Richard's Animorphs Forum
Animorphs Section => Animorphs Forum Classic => Topic started by: TobiasMasonPark on January 23, 2011, 09:58:03 PM
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Now, I was just curious.
I tried to imagine a world where there was a decent Animorphs television show on the air. How would anyone start the first episode?
I'm not liking the intro of the first series. There's something off putting about Jake telling the planet's secrets to a video camera. It's also cheesy, but I have more of a problem with the whole narration. You shouldn't have to TELL your audience, "Hey, this is what's going on. This is what you're going to be watching". You have to SHOW the audience. Besides, it was extremely redundant. In Parts One and Two of "My name is Jake", Jake introduces himself to the audience like four times.
So, how would YOU start episode one?
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I would start it with Marco and Jake in the mall playing an arcade game.
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First off: Writers.
Joss Whedon, myself and two other people from this board. (Sorry guys, too many writers spoil the show, trust me.)
Budget: At least a one hundred thousand dollars per episode for the first season. We're hiring unknowns to play the kids again and they're each being made to write an essay about their characters after the first table read. Elfangor, Visser Three, Chapman and Tom will be played and/or voiced by any number of recognizable actors from Canada. Come on, we have a large talent pool to pick from, why do we limit ourselves to these half-baked community college drama club rejects?
With this formula we should be able to slap a fairly decent first season together.
Oh, and if anyone mentions the word "yeerked", or refers to morphing as "the change" or "changing", they will be froced to work the rotating desert tray while a masked guard whips them with a barbed wire.
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Yay, this'll be the show where we get to have the power to change to save the people who've been yeerked!
:P
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I for one think YEERKED is a brilliant verb.
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First off: Writers.
Joss Whedon, myself and two other people from this board. (Sorry guys, too many writers spoil the show, trust me.)
Budget: At least a one hundred thousand dollars per episode for the first season. We're hiring unknowns to play the kids again and they're each being made to write an essay about their characters after the first table read. Elfangor, Visser Three, Chapman and Tom will be played and/or voiced by any number of recognizable actors from Canada. Come on, we have a large talent pool to pick from, why do we limit ourselves to these half-baked community college drama club rejects?
With this formula we should be able to slap a fairly decent first season together.
Oh, and if anyone mentions the word "yeerked", or refers to morphing as "the change" or "changing", they will be froced to work the rotating desert tray while a masked guard whips them with a barbed wire.
That all sounds great, as long as we get good voice actors, especially for Visser Three. Personally I think the guy that did the voice of General Sarris (Galaxy Quest) would be great.
I think a good way to start it out would be Jake and Marco playing the arcade game, but if you could do it so that it looked like it was going to be a D&D fantasy show, then when they are killed by the Sleaze Troll it zooms out to show them in an arcade, out of quarters.
And Yeerked is an awesome word!
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VWpcMp-h2DE[/youtube]
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I think a godd way to start it out would be Jake and Marco playing the arcade game, but if you could do it so that it looked like it was going to be a D&D fantasy show, then when they die it zooms out to show them in an arcade, out of quarters.
It's a good idea. If not a heroic fantasy game, an SF game would be cool too, with spaceships for example.
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OMG the name of this topic was so misleading lol. I didn't eve notice the question mark, all I read was "Animorphs Television Screen Play In the Works" and thought "...don't f*ck with me! this better not be another rumor"
Anyway....
They need a "Heroes" or "Smallville" type budget for Animorphs. And some unknown actors that are actually the same age as the Anis were supposed to be! Not 20 year olds playing High Schoolers like in the first show. I love shows where the character age over the course of the series(mostly just in long running sitcoms) so if we get 13 year olds to play them in the beginning, we can garuntee they'll at least be 16 in the end.
I actually wouldn't mind bringing the Nickelodeon Visser 3 back, he was one part of the show I actually liked and his voice was amazing. Elfangor...they can bring whoever they want to voice him seeing as he'll only have like 10 minutes of screentime at the most before getting eaten. And the Drode MUST be voiced by Mark Hamil lol ....actually, I've heard him play a serious villain before so he could be Crayak too
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1: I agree that Visser Three and Ax were better efforts than the Elfangor puppet. To quote a former FF.net author, he looked like a furby on crack. Elfangor is basically the guy that kicked the whole story off so the same budget needs to go into him that went in to Alloran's body.
