Forbidden Planet

[Advocate]

Its not a remake.

El Mayimbe over at Latino Review confirms that Cameron has looked through Straczynski's FORBIDDEN PLANET script and "flipped" for the current draft.
Mayimbe also has more information on macro plans for FORBIDDEN PLANET. Turns out, we're not looking at merely a prequel here...but possibly a trilogy/franchise.

Movie One tells the story of the original ship that came to Altair 4.
Movie Two tells the story of the search for the Krell by the captain of the Bellerophon and his crew...as Diana continues to grow into something profoundly other-wordly. The search takes them beyond the limits of known space into other dimensions, passing from what's known into what's not.
Movie Three tells the story of the second ship to arrive at Altair 4 to investigate what happened to the Bellerophon. They discover Morbius and his "daughter," who is desperate to get off the planet and out into the rest of the universe, where her power would nearly be god-like...a fate we are spared when Morbius sacrifices his life to keep her there and eliminate the Krell homeworld once and for all.

...says THIS REPORT at Latino Review.
So, they're basically taking the FORBIDDEN PLANET mythos and shaping it into THE MARTIAN CHRONICLES?
There are more details over at LR - check 'em out...


[[[[ ORIGINAL REPORT FOLLOWS ]]]]

Merrick here...

IESB has some story details on Silver/Straczynski/Cameron's(?) FORBIDDEN PLANET...
We've been told several times this isn't a sequel or a remake. So, what exactly is it? Turns out, the answer is shamefully...almost embarrassingly...obvious to anyone who has seen the original film.
Seems the new FORBIDDEN PLANET is a prequel, chronicling mankind's first journey to Altair 4. I.e. "The Bellerophon Expedition" referenced in the 1956 movie. Right down to Dr.s Edward and Diana Morbius. Which also means: given the Belleraphon crew's started fate, this film could end up being rather apocalyptic in nature.
Read more details...

HERE!!! Straczynski has repeatedly indicated the new FP will not appear "retro". But, given that it's set a significant while before the original FORBIDDEN PLANET, wouldn't some level of "retro" seem mandated? Or, will established design conceits be summarily dismissed here? Or, are we supposed to believe that the self-maintenancing Krell infrastructure opted to give itself a retro makeover after the Bellerophon crew's apparent extermination?

If anyone out there knows anything else about this project, DROP ME A LINE! Geeky curiosity is getting the best of me now & I'm becoming increasingly unable to repress both cynicism and curiosity...

Latino Review

Earlier today, IESB reported that James Cameron was circling the project which is true. At press time, Cameron was supposed to meet with Straczynski and I don't have knowledge if they done so yet but I do know that Cameron has flipped for the current draft.

I was also able to take a look at the draft and what is interesting is what he says on the 1st and last pages of the script.


For starters Straczynski's draft is PREQUEL to the 1956 sci-fi classic! But that is not all, Straczynski is planning to make Forbidden Planet into a trilogy of films! More on that in a sec.


The prologue to the script contains the following: Two ships traveled to Altair 4, a planet orbiting a star 16.7 light years from Earth. The first ship, the Bellerophon, came to explore that world. The humans on board encountered the relics of the Krell civilization for the first time and exhumed their dangerous past. The Bellerophon was never heard from again. Twenty years later, a second ship, a C-57D Starcruiser, came to investigate the dissapearance of the Bellerophon and her crew.


The original 1956 Forbidden Planet told the tale of the second ship. What Straczynski's draft is about is the never-before revealed tale of the first ship, the Bellerophon.


So what of the supposed trilogy?


The last page contains a epilogue where depending on the financial reaction to Forbidden Planet, Strazynski could create the following three film franchise.

• Movie One tells the story of the original ship that came to Altair 4.

• Movie Two tells the story of the search for the Krell by the captain of the Bellerophon and his crew...as Diana continues to grow into something profoundly other-wordly. The search takes them beyond the limits of known space into other dimensions, passing from what's known into what's not.

• Movie Three tells the story of the second ship to arrive at Altair 4 to investigate what happened to the Bellerophon. They discover Morbius and his "daughter," who is desperate to get off the planet and out into the rest of the universe, where her power would nearly be god-like...a fate we are spared when Morbius sacrifices his life to keep her there and eliminate the Krell homeworld once and for all.

Because movies two and three would have some overlapping cast members, but not all of them, they could be easily shot concurrently or back to back.


Straczynski personally states in the last paragraph that what is cool about this new movie is that events shown completely change the meaning of the original Forbidden Planet without changing a frame of film. Altaira's attempt to seduce or inveigle the crew comes across as manipulative, using them to get off the planet. Straczynski also states that this has value to geeks of which he is one.

[Mr-K]

Just leave it alone. Fuck.

[Fe 26]

why can't they just make original horrible movies?

[Dolemite]

Hollywood ran out of original ideas years ago.

[Uriel]

So another sci-fi movie about a crew investigating a derilict ship that had disappeared years before after encountering something unknown?


I DONT CARE, I'LL TAKE WHATEVER HARD SCI-FI I CAN GET

[bbobb]

Normally I'd be with you guys in saying fuck this shit. But the fact that Straczynski is doing it makes me hopeful.

[Advocate]

I just report the news, but I like Bbobb think this has promise.

[Mr-K]

I can't find a good enough clip from Spaced so I'll just say it.

Babylon 5's a big pile of shit

[youandwhosearmy]

Normally I'd be with you guys in saying fuck this shit. But the fact that Straczynski is doing it makes me hopeful.

This...

and also the fact that Cameron might be direct something that doesn't involve being 2000 feet underwater (with documentary cameras) or discovering fake Jesui (also with documentary cameras).

[bbobb]

Babylon 5's a big pile of shit

No, you fuck off.