Ender’s Game Movie Production Company In Merger Talks

Posted on by February 6, 2012

Summit Entertainment in Merger Talks

About a month ago, reports surfaced that the Ender’s Game production company, Summit Entertainment, was in merger talks with two similarly-sized studios. These two studios are Lions Gate Entertainment and Miramax Films. The Los Angeles Times now reports, Summit Entertainment had hoped to seal a deal before the end of this year, but with just a few days left in the year executives have given up on that deadline. Until the new year, negotiations have slowed down with both Lions Gate and Miramax. 

“If Lions Gate were to take control, Summit chiefs Rob Friedman and Patrick Wachsberger are expected to run the merged studio’s motion picture group, sources close to the negotiations said. If Colony [Miramax], which is led by billionaire investor Tom Barrack, were to be the winning bidder, Summit would likely be merged with Miramax. In that scenario, it’s likely that Friedman and Wachsberger would run the combined company, possibly alongside Miramax CEO Mike Lang.”

There is no word on how a possible merger with either studio would affect the Ender’s Game production, although it should be noted that Summit Entertainment is about $200 million dollars in debt. 

Win a Copy of Enderverse Novel: War of Gifts

Posted on by June 23, 2012

15 Days Left to Win a Free Copy of War of Gifts

If you’ve ever wondered what Christmas is like in Battle School, read the Enderverse novel: War of Gifts. With Christmas fast approaching Tor books, Orson Scott Card’s publisher, has decided to gift 10 copies of War of Gifts through the website goodreads. To enter all you have to do is:
1. Be a resident of the United States (sorry, not my rules!)
3. Click where it says “Enter to Win”
4. Login or make a quick free account
5. Go back to the first page and again click where it reads “Enter to Win”
That’s it! Good luck with the entry everyone!
P.S. Quick! There’s still one day left to win a copy of the upcoming Ender Sequel, Shadows in Flight- click here to learn how to enter.

Harrison Ford Wanted for Ender’s Game Movie

Posted on by June 23, 2012

Harrison Ford in Talks to Play Graff

According to a report by Variety, science fiction movie veteran Harrison Ford (Han Solo/Indiana Jones/Rick Deckard) is in talks to play Colonel Hyrum Graff. The article mentions that Viggo Mortensen was previously in talks to play the role, but talks between the two sides broke down.

With Asa Butterfield now officially on board, and Harrison Ford in the running, there are pretty big-named actors attached to the film! Do you think Ford can pull off Colonel Graff?

Orson Scott Card Comments on the Ender’s Game Movie

Posted on by June 23, 2012

Orson Scott Card Writes to GeekTyrant about the Ender’s Game Movie

Earlier this week GeekTyrant wrote a letter to Hollywood about their thoughts on the upcoming Ender’s Game movie. Ender’s Game author, Orson Scott Card completely SHOCKED the staff by writing back. He includes his hope that the actor who will be cast as Ender has never had an agent, but is intelligent and can take direction.

A few important highlights of Card’s response include the dismissal of the stars of the summer blockbuster, Super 8, acting in the Ender’s Game movie; they’re just too old. We also learn which elements of the book are going to be cut from the movie: the mind game, Peter and Valentine’s online political actions and more. Read the complete response from Orson Scott Card below or click here to read it on the GeekTyrant website.
“A friend forwarded me your very thoughtful diatribe (since I write diatribes myself, I don’t regard it as a negative term) about the EG movie. While I can’t join you in wishing for the book to be the script, I am grateful for the impulse!
The problem with the book, as a movie, is that all the important information about ender’s motives comes from internal monologue – his thoughts. Since voiceovers are loathsome, Ender’s actions would remain unexplained, and he would appear to be little more than a violent kid.
Also, the book would make a movie that was at least four hours long. Much has to be cut – including all of Peter’s and Valentine’s online exploits, the mind game, and much of the incidental material before Ender gets into Bonzo’s army.
In short, much will be omitted. But I remain confident that as long as the character of Ender himself, with his relationships with other kids, is in the movie, it will still be Ender’s Game to my own satisfaction and the satisfaction of the fans.
As to the kid from Super 8 playing Ender: Alas, Ender and Bean must be the two youngest and smallest kids in the movie, and NONE of the kids should have reached puberty. This means that the actor you refer to is already too old for the part. But he is talented! Whoever plays Ender will almost certainly be an actor you haven’t seen before, and with any luck, a child who has not gone through the soul-numbing process of being cute on camera. In other words, I hope it is a child who never had an agent, but who is very, very intelligent and therefore can take direction.
Again, thanks for your interest in EG and for caring that the film be done well. But here is my own source of greatest confidence: The movie will not erase a single word of the book! That’s how I endure knowing that Peter Jackson committed the repulsive crime of removing the Scouring of the Shire from the Lord of the Rings movie, which is akin to removing the last chapter from EG. THAT, at least, I know will not happen in the EG movie – all the producers understand that the point of the story is finding out that the very thing that allowed Ender to defeat the formics (loving his enemy in order to defeat them) makes his discovery all the more galling to him.


Best,
osc”

 


Shocked? Glad? Let us know!

