Richard's Animorphs Forum

Animorphs Section => Animorphs Forum Classic => Topic started by: Andalite_Shorm on February 12, 2011, 08:00:50 AM

Title: New books, new TV Show?
Post by: Andalite_Shorm on February 12, 2011, 08:00:50 AM
(God knows how many times this has been posted)
Okay, if the books are being re-released, do you think they would make another TV show? Providing the books are as popular as they were last time, or even a movie, like if they did book 1 then skip straight to #51, then make a tv series after for the books inbetween, you know? I mean, I think they were put off by the low views of the last tv series, but they mustn't read the internet, otherwise they'd of known it was the graphics and story-twisting not the actual Animorphs side of it...but enough of that...what do you think?
Title: Re: New books, new TV Show?
Post by: Darth Zakryn on February 12, 2011, 09:22:29 AM

I figure they can't do any worse than they did last time. I mean, lassoing an Andalite? Are you for real?
Title: Re: New books, new TV Show?
Post by: NateSean on February 12, 2011, 03:46:04 PM
I could see a mostly CGI series in the works. CGI is even beginning to infect the time honored Sesame Street, so I doubt it's that hard to get ahold of anymore.
Title: Re: New books, new TV Show?
Post by: Chad32 on February 12, 2011, 04:15:13 PM
I've seen threads about the possibility of a new TV show, and I stand by the belief that animation is the way to go. A CGI movie by Pixar would be best. I don't know if they'll do it, but if they have a good budget and stay close to the series, I'll be happy.
Title: Re: New books, new TV Show?
Post by: Slushie Man on February 13, 2011, 09:32:32 PM
I'd be all for it, if done right. Things is, I just can't see it being done right unless, like Chad said, it's animated, but then I fear they'd gloss over a lot of the more mature aspects since it is animated.
Title: Re: New books, new TV Show?
Post by: TobiasMasonPark on February 13, 2011, 09:33:39 PM
     Theoretically, if they made Smallville work, they can make this work.
Title: Re: New books, new TV Show?
Post by: Slushie Man on February 13, 2011, 09:38:11 PM
Thing is, Smallville relays far more on human interaction then it does special effects. And they only have a very limited budget, hence why we normally only see the same couple effects re-used over and over and the episodes where we get a lot, the effects seem to not be as good.

Plus Animorphs would need A LOT of different, highly-trained, animals in order to work with live-action and that's not only unrealistic, but if it would be, it would be far out of the range of their budget. That's why the original series used the animals it did, because those were the only trained ones they could afford.
Title: Re: New books, new TV Show?
Post by: TobiasMasonPark on February 13, 2011, 09:40:30 PM
     Doesn't Phoenix work at a zoo? Couldn't we borrow his animals? :P
Title: Re: New books, new TV Show?
Post by: Slushie Man on February 13, 2011, 09:45:53 PM
Unless they're highly-trained animals, then they're still no use  :P
Title: Re: New books, new TV Show?
Post by: Dogman15 on February 14, 2011, 02:07:16 AM
I always thought that for certain animal movements, like needing a Marco in Gorilla morph to act a bit, they could use some convincing CG. The Animorphs were always looking around in specific directions and even moving their "arms" like humans would. Cassie (as an Osprey) even once hugged Rachel (as a  Deinonychus).
Title: Re: New books, new TV Show?
Post by: NateSean on February 14, 2011, 06:31:17 AM
Or just zip on over to the BBC and borrow the guys who did the walking with dinosaurs series and Primevil and bam. Animorphs.
Title: Re: New books, new TV Show?
Post by: TobiasMasonPark on February 14, 2011, 08:02:13 PM
     Alright...Is there any sort of network with enough money to pay for special effects, animal trainers and crew?
Title: Re: New books, new TV Show?
Post by: Slushie Man on February 14, 2011, 08:03:27 PM
No. That kind of money is just unrealistic. There's a reason you don't normally see animals in any TV show beyond regular house-trained pets.

The only way we would EVER see another Animorphs TV show would be in animated form.
Title: Re: New books, new TV Show?
Post by: TobiasMasonPark on February 14, 2011, 08:09:18 PM
     Animated wouldn't be too bad. I just really wanted to see a live action show.
Title: Re: New books, new TV Show?
Post by: wildweathel on February 15, 2011, 02:17:40 AM
It's a real shame that Animorphs never really took off in Japan, because we missed out on the awesomeness that would have been but never was nor will be Satoshi Kon's Animorphs.

Think about it. 

Damn it!

But, that's not possible anymore, so I submit my B-list dream team.

Art Director: Mitsuo Iso.
An up-and-coming animator-turned-director, Iso is already a master of the new medium of digital 2D animation--particularly using it to convey emotion and not just as a gee-whiz technical effect.
[spoiler]
Stills don't really capture the magic, but here's what he looks like.
(http://www.pelleas.net/aniTOP/pics/isorah2.jpg)
(http://www.bateszi.me/wp-content/uploads/2007/10/vlcsnap-892482.jpg)
(http://www.bateszi.me/wp-content/uploads/2007/10/vlcsnap-890134.jpg)
[/spoiler]

Animation: Studio Madhouse. 

Music Direction/Composition: Joe Hisaishi.
Spirited AwayCastle in the Sky.  I rest my case.

Script:  Chiaki J. Konaka.
You need someone crazy to deal with this crazy story.  And just look at this guy: he's pretty much the only non-foreigner in Japan to go around with a middle initial.  People younger than me might recognize Digimon Tamers--the crazy idea that a dumb weekend boys' cartoon could be about grief and forgiveness and include an expy of Trinity from The Matrix.  People older than me might recognize Serial Experiments Lain (the first anime to require Cliff Notes) or RahXephon (where he also worked with Iso).
 