Oh, and this is where writing comes in. Treat viewers of the series like they haven't read the books and actually include some foreshadowing. See The Vampire Diaries if you need inspiration.
All right, these are my suggestions for the adult actors. The key players for the first few eps that is.
Elfangor: Bruce Greenwood. Played Captain Pike in Star Trek ('09) and does a range of roles. This is a huge part and I think having an actor that's tied to the Star Trek universe would be a wink to the fans who read the series. Since we know Tobias is a Star Trek fan, people will appreciate the idea that his "dad" played an iconic Star Trek character. And for an additional bonus, Bruce is Canadian, which will please the heck out of the Canadian fans of Animorphs as well as the filming guilds, who usually demand that a Canadian actor appear in the series at least once. But we know with some careful writing and editing that "Elfangor" could make a few apperances that we didn't see in the books.
Visser Three (Voice): Karl Urban. Continuing the Star Trek connection, he was Bones in the same film. Again, a guy who takes a range of roles and is talented enough with his voice to pull of the sinister and blood thirsty thought speak voice.
Principal Chapman: Robert Pralgo. He did one season of the Vampire Diaries (as far as I know and I haven't seen season two yet, so don't spoil it for me) and I think he'd be perfect for the part of Chapman.
Tom Berenson: Paul Wesley. Again, dipping into the Vampire Diaries bag here as we know that fans of the vampire trend will be watching the newer Animorphs. So you want to try to bring as many members of that audience over to this as well. Paul Wesley is young looking enough to pull of Tom for a couple years.
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1: I agree that Visser Three and Ax were better efforts than the Elfangor puppet. To quote a former FF.net author, he looked like a furby on crack. Elfangor is basically the guy that kicked the whole story off so the same budget needs to go into him that went in to Alloran's body.
Oh, and this is where writing comes in. Treat viewers of the series like they haven't read the books and actually include some foreshadowing. See The Vampire Diaries if you need inspiration.
All right, these are my suggestions for the adult actors. The key players for the first few eps that is.
Elfangor: Bruce Greenwood. Played Captain Pike in Star Trek ('09) and does a range of roles. This is a huge part and I think having an actor that's tied to the Star Trek universe would be a wink to the fans who read the series. Since we know Tobias is a Star Trek fan, people will appreciate the idea that his "dad" played an iconic Star Trek character. And for an additional bonus, Bruce is Canadian, which will please the heck out of the Canadian fans of Animorphs as well as the filming guilds, who usually demand that a Canadian actor appear in the series at least once. But we know with some careful writing and editing that "Elfangor" could make a few apperances that we didn't see in the books.
Visser Three (Voice): Karl Urban. Continuing the Star Trek connection, he was Bones in the same film. Again, a guy who takes a range of roles and is talented enough with his voice to pull of the sinister and blood thirsty thought speak voice.
Principal Chapman: Robert Pralgo. He did one season of the Vampire Diaries (as far as I know and I haven't seen season two yet, so don't spoil it for me) and I think he'd be perfect for the part of Chapman.
Tom Berenson: Paul Wesley. Again, dipping into the Vampire Diaries bag here as we know that fans of the vampire trend will be watching the newer Animorphs. So you want to try to bring as many members of that audience over to this as well. Paul Wesley is young looking enough to pull of Tom for a couple years.
Continuing the theme:
Jake Berenson: Sam Worthington. Someone here has already mentioned this, but Avatar mercilessly ripped Animorphs off. We need to make this known, and what better way to do that than by having the guy who played That Other Jake as the REAL Jake?
Rachel (Marie) Berenson: Brooke Nevin. They got Rachel right the first time around, and this is the ONLY thing they got right with the casting.
Homer: Whatever dog they're using as the current Lassie (lol)
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OMG the name of this topic was so misleading lol. I didn't eve notice the question mark, all I read was "Animorphs Television Screen Play In the Works" and thought "...don't f*ck with me! this better not be another rumor"
Who said it was a rumour? I'm sure someone creative is working on it, wink-wink.
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1: I agree that Visser Three and Ax were better efforts than the Elfangor puppet. To quote a former FF.net author, he looked like a furby on crack. Elfangor is basically the guy that kicked the whole story off so the same budget needs to go into him that went in to Alloran's body.
Oh, and this is where writing comes in. Treat viewers of the series like they haven't read the books and actually include some foreshadowing. See The Vampire Diaries if you need inspiration.
