Ridley Scott to adapt Haldeman's Forever War

[Richard D]

Ridley Scott to adapt Haldeman's Forever War
from Boing Boing by Cory Doctorow

Ridley Scott has acquired the film-rights to Joe Haldeman's magnificent, Hugo-award-winning classic science fiction novel, The Forever War. This is one of the great anti-war novels of all time. As I wrote about it in 2003, "I picked up a copy of Joe Haldeman's classic novel The Forever War last night as a gift for a friend, but I'm going to keep it. I got to re-reading it last night (for the first time in nearly 20 years) and couldn't put it down. Haldeman wrote this novel after returning from his tour of duty in Vietnam, and the book made the rounds, getting turned down by publisher after publisher, by editors who recognized the book's merit but questioned the political savvy of publishing a war-novel. Eventually, Joe rewrote one section of the book, softening it, and finally, the book saw print, becoming an instant classic. The new, author's preferred edition restores the original text, and is absolutely timely and engrossing."

Fox 2000 has acquired rights to Joe Haldeman’s 1974 novel "The Forever War," and Ridley Scott is planning to make it into his first science fiction film since he delivered back-to-back classics with "Blade Runner" and "Alien."

Scott intended to follow those films with "The Forever War," but rights complications delayed his plans for more than two decades.

The film will be produced by Scott Free. Vince Gerardis and Ralph Vicinanza will exec produce. Their company, Created By, reps Haldeman and spent the last decade trying to get back the rights.

"I first pursued ‘Forever War’ 25 years ago, and the book has only grown more timely and relevant since," Scott told Daily Variety. "It’s a science-fiction epic, a bit of ‘The Odyssey’ by way of ‘Blade Runner,’ built upon a brilliant, disorienting premise."

Ridley Scott takes on 'Forever War', The Forever War on Amazon (Thanks, Mitch!)

[Greyskye]

1. That has the potential to be great

I'll have to re-read that soon, with an eye to how well it could be adapted to the big screen. At least these days they might be able to keep the future sexuality intact as outlined by the book. Don't think that would have flown a decade or two ago.

[Dr. Strange]

2. Actually, that would be controversial today--but in a different way.

As I recall, in the book the government encouraged homosexuality to try to curb the population. Eventually the vast majority of the population was homosexual. That seems more in line with fundamentalists' view of sexuality as chosen rather than something one is born with.

[Orsino]

3. I was all excited.

Then I read that it'll be a Fox production. x(

Haldeman sold the rights to one of the great antwar novels to fucking Fox? Jesus Christ.

[comrade snarky]

4. Film Rights

Can be sold and resold between production companies in the Byzantine world of Hollywood production money.

Don't blame Joe because Fox ended up with a piece.