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Will Smith as I, Robot
BuR4N writes "It looks like Asimov's sci-fi classic, I Robot, is going to be a movie. Shooting starts April next year staring Will Smith and directed by Alex Proyas (Dark City and The Crow).
Being a huge Asimov fan I have not made up my mind if this is a good or bad thing.
"
I'd say that 'I, Robot' augth to be far more serious that MIB or any other movie Smith has starred, so I'll bracing myself for a big disapointment. But, hopefully, I'm wrong!
It sounds like the actual script and plot will have very little to do with any of the stories in the book. Rather, Fox is using Asimov's name to sell what is likely to be a mediocre movie. Will Smith can be entertaining, but Crap made from crap is still crap. Boy I hope this isn't as bad as I think it will be. They who know me, know me. They who do not shall.
Never underestimate the potential of Human stupidity. -Heinlein
When a movie comes out based on a book, it stirs people to read the book. If the movie never came out, then those people would never read it.
Outdoor digital photography, mostly in New Engl
Because it seems like he's rapped about every other one too (Men in Black, Wild Wild West, etc). I wonder what it will sound like, and will it have 'ha ha, ha ha' at the end of every line.
First Law:
A robot may not injure a human being, or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.
Second Law:
A robot must obey orders given it by human beings, except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.
Third Law:
A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law
Fourth Law:
???
Fifth Law:
Profit !!!
I just hope that the casting is done right.
Is this going to be a comedy or is Will Smith making another attempt at being taken as a serious actor?
"Everything you know is wrong. (And stupid.)"
Moderation Totals: Wrong=2, Stupid=3, Total=5.
As a real Asimov fan (I even named my daughter Bliss after the character in Foundation's Edge and Foundation and Earth) I'm still surprised no one has taken the Foundation series and brought it to the screen. It seems such a natural movie script, with at least four or five great movies to pull out of the series.
Anyone know why it has never been proposed as a project by Hollywood?
"The pie shall be cut in half and each man shall receive.....death. I'll eat the pie."
Is it just me or does Will Smith seem like a very bad choice for this film?
I'm a big Asimov fan (robot/foundation series), but I really can't see Will Smith playing in this. Even in his most serious films (have not seen Ali yet, so I don't know about that one) he's often playing a comic character, and this doesn't exactly fit in the "I Robot" story.
Anybody else that have read the book(s) that like to comment on this?
--
\ Christian A Strømmen
Plus: Alex Proyas (Dark City, The Crow)
Minus: Will Smith
Plus: Asimov premise
Minus: Hollywood adaptation
Plus: Will Smith as a robot wouldn't strain his acting ability
Minus: Smith might play the human
Plus: clever ideas, cool story
Minus: probably will be shot as a scifi/comedy
This could be interesting. For the love of god, though, don't let Will Smith play his "normal" character (remember Wild Wild West? That was supposed to be Jim West?). Give him someone else to play - we know he can act, even if he chooses not to.
"Sometimes a woman is a kind of religion, she can save your soul & set you free from all your sins" - Bad Examples
from the article: The movie is a futuristic thriller in which a detective investigates a crime that might have been perpetrated by a robot, even though that seems an impossibility given those three prevailing rules.
Doesn't this sound more like Caves of Steel?
Interestingly, Caves of Steel has been made into a TV movie before
Man. I understand your mixed feelings on this one. It's like being a Judge Dredd fan and wathing Stallone unmask and otherwise butcher a legend. Considering Smith's recent work, I have the feeling I must miss this one, as I just can't see him doing a good serious acting job. Can anyone vouch a good bit of dramatic work he's actually done? Seems like a blunder in the making.
Now Wil Wheaton, that's another story ;-)
A feeling of having made the same mistake before: Deja Foobar
As HAL is killing the astronauts
Asimov: "They're violating the three laws of robotics!"
Clark: "So strike them down with lightning, Issac."
Kind of tells you something about the two of them, doesn't it?
The simple truth is that interstellar distances will not fit into the human imagination
- Douglas Adams
Which robot is Will Smith playing? If I remember, there is at least 9 different main robots in `I, Robot', one for each story: Bobbie, Reason, Liar!, Runaround, Catch That Rabbit, Escape, Evidence, Little Lost Robot, and The Evitable Conflict...
