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Pratchett's 'Good Omens' On The Big Screen
martial writes "The book 'Good Omens' is in the process to be adapted for the big screen. The book was reviewed on Slashdot before. The book was written by Terry Pratchett (Discworld) and Neil Gaiman and speaks about the apocalypse in a pretty funny way. For the movie version, little is known other than Terry Gilliam (Monty Python member and director of 12 Monkeys and Brazil) is going to be the director. The information about the movie is available at the Internet Movie Database." Until this goes into something other than pre-production, it is a rumor and should be treated as such.
Good Omens is a just plain brilliant book. And you can't tell me that Kevin Smith didn't read a little of it when he wrote the script for his excellent Dogma (they both deal with similar 'heavy' religious subject matter, in a light-hearted manner) The book itself is nothing like Sandman, if that's what you're used to from Gaimen, it reads more like Douglas Adams, with the peculiar sort of humour that seems so silly, but so damn funny. If you haven't read it yet, you're missing out. That said, I think the director (even Terry Gilliam) has his work cut out for him.
----------------- "I have a bone to pick, and a few to break." - Refused -------------------
I have to admit, I usually dislike movies based on my favorite books. And _Good Omens_ is one of my most favorite books. It is just about the funniest book I have ever read. Just ahead of The _Hitchhiker's Guide_ 'Trilogy'.
But Good Omens will be even harder to put into a movie than other favorites like _Ender's Game_. Why? Well, one of the best things about _Good Omens_ is the language. Full of nuance and wit, the narration tells more than the dialog or actions.
On the other hand, Gilliam is an excellent director and knows his way around wit. Still, I'm not sure if he is quite suited to the part. Omens is very understated in many ways (I think the best humor is understated humor), whereas Gilliam tends to go for overstatement. Certainly in his older work, and to some degree in his more modern works. (If you don't think so, watch Brazil again, talk about overstated)
Nevertheless, no matter how much of a let down the movie is or isn't it will make me remember the book, and that can't be a bad thing. I will certainly see the movie when (and if) it ever comes out.
For anyone who as not read _Good Omens_, DO IT NOW! It is easily the funniest book I have ever read, and ranks up there in the 10 best books I have read (and I have read quite a lot, never had a TV past 5th grade, so...). Do not wait for the movie, you will lose out if you see the movie first, no matter how good it is.
Damnit, I just realized I lent out my copy of Good Omens and never got it back. Now I want to read it again (for about the 5th time).
--Nick
Found this on Discworld Monthly
Neil Gaiman confirmed that Terry Gilliam (Brazil, Time Bandits) will write and direct the feature film version of Good Omens, the novel Gaiman co-authored with Terry Pratchett. Gaiman told SCI FI Wire that Gilliam will write the screenplay with Tony Grisoni, who worked with Gilliam on Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. Peter Samuelson, Marc Samuelson (Arlington Road) and Chuck Roven will produce the film, and talks are ongoing with several studios to develop the project.
Gaiman said he plans to keep his distance from the film. "Terry Pratchett and I have elected not to get involved--we both got our fingers burned some years ago trying to write a Good Omens movie for Sovereign Pictures, for producers who bought Good Omens and then immediately began trying to turn it into something else. We decided that this time around we would give the book to people who seemed to understand it and let them make the film."
Gaiman also had high praise for Gilliam and the Samuelsons. "We turned down a lot of producers before the Samuelsons came along, and they impressed us by understanding what the book was about (and not just understanding what happened in it and the meaning of several of the longer words)," Gaiman said. "I think Terry Gilliam is the perfect director for Good Omens in every way, and I've been an enormous fan of his since Jabberwocky."
Gaiman added that he is "really looking forward to going and eating popcorn at the premiere. Or those little raisin things with chocolatey stuff on them."
Good Omens: or, The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch, is a tongue-in-cheek telling of the Apocalypse from the viewpoint of an angel and a devil who realize their best interests lie in working together to postpone the Day of Reckoning.