All right, these are my suggestions for the adult actors. The key players for the first few eps that is.
Elfangor: Bruce Greenwood. Played Captain Pike in Star Trek ('09) and does a range of roles. This is a huge part and I think having an actor that's tied to the Star Trek universe would be a wink to the fans who read the series. Since we know Tobias is a Star Trek fan, people will appreciate the idea that his "dad" played an iconic Star Trek character. And for an additional bonus, Bruce is Canadian, which will please the heck out of the Canadian fans of Animorphs as well as the filming guilds, who usually demand that a Canadian actor appear in the series at least once. But we know with some careful writing and editing that "Elfangor" could make a few apperances that we didn't see in the books.
Visser Three (Voice): Karl Urban. Continuing the Star Trek connection, he was Bones in the same film. Again, a guy who takes a range of roles and is talented enough with his voice to pull of the sinister and blood thirsty thought speak voice.
Principal Chapman: Robert Pralgo. He did one season of the Vampire Diaries (as far as I know and I haven't seen season two yet, so don't spoil it for me) and I think he'd be perfect for the part of Chapman.
Tom Berenson: Paul Wesley. Again, dipping into the Vampire Diaries bag here as we know that fans of the vampire trend will be watching the newer Animorphs. So you want to try to bring as many members of that audience over to this as well. Paul Wesley is young looking enough to pull of Tom for a couple years.
Continuing the theme:
Jake Berenson: Sam Worthington. Someone here has already mentioned this, but Avatar mercilessly ripped Animorphs off. We need to make this known, and what better way to do that than by having the guy who played That Other Jake as the REAL Jake?
Rachel (Marie) Berenson: Brooke Nevin. They got Rachel right the first time around, and this is the ONLY thing they got right with the casting.
So we're going with adult actors for the Anis again?
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So we're going with adult actors for the Anis again?
Nope. Nope we are not.
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Thank you!
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BGFolLLV0MA[/youtube]
Seriously. Mark Hamil (Ozai) would be the perfect V3 or Crayak and, if you've heard his Joker, he'd be a good Drode. And while I'm at it, Dante Basco (Zuko) would be a pretty good Ax
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I'm pretty sure I'll kick myself in the ass for this later...
Opening Scene
(Fade in)
At rise: Elfangor and Ellimist, though they are not visible to the audience.
Setting: What appears to be the very depths of space-time. Every so often, a few strands of time sift past the screen, but they are quick. The audience will only catch a small glimpse of these strands. What they do see, however, is planet earth; turning and revolving as it always does. The audience will see various images of people, places and times all related to this planetary body. Elfangor and Ellimist will observe the dawn of civilization, various wars, battles and revolutions that have since shaped the earth. But they also see the Yeerks, and the threat that they pose to the planet. Elfangor and Ellimist discuss the resistance of Earth, and any possibility of success.
Elfangor:
And why have the Yeerks chosen this planet, exactly?
Ellimist:
(chuckling, slightly)
You wish for me to explain the actions and motivations of the Yeerk Empire?
Elfangor:
Do you know why, or don’t you?
Ellimist:
I am sure we both know why the Yeerks wish to invade Earth. However, that is not what we are discussing. You asked me why you, Elfangor. You wanted to know why I have done what I did.
Elfangor:
To which I never received an answer.
Ellimist:
(Amused)
Ah, but I am giving you an answer, Elfangor. Behold…
(Elfangor watches a scene unfold: seemingly ordinary people, all walking through seemingly ordinary places—cities, small towns, mountains; all those lush and beautiful places that make Earth the fantastic place it truly is.)
Elfangor:
I have seen this before. You’re playing games with me…Why show me what you’ve taken from me?
Ellimist:
Because you still have a place in the Universe, Elfangor. You cannot run away from your place in the war. You cannot live a life that is not your own. Not unless you want Earth to suffer the way Hork-Bajir has suffered.
Elfangor:
You’re saying that the humans will lose.
Ellimist:
Who’s to say what is carved into the stone?
Elfangor:
I assumed that would have been you…
Ellimist:
There are trillions upon trillions upon trillions of strands; each just as important as the last—each connected in some way. Your interference has jeopardized the future of Earth. I must undo what you have done.
(Elfangor catches a glimpse of different coloured strands, passing through Earth)
Ellimist:
That is why you must fight, Elfangor. Earth will not be lost. There will be others to oppose the Yeerks. But only if you agree to return to your true home. Only then may man survive.
