Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

sphinx · January 10, 2003, 10:34:24 PM

the movie is greenlighted! is jay roach still directing? is anyone attached to star? who knows! i hope they don't butcher it, though. it will shatter my view of the books if they do fuck it up, which they invariably will.

...last night, on BBC Radio 2, Douglas Adams' wife, Jane Belson, was being interviewed and she was asked about the film, she said that Karey Kirkpatrick (James and the Giant Peach and Chicken Run) had been working on a script with Douglas and that some producers had read it and liked it, and that the executive producers had read it and liked and it seems to have a green light.

this doesn't make sphinx very happy, especially considering adams wrote several drafts of the screenplay for his book, and roach said one would be used.

Jeremy Blackman · January 10, 2003, 10:46:52 PM

I have yet to get through the first book... so bizarre, so cheesy, so British... maybe after I finish Dali's "Diary of a Genius"...

RegularKarate · January 10, 2003, 11:04:39 PM

Funny this should be mentioned, I'm currently reading Dirk Gently's Hollistic Detective Agency (not as good as HHGG).

I've always wanted those books to be made into a film, just never thought it would be very filmable.

To Bad Gilliam isn't doing it.

budgie · January 11, 2003, 06:55:04 AM

Did you ever get the tv series made in the eighties?

bonanzataz · January 11, 2003, 02:24:41 PM

I have no idea what you guys mean by HHGG. I'm sure I'll feel like a douche bag when you tell me... if you tell me.

MacGuffin · January 11, 2003, 02:28:40 PM

Quote from: bonanzatazI have no idea what you guys mean by HHGG. I'm sure I'll feel like a douche bag when you tell me... if you tell me.

HitchHiker's Guide To The Galaxy.

Hope you smell like a Summer's Eve.

bonanzataz · January 11, 2003, 02:55:02 PM

Quote from: MacGuffin
HitchHiker's Guide To The Galaxy.

Hope you smell like a Summer's Eve.

I sure do.

RegularKarate · January 11, 2003, 05:02:37 PM

Quote from: budgieDid you ever get the tv series made in the eighties?

Yes we did, broadcast by PBS as are most BBC shows.
Now you can get the DVDs.

That show kinda sucked though.

budgie · January 13, 2003, 07:47:16 AM

I just had a thang for Ford Prefect, I remember. But otherwise it was riding the novelty and looked a bit shoddy even for 198-whatever, I guess.

MacGuffin · January 16, 2003, 10:36:12 AM

AICN received this letter from a source regarding HHGTTG:

Hello there,

Thought you might like to know or not as the case may be, that Jay Roach turned down 'Hitchhikers' on Monday. Saying that there was something else he'd rather direct.

At the time the film was close to being green lit, so the producers are now looking for someone to replace him, The difficulty is finding an established director that'll be happy to re-create Douglas Adams's vision of the story and not over power the film with his/her own outlook on it.

I live and work in London with close contacts to sections of the film industry.

No names please, just call me EdgarG

sphinx · January 16, 2003, 08:26:14 PM

shit.

MacGuffin · June 17, 2003, 10:32:01 AM

Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Gets Directors
Source: Variety

Five years after Spyglass partner Roger Birnbaum and Disney first engaged Douglas Adams and his "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy," Spyglass has set British commercial and video directing and producing team Hammer & Tongs to make its feature directing debut.

The team is writer-director Garth Jennings and producer Nick Goldsmith, and they will work with "Chicken Run" scribe Karey Kirkpatrick, who did a polish on a script written by the author. Spyglass is budgeting the film and will soon set a start date.

Disney has first crack at thumbing a ride on the "Hitchhiker" package as domestic distributor, since the Mouse House was involved in the original purchase.

"We finally cracked the story, and hired these clever English fellows to make sure that the picture is visually inventive and funny and accessible to contemporary audiences while still connected to the book Douglas wrote almost 25 years ago," Birnbaum said.

He first bought the book when he ran Caravan. He, partner Gary Barber and Spyglass' Jonathan Glickman will produce along with Goldsmith, Jay Roach (who once developed the pic to direct) and Robby Stamp, who was Adams' partner.

Adams, who passed away nearly two years ago, will have a posthumous exec producer credit. Spyglass' Derek Evans, who originally found the book, will also be exec producer.

Adams' book revolved around Arthur Dent, who one day is whisked away by an alien doing research to write "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy." Dent becomes an intergalactic traveler, which sounds cool until he learns that Earth is about to be flattened to make way for an intergalactic bypass and that aliens want his brain.

Ghostboy · June 17, 2003, 10:34:12 AM

This just feels...right.

edison · June 19, 2003, 10:21:34 PM

I really hope this works out well....H and T did this really cool Blur video that had this coffee cup walking around, sounds uninteresting but it was pretty funny.

MacGuffin · October 03, 2003, 10:25:33 AM

Disney & Spyglass Give Hitchhiker's Guide the Green Light
Source: Variety

Disney and Spyglass have greenlit the adaptation of Douglas Adams' The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, to shoot in London next year.

Adams' tale of the intergalactic travels of Arthur Dent will be steered by director Garth Jennings and producer Nick Goldsmith.

Jay Roach had to drop out as director because of his "Austin Powers" sequels and imminent plan to direct the Meet the Parents sequel.