Ender's Game and Enderverse

[Rocket_Scientist]

This is a thread for the mighty few who have read and loved Orson Scott Card's classic, Ender's Game. I just recently read it myself and quite honestly thought it was one of the best books I've ever read. Mr. Card has an unbelievable ability to get inside characters' heads and make them come to life. I am personally hoping for someone to finally make a movie out of this great story. Apparently, Summit has recently purchased US rights to the movie.

(Some information here)

So...anyone else out there who's read it?

[Flyboy]

Ender's Game is a good book.

Not one of my favourites though, admittadly. And I could never get into Speaker for the Dead...

[Rocket_Scientist]

Speaker for the Dead was a bit...slow-moving, I'll admit. It got better as it went along. I just started Xenocide. I haven't decided yet if it's going to be interesting or not, lol.

[Crazy Tom]

Ender's Game is my favorite, with Armor a close second, but I'm not holding out for a movie. It's been stuck in development hell for years.

[LtColCarter]

‘Ender’s Game’ Coming To The Movie Theaters, Due Out in 2013

by Bruce Simmons on April 3, 2012
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'Ender's Game' movieEnder’s Game is an upcoming movie (at the time of this piece) that takes place “70 years after a horrific alien war, an unusually gifted child is sent to an advanced military school in space to prepare for a future invasion.”

It’s about a time when humanity must look for and find their absolutely brightest young minds and train them for a war they are certain is going to land on their doorstep sometime soon.

The book is a fun read that sucks you into multiple levels of political intrigue, tactical thinking and just plain out-right action. And I presume, should translate well into a movie.

Produced by Kurtzman Orci Paper Products, and distributed by Summit Entertainment (absorbed by Lionsgate), it’s being directed by Gavin Hood, who also adapted the screenplay. Hood’s past film credentials include 2009?s X-Men Origins: Wolverine, 2007?s Rendition and on TV, Breakout Kings.

The film editor is noted as Zach Staenberg… and he seems like the man for this job on Ender’s Games, as his past movie credentials include In Time, Bunraku, Lord of War and The Matrix franchise.

Ender’s Game is due out in March of 2013.

And just as I get excited about the creative team behind the project, I get a look at the cast and it looks like they have lined up some great actors to fill the roles.

Asa Butterfield (Hugo, The Boy in the Striped Pajamas) will play Ender Wiggin.

Harrison Ford (Cowboys & Aliens, Morning Glory) is slated to play Graff, Colonel Hyrum Graff.

Abigail Breslin (Zombieland, My Sister’s Keeper) will be playing Ender’s beloved sister, Valentine.

Hailee Steinfeld (True Grit), will be Petra Arkanian.

Ben Kingsley plays the hero from the first war, Mazer Rackham.

Viola Davis (Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close, The Help), plays Major Gwen Anderson

Aramis Knight plays my favorite character, Bean.

Moises Arias plays Bonzo

Jimmy ‘Jax’ Pinchak plays Ender’s brother, Peter Wiggin.

[Rocket_Scientist]

I'm so EXCITED!

I'm glad Harrison Ford will be in it. He'll make an excellent Hyrum Graff.

[Morbo]

as long as they don't make it suck.
loved the book.

[LtColCarter]

I'm so EXCITED!

I'm glad Harrison Ford will be in it. He'll make an excellent Hyrum Graff.

I was excited to see this too. I'm assigning the book for summer reading.

as long as they don't make it suck.
loved the book.

Only need a nickle this time

[LtColCarter]

Ender's implant

Ender's room

See the neck implants of Ender’s Game’s teenage army

How do you transform a pack of genius teens into a blood thirsty mega army? Simple: Use futuristic implants that allow commanders to "see through their eyes" — plus lots and lots of training.

The movie adaptation of Orson Scott Card's Ender's Game is currently filming in New Orleans (directed by Gavin Hood). While we've yet to see Ender himself (Asa Butterfield from Hugo), at least some new set pics have shown the back of his neck. Plus get a good look at Ender's bedroom and his very own 3D Printer — because in the future, children print their own toys.

For those of you unaware of the plot, here's the official movie synopsis:

Spoiler:

In the near future, a hostile alien race (called the Formics) have attacked Earth. If not for the legendary heroics of International Fleet Commander, Mazer Rackham (Ben Kingsley), all would havebeen lost. In preparation for the next attack, the highly esteemed Colonel Graff (Harrison Ford) and the International Military are training only the best young children to find the future Mazer. Ender Wiggin (Asa Butterfield), a shy, but strategically brilliant boy is pulled out of his school to join the elite.