I guess that makes the whole thing a bit less of a rumour :)
Good Omens is well worth reading. Normally I can't stand Gaiman's work, but under Pratchett's influence he's quite readable.
And the brethren went away edified.
Terry Pratchett is a perennial best-seller in the United Kingdom and spends much of his time travelling the world doing book signings and other engagements. He has had at least two of his books adapted for the small screen (in animated form), and several of his books adapted for the stage. He has been awarded an OBE (Order of the British Empire) because of his writing. He already is a success.
Neil Gaiman isn't as successful as Pratchett, but he is well-known and well-regarded in his field. He is best known for the graphic literature he has written (Sandman, etc), but has also written many novels and shortstories which have met with critical acclaim. Unlike Pratchett, Neil has had experience with Hollywood, having been involved with 4 movies or TV series since 1996, including an adaptation of his novel NeverWhere to the small screen. Most recently, he wrote the English screenplay for the Japanese animated film Princess Mononoke. I would also say he is a success.
Both Gaiman and Pratchett have refused to bring their work to the big screen in the past when they thought that it wasn't going to be done right (and they have been asked) -- including a previous attempt to do Good Omens.
Terry Gilliam is probably one of the few directors around these days that has as keen a grasp on both British and American humor. As the only American member of Monty Python, he immersed himself in British comedy and comedic writing for several years. His movie "The Fisher King" was nominated for 5 academy awards (winning Best Supporting Actress) and 5 golden globes (winning two). He is a perfectionist, well-known for fighting with the studios to maintain artistic control over his work.
I think Gilliam was one of the better choises for "Good Omens". He can understand the book, and he can get what he wants onto film. His vision seems to me to more closely match that of Gaiman and Pratchett than most other directors. I think it will work.
As far as trying to cram Good Omens onto the big screen -- remember that it is (loosely) based on a movie already (The Omen).
Since this is /. and we're all supposed to be concerned about software licenses, UCITA, and all of that, I'm surprised that nobody has mentioned what Good Omens had to say about them:
In essence... (this is from years-old memory)
took the software license, and sent it down to the demons in Hell who were responsible for writing the contracts on lost souls. He scrawled one word across it, "LEARN!"
Great book, I hope it can make it onto the screen even half as good, and with the wit intact.
The living have better things to do than to continue hating the dead.
Any? I thought there was only one, with associated footnote. I'll admit I didn't really get that one. Still, this points out why I like Pratchett's style of humor so much better than American comic-fantasy authors like Anthony or Asprin. Pratchett seems to be satisfied with throw-away jokes: If you get it, good; if not, maybe you'll get the next one. Sometimes I won't even notice some particularly British reference; sometimes I'll notice that there's something going on that I just don't get, but move on. Pratchett doesn't rub my nose in the jokes I don't get, and provides more than enough jokes than I do. Too many other authors (Piers Anthony is the worst) seem to feel a need to make sure you know exactly how clever they are. The last time (years ago) I read Piers, I wanted to sit him down and explain to him (possibly using a LART) that, "If you need to explain the joke, it wasn't funny." In the immortal words of Foghorn Leghorn, "The boy's about as subtle as a hand grenade in a barrel of oatmeal."
Weblogging Considered Harmful:
Several years ago I went to see Neil speak at a comic convention in Chicago. Someone asked if/when Sandman was going to be filmed.
Neil then gave a really entertaining discussion of exactly why everyone in Hollywood was a "madman". He and Terry spent a long time working on a script for Good Omens, condensing it to movie length, and sent it to them. After a few weeks with no response, he called up and asked what was going on. They said "Well, it's a lot like the book."
Of course it was, Neil didn't understand how that could be a problem. The authors then thought of other variations on the basic theme and came up with a derivative work, built around the same characters and situations, but giving a new slant on things. They were quite proud of the second script and sent it in. After another quiet period, they pushed for a response. And it was:
"Well, it doesn't have much to do with the book."
At this point, Neil gave up on Hollywood.
Of course, he also said the next Miracleman was going to be soon as well...