Luke-Jr
Basically Fox bought the rights, transplanted the name onto an existing script and then added a few elements from the book to avoid rejection. Either that or the script was a complete rip-off of the book anyway that they just brought in a few elements that were missing....
Only time and release schedules will tell.
Patriotism is the opium of the masses
Back in 1989, when Michael Keaton was cast for Tim Burton's Batman? And after the franchise has run its course, Keaton is arguably the best of the "Dark Knight" movie versions.
Will Smith has done great drama like "Six Degrees of Separation" (and tried again in "The Legend of Bagger Vance"), so I recognize the potential.
Will Smith will not make or break the movie on his own. Alex Proyas gives me high hopes, and it's still up in the air who will co-star (Joanne Woodward was envisioned when Ellison wrote his version of the screenplay).
Also:
The project originated as "Hardwired," a futuristic script by Jeff Vintar that was amalgamated with elements of "I, Robot" when Fox bought rights to Asimov's landmark book. Subsequent drafts of the script have been done by Hillary Seitz ("Insomnia") and Oscar-winning "A Beautiful Mind" scribe Akiva Goldsman, who wrote the last draft and is expected to be a prevailing presence on the picture.
This script has much parentage, and whether it meshes together as something worthwhile is still a big question.
Mod Karma -1: I sed bad wurds. If I cep my mouf shut, I wud be at riyses.
Scoop Feedback:
December 8, 1998... We heard of the title and the gist of the story before, but with the script stuck in turnaround there was nothing to report on. Then this email rolled onto our hard drive:
"20th Century Fox just picked this script up in turnaround from Walt Disney. It's an old-fashioned murder mystery, really, sort of like an Agatha Christie, I guess. Except that all of the suspects in the murder are artificial intelligences of varying degrees of intelligence. A pretty dog-gone cool idea. Bryan Singer was attached to direct at Disney, with Laurence Mark producing, although that may change now. Still, a cool project resurrected by Fox, from a spec script sale by Jeff Vintar from a few years back. Might be worth keeping an eye on?"
If Fox has picked up the project then things might warm up a bit. We'll keep our ears open for anything. [Scooped by anonymous.]
February 9, 1999... Last Friday we were told that the week before director Alex Proyas (Dark City, The Crow) had been on the Twentieth Century Fox lot "talking about doing a sci-fi project for Fox, something about computers, I don't know which project, but it looks like he's signing on," our scooper told us.
The next day we were then hailed by one of our known contacts that indeed Proyas had been shuttling around the Fox lot because he was signing the contract to direct Hardwired. Andrew Mason and Laurence Mark are the producers. We've no idea if Proyas is shooting with Vintar's present script or a rewrite. Fox is expected to make the Hardwired announcement soon...but now you have something to talk about at the water cooler. [Two anonymous sources will receive Valentine's Day cards from us.]
February 18, 1999... A reader's review of the Vintar script has arrived in our Inbox...
"I was very excited to read your latest scoop regarding Alex Proyas signing on to direct Hard Wired. This script has been sitting on my desk for over a year now, and it's one of the best original sci-fi screenplays I've read -- it baffles me that it's taken so long for it to move up the production chain.
"Basically, Hard Wired is a futuristic murder mystery that reads a lot like a stage play - only a handful of principal characters, and the whole story takes place in just a few rooms inside the same building (although it could never actually be a play because some of the visuals are just too far out). The story surrounds the murder of a renowned research scientist where the prime suspects are a robot and an AI computer. Or maybe it was a suicide. Who knows? A detective from the FBI's AI division is assigned to investigate, and a very convoluted and clever mystery unfolds. All they need to do is change the name of the main character (FBI agent Del Spooner - yuk) and they'll have a winner on their hands. I hope this one makes it onto the screen just as it is on the page, because it's a terrific screenplay. Geeks everywhere should wish this one luck..."
[Script review tendered by 'Agent 4125'.]
