Speilberg/Cruise The War of the Worlds.

I have no doubt that he can pull it off. What concerns me is whether or not he thinks he can make the story better. That must not happen.

This would make more sense if Minority Report had been a mega blockbuster, but it didn't even top 140 million.

I don't care much for Tom Cruise. The few good movies he's been in seem to be despite him than because of him. As for Spielberg, I haven't seen Terminal, but I think he's really been doing some interesting and different work stylistically. Didn't he say years ago though he would never do a movie where aliens were the bad guys? Hmmm.... does he have some other twist thought up?

Don't have a huge amount of hope for this one. Beside maybe Private Ryan, Speilbergs last few movies have left me really flat. I was kinda digging Minority Report, but the last 1/2 hour of that film was just cliche and stupid.


No, I don't think he'll pull it off.

I think he could pull it off. This has alot of promise, I really liked the original story and hope this dosen't stary from it. It would be cool if we got an R rated Saving Private Ryan type-movie, but I doubt that will happen, especially since the studio will have so much money invested in the film.

The really depressing element to this story is that Spielberg intends to set the movie in modern day. What's the point? ID4 already did WOTW in present day.

The Martian War Machines of Wells' novel would be wiped out in minutes by modern war technology. Setting the movie in turn of the century England would lend the movie a sense of originality, clearly a dirty word in Hollywood.

Exactly, if it isn't set in the right time period he can go and shove this film up his ... beard or something. Spielberg seems to have gotten a bit darker since his sugar-coated CLOSE ENCOUNTERS and E.T. days so I can well imagine that he has changed his mind about making a film about hostile aliens. I actually liked MINORITY REPORT a lot and think it's one of the very few theatrical science fiction films of the last decade that are good. It has its share of flaws but in the end it was an interesting adaptation of Philip K. Dick's short story, even if Spielberg and his writers had to change the ending to make it more hopeful. ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, on the other hadnd, was pretty much a failure that I only enjoyed because of Jude Law and that utterly batshit insane last ten minutes where people in the cinema actually started throwing stuff at the screen in anger.

I agree. To set it in present day just makes it another faceless alien movie. And as was pointed out, ID4 had gargantuan spectacle.

I'm curious to see what they can pull off to make this War of the Worlds stand out. There might be a lot of "seen it before" feelings from audiences unless there's something to make it unique.

Plus, Tom Cruise. This type of movie needs an ensemble cast, a lot of varied people with parallel storylines would be great. An "action" star would take away from the fear in my opinion.

Tom Cruise invades Mars, grins everyone into submission. is killed by plaque.

I don't have a problem with Cruise. He has matured as an actor and I have found myself enjoying a lot of his recent work. He was great as Lestat in INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE and did solid work in MAGNOLIA, MINORITY REPORT and most recently COLLATERAL. Sure, casting him indicates that they are going for a blockbuster but are we really surprised by that? MINORITY REPORT, Spielberg's previous team-up with Cruise also had certain blockbuster-esque elements but it still managed to cram a whole lot of hard sci-fi themes, a lot of philosophy and sophistication into its running time as well. So I can live with Cruise.

What really worries me is a.) the eventual modernisation and b.) the script. David Koepp wrote the screenplay and while he did a good job with STIR OF ECHOES he's also written the disappointing PANIC ROOM and most recently delivered a pretty bland Stephen King adaptation with SECRET WINDOW. As a result, I don't have a lot of faith in the guy. He also penned the first SPIDERMAN film and if that's the kind of blockbuster he intends to make with WAR OF THE WORLDS I don't have any interest in seeing it.

What made the original H.G. Wells novel so great was the vast technological difference between the invading aliens and the humans. They had Victorian England type weapons to fight against gigantic alien robots. That's what made it interesting and unique. I don't want to see rocket launchers and fighter jets blasting away at the alien invaders. We have seen that a thousand times already and it would be a missed opportunity if they really intend to go that route.

They should have Jared Martin from the War of the Worlds TV show star in this.