Sneak Peak of Ender’s Game Sequel Delayed

Posted on by June 23, 2012

Sneak Peak of Shadows in Flight Chapter 2 Delayed

As many of you know, a sneak peak of the second chapter of the Ender’s Game sequel, Shadows in Flight, was supposed to be released via issue #25 of Orson Scott Card’s Intergalactic Medicine Show sometime this month of October.

In a note from one of the assistant editors, the staff explains that they have fallen behind in their work of the current issue. Issue #25 of IGMS, with a sneak peek of the Shadows in Flight Chapter 2, will now be released next month, in November. If you’re interested, you can read the note about the delay here.

If you want to read the sneak peek of the first chapter of Shadows in Flight or want to know more about it, click here.,

Ender’s Game Movie Casting Director Comments on Casting

Posted on by June 23, 2012

John Papsidera Comments on Ender’s Game Movie Casting

In a report by Variety on how audition tapes are overtaking live auditions, John Papsidera was quoted saying,

“‘So many actors would jump off buildings if they understood how random casting can be sometimes — being at the right place at the right time,’ Papsidera says. ‘Certainly technology cuts into that now, because it doesn’t have to do with where somebody is geographically.'”

This would certainly explain the so called “Ender’s Game Audition” videos that have been cropping up on YouTube and Vimeo. Note the picture from an “Ender’s Game Audition” by Dylan Matzke via Vimeo.

Another key note from the article points to the fact that auditions are international. “Access to an international field of actors is crucial for casting director John Papsidera as he looks to fill 10 young roles for ‘Ender’s Game,’ a future-set young-adult adventure seeking a multi-ethnic cast.” While all fans of Ender’s Game know that multi-ethnic school-age children are necessary for battle school, it was unclear until now whether that part of the book would be played out on film.

How does everyone feel knowing that the casting director is making an effort to keep the cast true to their book descriptions? Leave your comments below!

Robert Orci: Praise for Ender’s Game Movie Draft

Posted on by June 23, 2012

Ender’s Game Movie Producer Tweets Praise for Ender’s Game Script

Late last night Ender’s Game movie producer, Robert Orci (pictured left) tweeted this in regards to the lastest buzz surrounding the current buzz around Gavin Hood’s Ender’s Game script.




For those of you who still believe the movie is not being made (ever) does this and last night’s movie spoilers convince you?

Ender’s Game Movie Spoilers

Posted on by June 23, 2012

Caution: Ender’s Game Movie Spoilers Below

Spoilers: Read at your own risk! Ok, enough already… you’ve been warned. Earlier today i09 reported an exclusive look at the casting call information and an early portion of the script. Along with the character list we posted two days, they’ve posted some details on each of the characters. Here are some highlighted bits from the article.

Firstly, “All of the book’s themes, including the brutality of warfare and the need to understand your enemy, remain intact. And the ‘feel’ seems pretty right.” (Yay!)

Secondly, Ender is going to be 10-years-old. That’s older than in the book, but still younger than Hollywood was trying to make Ender in previous attempts of the Ender’s Game movie. A fair compromise in our eyes.

Thirdly, the ending of the Ender’s Game movie is going to differ slightly from the book. It’ll be more dramatic. “Finally, Ender is saying ‘I will bear the shame of this xenocide forever,’ at the same moment as Graff is saying, ‘You will be remembered as a hero.’ It ends with Ender getting an injection, knocking him out.”

Other important spoilers:
Peter is going to be a complete psychopath- jealously and aggression at its worst.
There is a lake scene with Ender and Valentine- just like we speculated in an earlier article.
The Bonzo/ Ender fight scene does take place in the shower.
Petra and Dink are both in Ender’s Jeesh.
Mick (the kid who offers Ender’s advice when he first arrives at battle school) is basically the fat kid providing comedy relief.

You can read the full article here. If you missed our last article, filming begins in February 2012!
We wanna know, what did you like and the Ender’s Game movie spoilers? What did you hate?

Actress Lauren Aalund Booked for Ender’s Game Movie

Posted on by June 23, 2012

Actress Lauren Aalund May Be Cast as Valentine Wiggin

Kabookit is reporting that Lauren Aalund has been cast in the Ender’s Game movie as “kid.” However, her descriptions (below) match that of Ender’s older sister, Valentine Wiggin.

Height: 5’9
Hair Color: Blonde
Eyes: Blue
Weight: 125 lbs
Hair Length: Long

You can read her resume here. Thanks @EnderSpeaker for the tip! What do you all think? Too tall? Is she how you imagined Valentine?

Ender’s Game Movie Auditions Ender and Various Characters

Posted on by June 23, 2012

More Info on Ender’s Game Movie Auditions and When Filming Begins

We’ve just learned that the casting director for the Ender’s Game movie is John Papsidera of Automatic Sweat. John Papsidera is a two-time Emmy Award winning casting director, and has cast such films as The Dark Knight, Batman Begins and Inception.
The roles currently auditioning are:

Alai
Bean
Bonzo
Dink
Ender
Mink
Peter
Petra
Rose (the Nose), and
Valentine

We’ve been reporting that the Ender’s Game movie will begin filming in the “new year,” but now we know more specifically what “new year” actually means. The Ender’s Game movie will begin filming in February of 2012, just five little months away! Source and source.
If anyone has more Ender’s Game movie or book news please Contact Us!