Elfangor:
Do I have much of a choice?
Ellimist:
You know the answer to that, Elfangor. We cannot interfere. I cannot make you do what you do not wish to do. You act of your own accord. However, you have seen what the Yeerks have done. I believe you know the proper decision to make.
Elfangor:
Then you know what my answer is.
Ellimist:
Do not be saddened, Elfangor. There is still hope. Out of respect for life, we must all endure. You know that better than any other individual. Your sacrifice will not be in vain.
(Fade out)
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Rachel (Marie) Berenson: Brooke Nevin. They got Rachel right the first time around, and this is the ONLY thing they got right with the casting.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WrjwaqZfjIY[/youtube]
Brooke was probably the least like her character of the animorphs.
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Someone here has already mentioned this, but Avatar mercilessly ripped Animorphs off.
Hmmmkay. I'm gonna have to go ahead and call BS on this one.
It's not that Avatar was an original story, it wasn't. For the most part, the movie's only saving grace is that it was eye candy. But to say that a big time director like James Cameron ripped of Animorphs, either the book series or the low budget Nickelodeon series that was dead right out of the gate, is too much of a stretch for me.
As for the actors playing the Animorphs and any other child character, no. Those kids should be relative unknowns with acting experience you can sharpen rocks into spears with. But you do need experienced adult actors to back the kids up.
The Harry Potter films worked best because you had giants like Alan Rickman, Richard Harris and Maggie Smith counterbalancing the relatively inexpereinced nd unknown Radcliffe, Grint and Watson.
However, the one exception I would make to my suggestion is for the voice actor of Ax. Now, say what you will, but Shawn Ashmore who played Jake did go on to redeem himself by taking the role of Iceman in the X-men trilogy. I think redoing the series by using Shawn Ashmore to be the thought-speak voice of Ax (because I don't buy that Ax's human voice would sound the same) would be a good move.
It's like how all of those movies that were essentially silver screen remakes of 50's and 60's TV shows used an actor from the series to play a cameo role. Shawn Ashmore has screen presence and like the actors I mentioned in my last post, he's not so big of an actor that he's out of reach for a TV show's budget.
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Someone here has already mentioned this, but Avatar mercilessly ripped Animorphs off.
Hmmmkay. I'm gonna have to go ahead and call BS on this one.
It's not that Avatar was an original story, it wasn't. For the most part, the movie's only saving grace is that it was eye candy. But to say that a big time director like James Cameron ripped of Animorphs, either the book series or the low budget Nickelodeon series that was dead right out of the gate, is too much of a stretch for me.
Agreed. I saw no part of Animorphs in Avatar other than the Blue aliens who are so in touch with nature that Cassie would have a freakin joy orgasm from just looking at them
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Someone here has already mentioned this, but Avatar mercilessly ripped Animorphs off.
Hmmmkay. I'm gonna have to go ahead and call BS on this one.
It's not that Avatar was an original story, it wasn't. For the most part, the movie's only saving grace is that it was eye candy. But to say that a big time director like James Cameron ripped of Animorphs, either the book series or the low budget Nickelodeon series that was dead right out of the gate, is too much of a stretch for me.
Don't you mean "Joygasm?"
Agreed. I saw no part of Animorphs in Avatar other than the Blue aliens who are so in touch with nature that Cassie would have a freakin joy orgasm from just looking at them
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No a joygasm is a sudden outburst of joy. But the just seeing the Na'vi would give Cassie a real actual....ok this is getting gross. Let's just say, Cassie would love meeting the Na'vi lol
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Hey guys!
First post on my newly registered account! My old one must have been purged some time ago. :-[
Anyway... have actually been re-reading and re-watching recently and picking up on a couple of ideas from here I reckon my first episode would start, like Gumrad suggested, with a video game. Instead of using a fantasy game, however, I'd use a SF one. Specifically a game about a space battle, ships appearing similar to Andalite and Yeerk ships fighting in space until Jake and Marco's ship gets shot down to Earth. Then the pan out, what we're watching is actually two teens playing a game. Making a nice parallel to what is actually going on, and what leads to the start of the series.
In terms of the Elfangor crash there's not a lot differently you could do. I think I would still have Jake in a situation where he has to morph Homer - and I know it's different from the books - but only because a television show needs that sort of dramatic scene and discovery of morphing... rather than the team running home and testing it out the next day.
