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Anita Blake is coming to the screen
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Anita
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Oct 03, 2008 07:32AM
Laurell K. Hamilton sent out an e-newsletter recently that said she's in negotiations to bring Anita Blake to the big screen (and maybe even the little screen too!) In the past LKH has been dead-set against filming Anita Blake - I'm so happy it looks like she's changed her mind! HBO must be kicking themselves - the Anita Blake series has the violence of Oz and the sex of Sex in the City. If they did it well, though, a big screen movie would be great too.
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I would love to see this happen. I just hope they are very careful and true to the books when casting. I'm less then thrilled with some of the choices True Blood made but then I guess you can't please everyone :)
I can't say I'm excited. If she's not like the Anita in the early books (which I'm reading now) and not the hoe Anita that I keep hearing about, maybe but I'm doubting HBO is kicking themselves. Charlaine is still new to the genre with Sookie but to be honest, I think it's more original than Anita Blake. Sookie is just like you and me except she can hear thoughts against her will. Anita is not relatable and frankly not as likeable so I can't see her being well received by people not into the books but to each her own, I guess.Not saying True Blood is the best because of course it has it's flaws and what the eff moments. I've read the books and of course I'm biased towards them but again, she's not likeable. At all. LOL. Okay she was for the first 3 books but then my opinion of her took a swan dive.
If I liked Anita Blake I would be happy to see another gritty paranormal film like Underworld, but since a poor main char kills a show...
I think Anita is a love/hate type of character... you either love her or hate her, there's not much of a grey area.Merry Gentry is more of a likable character, in my opinion. Somehow LKH was able to make her as sexually explicit as Anita, but keep her innocence and idealism in tact.
I for one can't wait for the show. I'd love to see who'd they'd pick for Jean Claude. I love the series but I couldn't watch a show based on boos after Obsidian because it'd be just too much sex. I can tolerate it in books but not on TV.
I kinda agree, Jael. I don't see how a TV show (or movie, for that matter) could manage acting out anything past Obsidian. It would either have to be rated NC-17 or cut out integral elements of Anita's life. Neither option is a good one, in my opinion. But, having said that, I'm hoping the producers/creators surprise us all -- I'm definitely jazzed about it!
The movie/Tv industry is so stale, they're grasping at anything different. With the success of True Blood, I think LKH's books to tv/movies would blow those results out of the water.I don't think the general public is ready for a supernatural orgy. Then again, it's not the general public this would appeal to. LKH has legions of fans, and if done RIGHT (very large budget) this could be amazing.
you know, i always thought those first handful of books would make great hour-long procedurals. sort of in the way they did 'the dresden files' show, where the hour is taken up my solving some paranormal-flavored mystery, and the character relationships grow and develop over the course of a season. the trashier the AB books have gotten, they just wouldn't make good TV - nobody's going to put something that graphic (lol "supernatural orgy" Tricia) on the tube - and cutting it down would take away what the fans like about those books. but they could do weekly mystery series for many a season if the vampire & werewolf romance angle was long-term background character development.
I agree... there are options to doing this "right". I just hope-hope-hope that LKH is heavily involved in the writing.
I think LKH will be very active in the writing. It took her years to even consider having this done. I don't think she'll let anyone ruin what she has accomplished. I'd rather see it on the big scene than TV since TV executives are always pulling the plug on shows too quickly without giving them a chance to shine. I know that wouldn't be the case with AB since those books have a large following but you never can tell.
I know she said would love to do Anita Blake back at a singing about three years ago at a B&N here. HBO can handle the sex stuff, though her first books were as erotic. I think she and her husband were writing scripts at the time on her books. I haven't see True Blood as we don't have HBO right now and can't afford it right ow. Too bad they haven't the eps online at HBO's website like a lot of networks do these days. Oh well....
I am looking forward to this if it were to happen. Then again I've only read the first four books in the series so I'm not sure how to feel about it until I've read the next few books in the series. It seems from the comments, it's pretty much a split. People are either dying to have this made or not so happy about it. I guess we'll all just have to see.
