Exclusive: Weitz Brothers Making Elric Paul to direct fantasy adaptation?
So his adaptation of The Golden Compass is already being hyped by studio New Line as the new Lord Of The Rings (rather inaccurately if you ask us, since the books share little in common). But that’s not enough fantasy limelight for the guy who, up until now, was best known for small-scale comedies like American Pie and About A Boy. Nope, along with his brother and former co-director Paul, Chris Weitz is going to take on the biggest fantasty-literature property as yet untouched by movieland: Michael Moorcock’s Elric saga.
Elric of Melniboné, aka Elric Kinslayer, aka The White Wolf first appeared in print in 1961, and is the anti-hero of more than a dozen books. A physically weak, perpetually sickly albino who’s the outcast Emperor of a race of cruel, ancient decadent people, he’s no musclebound Conan-type, instead drawing his power from the spirit-sucking runesword Stormbringer, an evil entity with whom he struggles for his own soul. And he’s frankly one of the greatest fantasy characters out there – albeit one who’s going to be fiendishly hard to make work on screen.
“Of the great classic fantasy series it’s the one that hasn’t been done yet,” Weitz tells Empire online. “My brother Paul and I liked those books growing up and we’ve met Michael Moorcock and he trusts us to take those books forward.” The Weitz’s Depth Of Field production company will be behind the adaptation, although no director is yet attached. Weitz does have one in mind, though: “I’d really like it if my brother directed them,” he says.
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I have been waiting, with the arrival of digital graphics, for Elric to hit the big screen for too long!!! Lots of interesting characters, swordfights, magic, dragons, and scenery should make for a spectacular movie(s). ... Read More
It is a break out of the mold, like you guys have been saying he's not convential fantasy hero and might show a more darker side to the hero who's always portrayed as someone with a pure heart a trusty sword or axe and his willing to lay his life on the line for a cause. And it will be difficult to make but won't it make more interesting to see. I also agree with MCRFan that they should make films of robert jorden's wheel of time series because it would make one hell of a film series that would ... Read More
The Elric stories where fantastic and should transfer well to the big screen, if sticking with the books in having more of an adult theme than Lord of the Rings and if they can pull of the Rodney Matthews style, these could be something special, can,t wait to see Stormbringer screaming into action. (More to the books than hack n slash) ... Read More
L: CameronJames
Big sweaty dudes with thick necks and swords, I dunno sounds a bit ginger beer to me
If you read the article you'd know that Elric is "A physically weak, perpetually sickly albino". Not exactly Conan.
On the other hand, I agree that there are too many of these things going into pre-production, even if this one is more of a sword 'n' sorcery thing than a kids' fantasy. ... Read More
new line are dicks if it wasn't for them trying to screw jackson out of money the hobbit would have been half done by now but typical studios always thinking about the dollar now we have got sam riami rumoured to making it i like sam but don't think he near the calibre of jackson ... Read More
HEY NEW LINE; SHUT THE FUCK UP, this series of books were good but are being majorly overhyped, they are in NO WAY as good as the lord of the rings and lack imagination or originality, this is one series of over-hyped films from over-hyped books, new line is just trying to make alot of money by trying to build up its credentails to that of lord of the rings, pretty cheap shot if you ask me. which you don't. ah i don't care. ... Read More
Lord of the Rings was the first great fantasy adventure book made into a movie and it was brilliant! The Chronicals of Narnia has had a good start, and by all accounts, so has the His Dark Materials trilogy! So, will someone please tell me why two of the greatest writers today haven't had their masterpieces transferred to the big screen?? I am of course reffering to Raymond E. Feist and Robert Jordan. The Riftwar Sagas and The Wheel of Time series are ripe for big screen exploration and its abou... Read More