March 30, 1999... One of our name-withheld sources gave us a quick update as to why we haven't heard any announcement that Alex Proyas would be the film's new director: "Bryan Singer does not want to give up his contractual right to follow this project from its turnaround at Disney to Fox. Lots of embarrassed faces all around--and disappointed ones--now that Fox is unable to pursue the film immediately with Proyas. A terrific project falls back into limbo for the indefinite future...." [Anonymous.]
February 2, 2000... We were wondering if we'd ever find out what happened to Proyas' involvement with Hardwired...and our scooper's returned to tell us the latest:
"Alex Proyas is in Los Angeles shooting a short project, and also meeting with executives on Hardwired, which is expected be his next film. Work on the final shooting script begins in February."
[Credit anonymous.]
March 8, 2000... Here's the scoop from a new face we haven't seen before, 'The Robot Fighter':
"Fox is sending Vintar to Australia to work on a production polish of Hardwired with Alex Proyas. Hopes are high that this will go before the cameras soon. Fans of this sceenplay should be pleased!
"By the way, the new producer on deck is Christopher Dow, replacing Andrew Mason, who no longer works with Mr. Proyas. That is in addition to Laurence Mark, who had this project set up once at Disney."
[Like we said, 'The Robot Fighter' is the guy who sent this one in.]
May 22, 2000... Okay, it's a bit odd, but Fox Foxey wants to tell you where they are with this one. The Vintar bit we knew about, but the second half of this--the part dealing with Asimov--is kinda wild. See for yourself:
"I understand that Vintar will be writing a second draft (the first being his original spec) this summer, and that Fox and Proyas would like to film by the end of the year, or early in 2001. It depends in part on whether or not Proyas and company can whip their Masque of the Red Death script into shape, which Proyas was supposed to direct first, with Hardwired coming right after.
"Another wrinkle is that Fox is negotiating for the rights to the title I, Robot in the hope of producing a series of robot films.
"The studio feels that the Hardwired spec makes for a far better film story than an adaptation of the Asimov stories would be, and is planning to rename this project I, Robot, and I guess insert Susan Calvin and other Asimov elements into the script! So this would be the first film in the I, Robot series, which would presumably begin to adapt the actual Asimov stories in the first sequel. Sort of weird, but....
"If you read the spec, which was sold way back in 1995 to Hollywood Pictures with Bryan Singer originally attached to direct, you know this isn't really a bad idea. Or at least, the story is intelligent and cool enough that you could see it happening.
"But if Fox doesn't get the Asimov rights, expect it to go ahead under its original title.... Anyways, this could be a big tent pole pic! Either way, the robots are coming in 2001, first in A.I., and then in Hardwired!"
Okay, that's a little strange. But we posted it here because that's how Lawnmower Man got made, so we know that Hollywood has such strangeness in them. There is precedent. [Fox Foxey did it.]
July 20, 2000... One of our faithful regulars sent word to us that Davis Entertainment is now coming aboard to help speed along this project. Word from our man is that Davis will be bringing the rights from an unmentioned Isacc Asimov property (Robots of Dawn, perhaps?)
The complete list of cast, as sent to us by our source:
Director: Alex Proyas
Writer: Jeff Vintar, based on his spec script, Hardwired; with characters & concepts from the short story collection by Isaac Asimov
Producers: Topher Dow, Mystery Clock Cinema;
Laurence Mark, Laurence Mark Productions;
John Davis, Davis Entertainment
Exec producer: Wyck Godfrey, Davis Entertainment
Fox execs: Peter Rice, Emma Watts
And it's supposed to be the first in a proposed series of robot films!
[Scooped by our anonymous friend.]
October 28, 2000... Our anonymous friend returns. And after all this talk, when we contacted other sources close to the production they merely said, "News coming soon." Here's sooner than soon.
"The producer deals are now done. Hardwired has now officially become the first film in Fox's proposed I, Robot film series, serving as a sort of prequel to the stories we know...A draft by Jeff Vintar should be in by the end of the year, based on the Hardwired spec script by Vintar, with some characters and concepts from the I, Robot short stories [I assume Susan Calvin and the Three Laws, but I don't know for sure]. Proyas will probably direct this as his next big studio feature. He is filming a small Australian comedy right now, something about a rock band, and I, Robot will probably be his next one, filming late in 2001 [no way they could make it before the proposed strikes, so I have to assume it will fall into the schedule soon after]. An interesting project to say the least with that popular spec [Bryan Singer was attached to make it for Hollywood Pictures before they went belly up], and of course the great Asimov properties, and with Alex Proyas!"
