh, them's fightin' words for OM1. He is a huge fan of Roland.

In my opinion, as a director or producer he's only had one good film, Stargate.

 

[shavedape]

I'm curious as to how they will pull it off. It's literally an epic tale and I'm not sure how well parts of it will translate to the screen.

 

[Overmind One]

I'm curious as to how they will pull it off. It's literally an epic tale and I'm not sure how well parts of it will translate to the screen.

At least they did try to cram it into a movie. It might have made a better miniseries than an actual series. If they make it into a serialized show, they will be tempted to take artistic license to expand the characters in the interests of drama. I am surprised that the big studios did not see the opportunity to create a blockbuster franchise.

 

[Joelist]

Probably not enough mindless "pew pew". A lot of the story is conveyed vis dialog.

Knowing HBO, they'll probably get someone like Vin Diesel to play The Mule...

 

[Overmind One]

Probably not enough mindless "pew pew". A lot of the story is conveyed vis dialog.

Knowing HBO, they'll probably get someone like Vin Diesel to play The Mule...

There are areas in the story which could be "action enhanced" for those action shots. But this is an epic on the level or even bigger than Star Wars. If they started with Foundation's Edge, they could tie all of the following movies together like the book did for the rest of Foundation. The original trilogy might be too slow for a movie plot. And I hope they do not start with Prelude to Foundation.

 

[shavedape]

I can't wait for ignorant viewers to complain that it rips off Star Wars and other movies/shows.

 

[Joelist]

I'd just as soon they stuck to the original trilogy. Foundations Edge and Foundation and Earth were to me substandard. Especially with their retconning the Mule's origin and then the Gaia stuff. The original books had an underlying intelligence to them that transcended the space opera.

 

[Overmind One]

I can't wait for ignorant viewers to complain that it rips off Star Wars and other movies/shows.

That is EXACTLY what will happen. But the hipsters will know, and they are the ones who will make this series popular. Star Wars is never going to come to the small screen in terms of the primary story. The animated shows are great, but they are not live action and that does make a difference (sorry, anime fans!). Foundation is less silly than Star Wars on many levels. The psychohistory thing is still unique to Foundation as far as I know.

Have you read all the books?

 

[shavedape]

I'd just as soon they stuck to the original trilogy. Foundations Edge and Foundation and Earth were to me substandard. Especially with their retconning the Mule's origin and then the Gaia stuff. The original books had an underlying intelligence to them that transcended the space opera.

Yes, they had an intelligence to them, which is something I fear might be dumbed-down to make the story (stories) palatable to the HBO viewing masses.

 

[Overmind One]

I'd just as soon they stuck to the original trilogy. Foundations Edge and Foundation and Earth were to me substandard. Especially with their retconning the Mule's origin and then the Gaia stuff. The original books had an underlying intelligence to them that transcended the space opera.

The original trilogy made the most sense. But if they are going to use any of the later books, they will have to start with Foundations Edge to tie them all together. I was not too thrilled about Foundation and Earth either.

 

[shavedape]

That is EXACTLY what will happen. But the hipsters will know, and they are the ones who will make this series popular. Star Wars is never going to come to the small screen in terms of the primary story. The animated shows are great, but they are not live action and that does make a difference (sorry, anime fans!). Foundation is less silly than Star Wars on many levels. The psychohistory thing is still unique to Foundation as far as I know.

Have you read all the books?

Re-read the first 3 back in winter.

 

[Overmind One]

Re-read the first 3 back in winter.

The first three are the best ones. The original trilogy. The later books were missing something. They did tie everything together into a Foundation universe, but it just felt like Azimov was stretching things.

 

[Joelist]

And of course the big question.....the first time you read "Second Foundation" when did you guess the two big reveals at the very end?

 

[Overmind One]

And of course the big question.....the first time you read "Second Foundation" when did you guess the two big reveals at the very end?

You mean about Hari Seldon?