I must respectfully disagree about Tom Cruise. While I know he is a madly popular actor, I feel that he brings the same character qualities to every movie that he's in, and is pretty wooden. My biggest gripe with him was his role as Lestat in Interview with the Vampire. While the movie entire was a casting nightmare, Cruise's portrayal of Lestat was terrible, in my opinion. He swayed between melodramatic and wooden and was completely unable to maintain a French accent for more than a sentence.
Personally, I don't see what he could possibly add to WOTW, except a whole lot of teeth. I agree that the movie needs an ensemble cast and not a lone stand out star.

Funny article about Cruise's Scientology antics:

http://chud.com/forums/showthread.php?t=69931

The best part:

Belle Morte see Collateral or Magnolia if you think Cruise can bring nothing but his smile to a role. Secondly, who cares what his religion is(or as he so often calls it an "applied religous philosophy"). Really, who gives a fuck? Lastly, Spielberg returning to his popcorn roots with nasty aliens and with the one of most underrated actors discussed on these boards(IMO), and a budget through the roof this movie now is one of my top three most anticipated.(Alongside MEG and King Kong.)

That's from the main CHUD board.

Fuck.

If it's MINORITY REPORT Spielberg, I'll be less enthused. If it's AI Spielberg, I'll be jumping for joy.

Interesting. It's the other way around for me. But whatever the case, this film is already doomed to eternal and infinite suckage. Take your modernised crap and shove it, Beard!

I liked both of them?

Space Invaders

War of the Worlds is a classic novel because it's original. In 1897, H.G. Wells was the first to write about space invaders spelling doom for our planet. The story was fantastic and is probably remembered most for it's clever, surprise ending.

Now, after a hundred years or so of countless remakes and variations of the space invaders theme, Steven Spielberg wants to give it a whirl. What can he do now that hasn't been done already? I don't think a modern-day WOTW will eclipse the popular ID. So they can go retro with a space invaders period piece. But aren't we going to get that with the upcoming Sky Captain movie? And there's still the matter of the ending; it's not much of a surprise anymore.

Either way, they'll throw 200 million bucks worth of CGI, a toothy Tom Cruise, and some starlet (Halle Berry or J Lo?) at us and call it science fiction. Call me sentimental, but I was content with Spielberg's offering of a hairier Richard Dreyfuss and a mound of mud.

Sentimentally speaking, I'd like to see someone try a contemporary remake of The Day the Earth Stood Still.

Or, how about a full-length "To Serve Man" remake? I'd love to see Tom Cruise in that one. Only if he's the first to board the Kanamit spacecraft, of course.

ID4 borrowed alot from War of the Worlds. From the ships coming in sets of three to the way they were stopped. The two stories have enough in common to see it as more of the same. It will be shameful if todays youth believes that War of the Worlds borrows from ID4.

ID4 was also basically a remake of the TV movie V, which I personaly like much more

I was about to post that. Stop reading my mind!

V was great. Still is great. Well, the first series. THE FINAL BATTLE was a bit lame.

Who, and i speak as one of them, really cares what modern youth think? Most of us are idiots.

BROTHER!

I liked Final Battle up until the end, what the hell was up with the star-child crap?


Have you checked the weekly series out yet?

Cant wait for the WOTW redo.

Don't know why everyone is getting pissed, the original 1950's version was set in the present.

Spiel's will do just fine. Cruise is still 'meh'.

BRING IT THE FUCK ON!

I have to say that I really don't care when the film is set. I just hope what with the talent involved and the extreme budget that the film is Good. And based on the pedigree I think it will be. However, I am interested in who else will be cast in this movie.

First of all, Cruise and Spielberg are not going to make an R-rated $200 million film version of War of the Worlds; for that price, they'll have to make it PG-13, but to make it well, it'd better be a Temple of Doom-worthy PG-13.

Second, ID4 differs from War of the World not only in period but in style. In ID4, we see the aliens coming, settle over major cities, and immediately all the officials and scientists are involved but relatively few "real" people. WOTW starts more like Signs in out of the way areas, enough to make people wonder if the reports they're hearing are true before it's too late.