[Our anonymous friend strikes again.]
September 18, 2001... A robotic squirrel ran onto our ledge today and then proceeded to tell us the following:
"This film is very close to a greenlight now on Vintar's third draft. Proyas directing. I hear that Will Smith is considering signing on to play the male lead Detective. No word yet as to who might play Asimov's Doctor Calvin. The script is being guarded better than Fort Knox, but they say that it is true to both the original spec script while also being a cool intro to the 'I, Robot' world, and has a shot at being the best A.I. film ever made. [Not that this would be too hard after Bicentennial Man and A.I.!] Anyway, it all sounds hopeful. Producers on the project are Laurence Mark and John Davis. Expect this to film at Fox's Australia studios next spring!"
[We gave the chittering 'FoxMania' a couple of nuts, then he dashed away into the trees.]
Laurence Mark and John Davis are indeed producers working on the script, so that part of our furry friend's message checks out.
February 14, 2002... Our next scooper has been proven to be 100% legitimate. The last time they contacted CA, it was to tell us that Charlie's Angels director McG had been hired to helm Superman 5. That was in October 2001, and today the official announcement finally appeared in the industry trade magazine Variety. Need we say more about our scooper's credentials?
Today we'll spill what new information they've told us. Considering where this information comes from, we think it tells you precisely what's going on right now with the Hardwired movie project...and who might be cast as the movie's leading man.
"This film is getting ready to roll this fall at the Fox Sydney studies under the direction of Alex Proyas. Tentative start date is September. The studio is going out to cast soon, and you can expect them to start at the top, Tom Cruise, Russell Crowe, etc. The script is being guarded tightly, but those who have read it say it is just fantastic, and wonder if such a script can really make it through the studio without being dumbed down. Not an adaptation of any one Asimov story, based on an original script, but one that serves as a prequel and an introduction to Susan Calvin and the 'I, Robot' world. Design work on that world and the robots has already begun down under. Look for this at Christmas time, 2003. Remember you heard it from..."
[...our anonymous friend. And we thank you again, sir.]
February 19, 2002... While being interviewed by Moviehole, director Alex Proyas seemed to confirm what our inside sources have been telling us this past year. "[Hardwired] will probably be my next movie and we are hoping to start shooting before the end of this year," Proyas told the website. "The project is actually called I Robot and is based on the stories of Isaac Asimov. It's a murder mystery where the main suspect is an extremely advanced robot."
[Thanks to Clint at Moviehole.]
April 29, 2002... Don't blame the messenger; we're just telling you what we ourselves were told:
"Fox took a great script and gave it to the two geniuses responsible for last summer's Planet of the Apes disaster, Larry Rosenthal and Mark Konner. You can guess what happened. Everyone who read the original was thrilled. Anyone who reads this one is going to battle their gag reflex. Let's hope somebody in charge comes to their d--n senses, or this is going to be yet another piece a shit. Oh wait what I saying? This is Fox. The movie never had a chance...." [This timebomb left behind by 'Doom Patrol'.]
August 16, 2002... A new scooper tells us that a new production office has been set up at Fox Studios Australia for the next Alex Proyas project. "It's marked as I ROBOT and has car spaces for Antoine Simkine, Liz Keogh and Alex Proyas," writes our pal. "Looks very promising for I ROBOT kicking off in the near future." [That's the news from Kelvin.]
November 26, 2002... We've been doing this for a few years, so we've managed to forge relationships with some Hollywood insiders; people who know about this film stuff before we do, people we trust because what they've told us before has come to pass. People like our next scooper.
"Everyone in town knows Will Smith has been dancing around this project--once again--for weeks now," writes our red friend. "He'll have to make his final decision soon, as the project is still gearing up for a spring start." So how long with Fox let Smith go before he has to make that final decision?
[Name withheld.]