Casting, I agree, should be unknowns. I wouldn't even mind the adult cast being unknowns as long as they could support the younger inexperienced crew. Say what you will about their age, but I reckon the original series did a mighty fine job in cast selection.
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I reckon the original series did a mighty fine job in cast selection.
Tobias looked like Michael Jackson and Marilyn Manson's lovechild, Marco's hair was....weird, and Ax had an afro :P
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Hey guys!
Specifically a game about a space battle, ships appearing similar to Andalite and Yeerk ships fighting in space until Jake and Marco's ship gets shot down to Earth. Then the pan out, what we're watching is actually two teens playing a game. Making a nice parallel to what is actually going on, and what leads to the start of the series.
Now that's what I liked most about the opening of Andrew Adamsons version of Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe. We started of with a war to parallel where the kids were going to wind up in the end of the film.
And I agree. Maybe even have the videogame involve a "space fighter" that's getting forced to crash land on Earth. Make it similar in style to The Last Starfighter, only with better graphics.
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Tobias looked like Michael Jackson and Marilyn Manson's lovechild, Marco's hair was....weird, and Ax had an afro :P
Eww... I never thought of it that way but it's kinda true.
I didn't mean so much in physical appearance... more along the line of the way they embodied each character. To me anyway...
I think considering they were choosing unknown actors at the time they managed to find a decent cast. I do agree about Marco's hair... weird. As for Ax, I think he achieved the kind of weird looking combination morph. Not to mention his mannerisms and speech.
Yeah, NateSean, Narnia is a great example of what I mean. Jake and Marco are controlling a ship resembling Elfangor's and the game ends with them being shot down.
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I had an idea for a theme song/opening intro.
I've been watching a lot of old Justice League episodes on the internet lately.
It's the intro to Justice League, and it's in the same cool shadowy 3D style with the same music, but it features the Animorphs instead of The Justice League.
It starts out with the Animorphs walking in at the beginning, in Combat Morph.
From Left to right: Ax cantering in his Andalite body, Marco knuckle walking as a Gorilla, Cassie loping along as a Wolf, Jake padding in as a Siberian Tiger, Rachel ambling forward as a Grizzly bear, and Erek King striding forward with his hologram turned off, with Tobias soaring above them all as a Red-tailed Hawk.
Then, instead of a closeup of Batman's eyes, then zooming out to him throwing a Batarang, it's a closeup of Tobias's hawk eyes, then it zooms out to show him suddenly swooping down to rake his talons across a Hork Bajir's face.
Then, instead of Wonder woman deflecting shots on her wrist guards, it's Cassie in Wolf morph running forward and dodging side to side to avoid weapon fire and leaping on the Hork Bajir firing a Dracon Beam at her.
Then, instead of the Green Lantern holding up a glowing green lantern it's Ax holding the Blue Box, and like the lantern, the box glows brighter and brighter until the light dies down to show Ax holding the box in one hand.
Then, instead of Superman smashing a wall and flying through it, it's Marco in Gorilla morph, hands clasped together with his arms over his head, bringing his fists down to smash through a wall with shattering force, then hurdling over whats left of the wall.
Then, instead of a serpent changing into the Martian Manhunter, it shows Erek King as a teenage boy, and his hologram turns off to reveal the machine hidden within, and then in it zooms in on his glowing red eye.
Then instead of the Flash running across the screen as a blur it's Jake running, and as he's running he's morphing into a Siberian Tiger.
Then instead of Hawkgirl flying across the screen it's Rachel in Grizzly Bear morph fighting several Hork Bajir, who eventually break ranks and flee in terror.
Then, like the Justice league, it shows them all standing on a hilltop.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p81_kAFdyr8[/youtube]
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Erek coming in a la The Terminator?
Why does this give me the idea of Ah-nuld as Mr. King?
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Animorphs + Justice League opening...I pictured that and it looked incredibly corny...Nice idea though. The anime freak in me made me take several anime openings and replace the characters with Ani characters.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Z8MuiFd06s&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWuf96VNXOc&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MAyAaJo8MYw[/youtube]
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ux7Wh8V0S48[/youtube]
((NOTE: There are REALLY good English fandubs of all of these on youtube))
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xoQuu7GPxAI[/youtube]
((This one is in English))
All of these, especially the last one looked really good when they were "Animorphized"