Jael, i'm with ya that tv execs pull the plug on shows far too quickly - especially those shows that are "quirky" or anything outside of mainstream. the very shows that need time to find their feet, develop a story arc, and capture a loyal audience are the ones that get canned just as they're achieving those goals. our supernatural stuff tends to fit into that mold, but it's made some very very good TV. i just can't say the same for movies at all. i've said it to many a friend: the kind of books i like to read just do not make good movies. can anyone name a modern urban fantasy book that's not ended up as total crap on the big screen? the closest thing might be the harry potter movies, but as fun as they are, they each play out as frustratingly truncated cliffs-notes versions of the books. i've had to explain the mechanics of plot points to non-readers after a couple of those movies. and that's usually the problem: you just can't cram pages of backstory and worldbuilding into an hour and a half, so they usually just go for flash & explosions with a bit of wet-look vinyl. it ends up splashy and silly, widely panned by critics, and fails to find an audience outside the core die-hard fan group (as opposed to say, the loyal 87 gajillion harry potter reader fan base, which would sell out theaters across the world even if the movies weren't as good as they are).
i'd rather have a season or two of very interesting tv tragically cut in its prime (a la 'blood ties'), than one amazingly stupid stinky movie where i have to explain to everyone why i liked the books so much better (i'm talking to you, 'league of extraordinary gentlemen').
Hmm Michelle never even though of it like that. Your right about the Potter movies. If your not a fn of the books you miss out on alot of the depth and backstory to great characters. Now I think I don't want this to happen at out because I wouldn't be able to tolerate Anita being canned. I glad True Blood has made it to season Two and I hope it continues.
While I would LOVE to see Anita Blake on the screen I have a feeling it would be a let down. They are bound to tone down the sex stuff as the books progress and that is what Anita Blake is all about... Watching her morals get screwed over. A good lot of the sex scenes would be extremely hard to film and I am sure if they did the books justice they would be yanked off the screen.
I agree, Michelle. The screenplay alone would have to downplay those scenes. I mean, I think the highest rating for movies is 'R', right? With all of those scenes, including the violent/fighting scenes, that 'R' rating would be bowled over without hesitation. Can you imagine trying to downplay it? And we know that everytime Anita gives in, it's screwing over her morals, but how would you be able to write than in a screenplay and how could the actor actually act it out? Good question, isn't it?
They'd also have fun trying to portray the change over from man to wolf and back. The old were wolf films never really managed to portray the mess or pain they go through.
Another problem would be the one where she raises all the zombies. A whole graveyard at once. Whew.
Michelle wrote:that is what Anita Blake is all about... Watching her morals get screwed over
Seems like I'm reading a completely different set of books. I think Anita gets more moral as the series progresses. She looses her prejudices against the undead and the furry. She learns to treat them as individuals, not just as evil creatures. She learns to open her heart to other people and other experiences.
But I guess it depends what you call moral. I call the open minded individual in the later books far more moral than the close minded, convinced of her own righteousness, character we meet in "Guilty Pleasures".
Who would you rather be, the lonely self-righteous individual who is burning herself out with the violence of her job, or the woman who has found love and companionship in unusual places?
The early books could make fun viewing, but the later ones lack direction. And what happens with all the sex, sell it to the playboy channel?