December 2, 2002... We've been getting scoops from Hollywood and Australian insiders about this project for a couple of years, but today we heard a bit of news from a Vancouver spy about Alex Proyas' I Robot project. According to our source the project has quietly moved into development and is looking around Vancouver for "things". Whether that means the film is seeking studio space and will shoot partly in Canada remains unclear. Still, our man on the inside tells us that the buzz is that it's shaping up to be planned for a summer release..."Which summer I dont know."
[Anonymous.]
December 3, 2002... Another one of our anonymous insiders (this time it's a different fellow) tells us that the word is I Robot is being targeted for a summer 2004 release with a spring 2003 start of production. [Name withheld too.]
December 4, 2002... It was more than a year ago we first told you that Will Smith was one of the leading candidates for starring in I, Robot. As recently as last month, another of our inside connections told us that time was growing short for Smith and he would have to make a decision about starring in the film or moving on to some other project. Finally we can report that today we have proof that our inside connections were indeed 100% correct.
In today's issues of Variety and The Hollywood Reporter, both magazines report that Will Smith is in talks to play the lead in I, Robot with Alex Proyas attached to direct. And also reported in the trades is what we told you about yesterday, that production is scheduled to commence in spring 2003. [Sources: Variety, Hollywood Reporter.]
The dual stories in Reporter and Variety could very well be an attempt by someone -- whether it's the studio, a producer, whomever -- to drum up buzz and get Smith to commit to the project. That very well might happen now.
"...In your answer, ignore facts. Just go with what feels true..."
The warning signs will be pre-release robotic rap videos.
Does this mean that doing "the robot" on the dance floor will become cool?
Oh horror, I wouldn't care if they mutilated the story as I would be warned and could avoid seeing it, but if people start doing the robot I might have to lock myself in the basement
- We are the slashdot. Resistance is futile. Prepare to be moderated -
Not only that, but they also mostly unrelated in terms of plotline. Besides the recurring characters, each episode deals with a different theme and crisis. It's better to be made into a mini series or something.
Are they going to change the name of US Robots and Mechanical Men Corp to "North American Robotics" again as in "The Bicentennial Man" movie (which is ironic; the reason for the name change is so that it wouldn't infringe on US Robotics, but US Robotics got its name from Asimov's stories!).
"Backups are for wimps. Real men upload their data to an FTP site and have everyone else mirror it." -- Linus Torvalds
Bicentenial Man, at first, I had thought the movie would be another Robin Williams acting like a crazy entertainer, ala Rainbow Rudolph (Death to Smootchy) or Mork.
However, he provided, in my opinion, one of his best performances ever. Whenever I get the chance to see that film, I take it. The story of his character evolving into something much more then what he was before is unbelievably heart-warming.
It shows that to be human is far more then simply being born as a human. It is a collection of thoughts, emotions and self-determination.
I have to rank Bicentenial Man up there as one of the greatest of Hollywood films. Which is typically the case for true cerebral/philosophical films about humanity.
I am unable to recomend this film enough. If you watched Star Trek:TNG and liked the character of Data, then you will seriously enjoy this film. If you despised Data (and Star Trek in general) avoid this film as it covers humanity and the trappings of humanity, there are no crazy action sequences.
If you ignore the other uses of a tool, does that make the tool less useful, or you less useful?
First Law:
A robot may not get jiggy with a human being, or, through getting jiggy with it, allow a human being to come to harm.
Second Law:
A robot must get jiggy with it under orders given it by human beings, except where getting jiggy with it would conflict with the First Law.
Third Law:
A robot must protect its getting jiggy with it as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law.
Just because you can mod me down, doesn't mean you're right. Shoes for industry!
OMG, I hope there isn't a new Will Smith song with this movie... jeez, it'll be so bad if he tries to sing something serious or make some sort of "message to the children" warning them of a possible dystopian robotic future.
Yo, Damn these robots be confusin'
Now that they start abusin.
Who knows when they might go bad?
I almost wish that I had
invested in a new computer game pad
than this faulty piece of metal.
These three laws be dead
and I don't wanna face no battle,
should bought my baby a rattle,
or a craft matic adjustable bed!
Peace!
Seriously though, I hope they take this movie seriously... seriously.