There's also something more sinister about large, glowing, slow-moving warcraft from WOTW than the Attackers from ID4. Watching a tank slowly approaching with the threat of firepower has an entirely different feel about it than a fire strike, so the edge goes to WOTW for making every street on your block feel unsafe in occupation (and if you don't see the parallels coming for WOTW and the apocalypse of World War II with Spielberg at the helm, stand by).

ID4 was an adventure with a little drama; here's hoping WOTW will be a drama with really cool special effects!

V was and still is awesome !!!

The weekly series was a tad bit faltering (though, they didn't blink an eye at killing off loved characters from The mini Series and The Final Battle), but the Mini Series and The Final Battle are some of the best, most ambitious TV ever.

I remember when the mini series was coming out on TV - it was such a HUGE event!

There were Visitor posters in subways and at bus stops, and right before the show was on TV that Sunday night - all the posters were spray painted with red V's.

To coordinate a huge marketing strategy around the country is amazing - and more amazing that it was pulled off successfully.
Nothing has been done like that since.

Also, it was a major secret that the Visitors were really Lizards. (Ah...the glory days before the internet - where suprises weren't leaked out at a moment's notice), and I'm sure many a household was shocked when that gigantic reveal was shown.

I remember all the kids talking about it the next day in school, and we all couldn't wait to stay up that night and watch the rest.

There was this level of excitement and awe that was only matched by the frantic upset discussion and school assemblys when they showed The Day After on TV.

Unfortunately it seems that most Americans believe that Orson Welles or George Pal created War of the Worlds. I actually live a few miles from Woking and Horsell Common where the unforgettable opening of
H G Wells novel takes place.

It's pretty difficult to forget the legacy of Wells' contribution to Sci-Fi when you are faced with this every time you walk through Woking Town Centre:





It's really getting pretty tiresome seeing Hollywood appropriating other country's litery and movie heritage and passing it off as their own, whilst inevitably fucking around with what made it unique in the first place. I'm sure that most American movie fans are more than able to accept stuff that isn't homogenised gung-ho crap, but it seems like the bosses prefer the magpie approach, whilst still turning out jingoistic crap like The Patriot and passing off all Europeans as villainous stereotypes. Oh well.

Couldn't agree more, in Hollywoodland it's like the rest of the world's population (95%!) is just there as extra monster fodder (ID4), but nothing important ever happens outside of the US.

That would be just harmless egocentrism, but what is actually disgusting is when Hollywood films rewrite history, like in U-571. No wonder all those British Vets were all so pissed off, they busted their asses during WW2 breaking the Enigma Code, played a major part in winning the war, only for the Americans to appropriate the feat to themselves years later. Niiice....

Just because the propaganda isn't blatantly forced on you doesn't mean it isn't there.

can someone please!!!! stop Spieldberg from killing a classic like this? I have no objections to remakes... I was impressed with DotD2004 and the TCM remake but this just seems like a total Fubar project from the get go. War of the worlds has always been one of my favorite classic sci-fi flicks and there is nothing the 'Berg can do to improve upon this movie. So whats the point..... $$$ i think so

If you have a problem with it, then don't go see it. You'll always have your version to enjoy. Is a remake honestly going to change your opinion of the material created before it?

Christ, is there an embargo on spelling, punctuation and grammar in some parts of the world?

The Internet.

Those pictures are pretty cool.

Oh by the way-Keep your damn king out of our face you evil, butterfly collecting, high tea drinking, haughty English bastard!

Kiddingkiddingkidding

I see no good reason at this stage at least to write this off. Spielberg is capable of great work and we've all seen it. Sometimes you like it, some times you don't. Personally I thought ET could have used a werewolf or two but hey that's me. And if the alligator (croc?)in Hook took out a couple of Lost Boys I wouldn't have complained. But this is the guy who did Jaws, Raiders, Private Ryan, Shindlers List, Duel, Jurassic Park, at least one episode of Nightgallery.

I disagree with the multi-cast approach. What I liked about the book was the solitary journey of the author. He would run into people here and there and brief episodes would unfold. If you haven't read the book I recommend it. It can be surprisingly unnerving. Really.

I think indeed they can. I am not a huge cruise fan, but i do enjoy spielberg films from time to time. I look forward to seeing what comes together here.