But hey, I'll turn off the sound and watch just for the hot men!! *whew*
But hey, I'll turn off the sound and watch just for the hot men!! *whew*
mlady_rebecca, you are exactly right. The only morals that Anita was struggling with was sex. I don't mean to offend Catholics but their views on sex are so archaic. Anita didn't have any problems raising the dead, sacrificing animals, killing people or being extremely judgmental. No, her biggest moral dilemma was having sex outside of marriage. What's wrong with that picture? The evolution of Anita is an amazing one. She becomes a much more loving, caring person who begins to value relationships and starts seeing people for what's in their heart. I love the Anita in the later books so much more then early Anita.If they make a movie and want it to be true to the books, it would probably need to be rated NC17. I think with some good writing, careful editing and extensive CG, they could make an awesome movie.
mlady_rececca... Wow!I actually agree with you. I didnt really write it as such but I was referring to her moral issues she had at the start of the series. The way she constantly refers to 'thats not the way I was raised'
I love the way she grows as a character through this series. Without putting in spoilers I especially like how she tries to put aside her own.... fears(?) I guess to try give Nathaniel what HE needs.
Until I read your post I hadn't really looked at it as her morals changing as her character grows.
I always loved how she could kill, raise zombies, sacrifice all those animals, yet squirm at the thought of sex with multiple partners let alone vamps or shape-shifters.
Michelle, LOL, you wrote it exactly as I meant as well.
Oh I'm happy to hear that! I love LKH. I prefer the Merry Gentry series honestly but Anita would be cool to see on big screen. TV though...I don't know.
I am excited about this and sort of upset at the same time.. I have read all of her books and I really cant see a show doing them justice.The first 4, yes. But after those the books get really graphic and well I just cant see a show (or movie or whatever) really being able to pull it all off without leaving too much out =/
There are reviews I have seen that mention how much they hate how Anita changed toward the middle of the books and that she is too slutty. I really don't agree with this.
I fell in love with the first few books but as her character grew and got more involved with Jean Claude and the others I think it just got better. His whole world is different and she is growing with him and her powers to be a part of that. I really cant see why people think that's bad. Well unless they are prude /giggles.
Geez, I've been away for awhile--DDJ (dreaded day job). I come back and there's all this news! This is going to be very interesting to see how they put Anita on screen. They didn't do such a great job with Interview with a Vampire, as I recall. Some stories don't translate well once they leave the imagination....
Tricia wrote: The first 4, yes. But after those the books get really graphicAre you talking sex or violence?
There wasn't any actual sex till the 6th book ("Killing Dance"), and not a significant amount of sex till the 10th book ("Narcissus in Chains"). Unless you consider Jean-Claude showing off his back in the tub in "Bloody Bones" too explicit.
As for violence, I'd pick "Obsidian Butterfly" and "The Laughing Corpse" as the top two.
Oh I was talking sex. I thought in book 5 is when it all started (you know with Jason and the 2 rotters? :P)I will admit the sex doesn't get too heavy until later but some of the scenes before are a bit much for the big screen I would think, in order to do the Anita name justice.
Overall I think alot of the situations she gets into are just not doable on screen.
Oh and to be clear there is about nothing I personally find too explicit :P I was just talking in terms of how much they would have to leave out of the story.. making it sorta bland for the screen /shrug
Tricia wrote: I thought in book 5 is when it all started (you know with Jason and the 2 rotters? :P)Oh, that makes sense then. I was thinking the first time Anita had sex on screen. I didn't even think about including Jason's little performance.
You know you're right, even if you exclude the explicit scenes there are little things like the fact that all the weres like to run around naked that wouldn't translate very easily.
It's a shame. Because I'd really love to see the books brought to life realistically, not in a way to make the average censor happy.
Oh and to be clear there is about nothing I personally find too explicit :P
I agree. I'm quite fond of all the books, sex and all.
Yeah, and its why I am a bit annoyed at the fact that she decided to do this :(I know she will try her best to have it true to the Anita name, but people are just too censor happy (as you put hehe) to really have me all excited about it :(
Something I was just thinking. I know alot of people hate how the books have progressed. Myself personally, I LOVE how they have progressed and I am more then happy with the series.
Though I think those that have been unhappy with it might like the movie/show (or whatever it will be) because it will indeed be censored a bit. Even if it goes on HBO or Showtime.
I dont pretend to know her motivation for doing this.. Money? To regain some lost fans who werent happy with the progression of the books?
Who knows.