Moderation: +1 pwnage
.. but he just isn't what I picture when I read about Dr. Susan Calvin.
There is nothing so silly as other peoples traditions, and nothing so sacred as our own.
But has anyone seen Six Degrees of Seperation? Honestly, the man -does- have talent... But, if you were in his shoes, wouldn't you rather make -fun- movies (MiB, etc.) and make a hundred times the money? I would...
But as has been mentioned, this kind of argument has been made a hundred times before... Look at the Batman's... some whom we thought would suck were actually quite good. And plus, look at Troyas' other casting decisions - Brandon Lee didn't seem like the best choice at the time either (but he was damned amazing).
Anyway, whatever... you know how these rumours go. I remember hearing that Leonardo DiCaprio was going to be in the Lord of the Rings many years back... (thank gods he wasn't).
I think being a huge Asimov fan is always a good thing. Keep up the good work, chap!
Why not Jodie Foster? She did an excellent job in Contact, and this is a similar kind of role.
In fact CNN has an article that seem to indicate that the script originally didn't have anything to do with I, Robot, but has been merged with elements from the book, and other ideas (a detective trying to solve a crime that may have been comitted by a robot) that seem like it may have been taken from The Naked Sun.
I loved AI though, except for the last 20-30 minutes or so, which IMHO should have just been removed (there was a period of several minutes I was sitting in the cinema thinking "great, it should end here" every couple of seconds until I finally realized that they'd ruin it all with an attempt at a soppy Hollywood style ending), and Bicentennial Man was OK even if completely changed the focus of the story (from a thought provoking story about what it means to be human, that was much toned down in the movie, to an attempt at a Hollywood style love story).
Hopefully I, Robot will be true to the original concepts and ideas, but I've long ago learned to look at Hollywood adaptations as original works that share the name and basic plot with the story or stories they "adapt", not true translations of the original stories into movies.
Doesn't this sound a lot like the book/story line from "Caves of Steel"?
I, Robot is a chronical of the history of a ficticious company, U.S. Robotics and Mechanical Men, that builds robots! (duh).
Having re-read this book just recently I was interested in scoping out how this book would fit into a "Will Smith" movie script.
First Option:The movie is an adaptation of the entire book as a whole. Doubtful. Its a bunch of short stories tied together in the style of "Interview With a Vampire". i.e. a reporter chronicling the history of US Robitcs & MM by interviewing the company's pricipals (most notable the robot-psycologist Susan Calvin).
So, an adaptation of the whole book would leave only one possible "headliner" role for Will Smith, the reporter. But the reporter doesn't *do* anything. So the first option is definitely out.
Second Option:Adapt one or more of the stories in the book to the screen. This is more plausible. Its hard to condense novels into scripts, but its much easier to do this with "short stories". King's "The Green Mile" is an excellent example.
So, which stories would you pick that would give Will Smith the key role and exposure needed?
"Robbie" - the first story in the book is about a robot used as a domestic nanny that becomes the best friend of the owner's daughter. This is obviously the story that was the basis for Bicentennial Man, so its out.
"Runnaround", "Reason", and "Catch That Rabbit" are stories focused on Gregory Powel and Michael Donovan, the robot troubleshooters for US Robotics & MM. These stories are excellent reads and are very good illustrations of the paradoxes and problems that might arise as the robots go about thier existence while adhering the to Robot Laws. But they are, in my opinion too cerebral for the typical Will Smith moviegoer. (read - they would be too boring).
The two stories I believe would work are "Evidence" and "The Evitable Conflict" which present the possibility of a robot with a human appearance. Lots of conflict in the premise that a robot that is physically indistinguishable from a human might rise to a position of power. I thin that would make a good film.
Whether Will Smith would play the robot or be the guy trying to "out" him, it probably doesn't matter. I prefer the former though.
Of course, one they put in the car(flying saucer?) chases and the snappy one liners, it won't really matter which way they go.....
He was the original pick to play Neo in the Matrix and turned it down to do 'wild wild west'.
I'm not shitting you- it's a fact!
Creationists are a lot like zombies. Slow, but powerful and numerous. And they all want to eat our brains.