Arriving at Battle School, Ender quickly and easily masters increasingly difficult war games, distinguishing himself andwinning respect amongst his peers. Ender is soon ordained by Graff as the military's next great hope, resulting in his promotion to Command School. Once there, he's trained by Mazer Rackham, himself, to lead his fellow soldiers into an epic battle that will determine the future of Earth and save the human race.

And now, onto the implants. From the official Ender's Game Tumblr (on the implants):

Though Ender's world is one worth saving, it sometimes comes with a price. The novel was amazingly prescient about a great many things: remote controlled drone wars, the internet, the influence of blogging, hand held computing tablets like the I-Pad, and of course, electronic surveillance implants. Implanted tracking and monitoring chips are no longer a science fiction concept. They exist now. And one day, they may be as advanced as the monitor implanted into Ender, which allows Colonel Graff to "see through his eyes" and know: HE'S THE ONE.

See the neck implants of Ender's Game's teenage army Next up is a shot of Ender's Room, including a 3D printer. Also spotted: a new-fangled touchscreen and some sort of spacecraft diagram (whether it's from the space wars, we're not sure). For an even more insanely detailed look, head over to Ender's Ansible.

See the neck implants of Ender's Game's teenage army And last, but certainly not least, here's a shot of a door that will house the legendary zero gravity battle training rooms. Where kids will be armed with freeze guns and forced to map out extensive battle plans, all with zero gravity. How they will pull this off, we have no idea — but we can't wait to see it.

If you think regular school is tough, try it in a rotating space station. And by the way, do you have a hall pass for hall number 0058? Because if you don't, you could end up scrubbing the showers. When you first arrive at Battle School, all you perceive is its utility, its functionality… that is until you enter the BATTLE ROOM, where there is no up, no down, and ZERO G's. Movie making can become overly reliant on digital worlds, and nothing can replace a well-built set that you can see and touch and stand in the middle of, fooling you into thinking you are really there. Enjoy this small taste of Ender's big world. We'll see a lot more in the weeks to come.

Source

[LtColCarter]

Well, I finished Ender's Game...it was a pretty good book. I'm going to pick up the second book in the series this weekend.

In the spoiler I posted, the official movie synopsis calls the aliens the Formics, but in the novel they're called Buggers. I hope they don't change the novel too much (some changes are ok and necessary). The synopsis also says its a teenaged army, but in the novel...it all happens before Ender is a teen...hmmmm...

[Morbo]

well heaven forbid we have kids fighting.
just look at hunger games. they made the kids older, and edited the violence.

[Rocket_Scientist]

I think the problem lies more in finding enough good actors who look young enough to fill the intended parts. Some of Ender's classmates are only, like, five or six after all. Some things really are just more easily done by book than by screen. I wish they didn't have to make the kids older, but I can't blame them. IMO, I'm willing to sacrifice age if it means better acting and more convincing characters. I just hope, like LCC said, they don't change much else....hah.

[LtColCarter]

well heaven forbid we have kids fighting.
just look at hunger games. they made the kids older, and edited the violence.

I said nothing about having an issue with the kids fighting. I was commenting on the changes. When we start the book Ender is a teen and finishes off the Buggers before he's a teen. THAT is what I was talking about. I've not read the Hunger Games books, so I can't comment on what they've changed and haven't changed.

I think the problem lies more in finding enough good actors who look young enough to fill the intended parts. Some of Ender's classmates are only, like, five or six after all. Some things really are just more easily done by book than by screen. I wish they didn't have to make the kids older, but I can't blame them. IMO, I'm willing to sacrifice age if it means better acting and more convincing characters. I just hope, like LCC said, they don't change much else....hah.

But one thing I do hope they change is the naked kids...Especially the scene with Rose naked on the bed with his desk on his lap covering his "parts."

[LtColCarter]

Has anyone read the 2nd book? Speaker for the Dead? I just finished it...another excellent book by Card. It was a bit confusing in the beginning...I didn't see how it was related to Ender's Game...but once it got going...everything was clear. I'm going to order the 3rd book in the series once I do a re-read of Speaker for the Dead.

I will say if they make the 2nd book into a movie it will be a big departure from Ender's Game...because Ender is an adult in the 2nd book.

[Rocket_Scientist]

I have read Speaker for the Dead, as well as the third (Xenocide). I'm currently working through the fourth, Children of the Mind. I've loved them all. Card is such an excellent writer. The rest of the series is really not conducive to movies, though, as you point out. It's basically an entirely different story. It could work, but I think it would be difficult.