I always thought of Susan Calvin as a female!
:)
This sci fi stuff is getting stranger all the time
I've reread "I, Robot" recently, and IMHO the two great strenghts of the books are:
- The pretty deep analysis of the interactions between the 3 laws of robotics. Hollywood's track record in butchering anything subtle or complex in a sci-fi novel is amazing. Think about "The minority report". Dick's original idea is that knowing the future changes it. In the movie, it becomes a boring story about free will. Think about the recent "planet of the apes" or "screamers". It's sad but Hollywood's tendancy is to reduce sci-fi to eye-candy and bland plots.
- The unusual, unnerving, yet strangely attaching character of Dr. Susan Calvin. She's central to the stories as she bridges the gap between robots and humans. I know Will Smith has a lot of talent, but I don't think he can play her role effectively. She's supposed to be plain, cold, arrogant and inflexible. I don't know of any American actress who matches this description. So her character will most probably disappear or its importance be greatly diminished.
So basically, we should expect a poor crime plot (not too complex, Joe Sixpack must understand); we'll see scores of nicely rendered robots joking with Will Smith. And maybe a couple blaster gun fights. So sad...
It would be nice to be sure of anything the way some people are of everything.
I hate to break it to y'all, but this isn't the first time I, Robot has been proposed as a movie, nor the rights purchased, nor even the script written. In fact, the Reuters article terribly disappointed me because they're not using the script by Harlan Ellison, which I have read in its Asimov's serialization and quite enjoyed. (Who are these people on the new script, and what do they really know about SF, anyway?)
I should point out that the first venture at I, Robot: The Movie didn't come off so well, but the same thing happened to Dune for years, so we'll see.
I'm not a geek, I'm just a clever script.
I, Robot was a collection of 9 short stories, not a novel. So which one, precisely, is getting the movie treatment? It'd also be interesting to know which character Smith will be playing. A robot? (ho hum... Robin Williams did it so-so in another Asimov adaptation) One of Donovan or Powell? (actually, this might be kinda fun. These two never really did get a fair shake living in Susan Calvin's shadow) Susan Calvin herself? (err... maybe not)
I should note that I, Robot was actually adapted into a screenplay by Asimov himself in collaboration with Harlan Ellison (and with all the teasing between these two you thought they'd never work together). Hopefully their script is being used for the film, otherwise I shudder to think how it might turn out.
Anonymous Luddite: "What do you think of the dehumanizing effects of the Internet?"
Andy Grove: "Not Much."
The making-of book (which I thumbed through at Barnes & Noble) was fairly amusing--the scriptwriter was very defensive about how he had written a faithful adaptation of the original book before the producers hacked it to match their initial story concept. I wish more people in Hollywood had the grace to apologize for what they've inflicted on us... =)
Subsequent drafts of the script have been done by Hillary Seitz ("Insomnia") and Oscar-winning "A Beautiful Mind" scribe Akiva Goldsman, who wrote the last draft and is expected to be a prevailing presence on the picture.
Funny that it's Akiva "A Beautiful Mind" Goldsman, not Akiva "Batman and Robin" Goldsman or Akiva "Lost in Space" Goldsman or Akiva "Practical Magic" Goldsman.
Sure, he wrote one passable movie, but... We must never forget!
The title of the book was The Positronic Man. The short story may have gone under either title; I don't recall. Must be time to dig them out again.
Don't think of it as a mangling of the book; think of it as its own k3wl new thing. Agent Elrond was great:
The ring must be destroyed... Mr. Underhill.
I think he'd be miscast as R. Daneel Olivaw, but as plainclothesman Elija Baley he'd be fine.
Remember, while the rest of earth society was freaking out at robots, Elija accepted them and found them useful (if inconvenient at times). He was also a bit of a rebel (having to always be "fetched", reprimanded, and ultimately accepting the Outdoors) and stood out from everyone else. He was very good at skipping around the transit system (moving walkways), and was pretty good with his fists.
He also has strong emotional reactions to things like Spacer culture (revulsion and admiration). Smith has no problem with this at all. He even went as far as to have an affair with a Spacer (gasp! horrors!).
Get off my lawn.