But the biggest argument for Konaka Animorphs is that he wrote that horribly, horribly violent Shadow Star Naru Taru.  While it is one of my least favorite shows ever (ugh, I had enough of mean kids in real life), we certainly know he can make ambiguously psychopathic preteens sound believable.  And scare the piss out of you.

Series Director: Hideaki Anno
Speaking of crazy, here's the man himself, founder of the studio that gave us Gurren Lagann and whose personal brainchild is the ultimate mind-screw anime Neon Genesis Evangelion.  With Anno at the helm, morphing will be suitably gross, morals suitably gray, and fans suitably serviced.  Whilst not perfect, as long as the budget doesn't run out, someone's around to veto the most egregious panty-shots, and he doesn't decide to make a fifth version of NGE (probably our biggest hurdle) it'll probably work out. 

Would have to, 'cuz we ain't got Kon no more...
Title: Re: New books, new TV Show?
Post by: Dameg on February 15, 2011, 03:37:53 AM
It's probably the 3rd or 4th thread about that... you're repeating yourselves, guys ^^'
Title: Re: New books, new TV Show?
Post by: Slushie Man on February 15, 2011, 10:30:23 AM
Not really sure I'd like to see Animorphs as an anime. I like anime and all, but only when it fits, and I just don't see anime and Animorphs fitting together well
Title: Re: New books, new TV Show?
Post by: NateSean on February 15, 2011, 02:40:58 PM
Or just zip on over to the BBC and borrow the guys who did the walking with dinosaurs series and Primevil and bam. Animorphs.

Just for emphasis. The guys who did Walking with Dinosaurs also coughed up this gem:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ZeYYyotOTk[/youtube]

If they can do this, it shouldn't be too hard to slap together some CGI sequences involving Hork-Bajir, Andalites, Taxxons, Arn, and morphing sequences. You could even get a fairly realistic battle going between two animals as they've also done this on the Discovery Channel as well.

The budget becomes an issue when the network decides the show isn't worth spitting money at. And after the last major blunder with the series, they may be a tad reluctant.

But if there's enough fan support from people like you and I, in addition to the new audiences that the re-release will bring to the table, then a newer series with all of the stops pulled out may be closer to reality than you think.
Title: Re: New books, new TV Show?
Post by: Dogman15 on February 15, 2011, 05:33:51 PM
Yeah, those visuals and CG in that video really show the potential an Animorphs TV series today could have, thirteen years after the original series. Thanks for posting that!
Title: Re: New books, new TV Show?
Post by: Andalite_Shorm on February 19, 2011, 09:43:02 AM
Unless they're highly-trained animals, then they're still no use  :P
Let's just call in the animorphs and be like "okay morph, it'll look real. We'll have to get another rachel though...where's that blue cubey thing?"

Post Merged: February 19, 2011, 09:46:48 AM
It's a real shame that Animorphs never really took off in Japan, because we missed out on the awesomeness that would have been but never was nor will be Satoshi Kon's Animorphs.

Think about it. 

Damn it!

But, that's not possible anymore, so I submit my B-list dream team.

Art Director: Mitsuo Iso.
An up-and-coming animator-turned-director, Iso is already a master of the new medium of digital 2D animation--particularly using it to convey emotion and not just as a gee-whiz technical effect.
[spoiler]
Stills don't really capture the magic, but here's what he looks like.
(http://www.pelleas.net/aniTOP/pics/isorah2.jpg)
(http://www.bateszi.me/wp-content/uploads/2007/10/vlcsnap-892482.jpg)
(http://www.bateszi.me/wp-content/uploads/2007/10/vlcsnap-890134.jpg)
[/spoiler]

Animation: Studio Madhouse. 

Music Direction/Composition: Joe Hisaishi.
Spirited AwayCastle in the Sky.  I rest my case.

Script:  Chiaki J. Konaka.
You need someone crazy to deal with this crazy story.  And just look at this guy: he's pretty much the only non-foreigner in Japan to go around with a middle initial.  People younger than me might recognize Digimon Tamers--the crazy idea that a dumb weekend boys' cartoon could be about grief and forgiveness and include an expy of Trinity from The Matrix.  People older than me might recognize Serial Experiments Lain (the first anime to require Cliff Notes) or RahXephon (where he also worked with Iso).
 
But the biggest argument for Konaka Animorphs is that he wrote that horribly, horribly violent Shadow Star Naru Taru.  While it is one of my least favorite shows ever (ugh, I had enough of mean kids in real life), we certainly know he can make ambiguously psychopathic preteens sound believable.  And scare the piss out of you.

Series Director: Hideaki Anno
Speaking of crazy, here's the man himself, founder of the studio that gave us Gurren Lagann and whose personal brainchild is the ultimate mind-screw anime Neon Genesis Evangelion.  With Anno at the helm, morphing will be suitably gross, morals suitably gray, and fans suitably serviced.  Whilst not perfect, as long as the budget doesn't run out, someone's around to veto the most egregious panty-shots, and he doesn't decide to make a fifth version of NGE (probably our biggest hurdle) it'll probably work out. 

Would have to, 'cuz we ain't got Kon no more...

Na... no offence but when the thing's anime they get really exagerated with the whole thing. Eg: Jake had a little bt of hair sticking up on his fringe. LET'S MAKE IT A METER LONG!!! Plus they tend to go on and make extras and go over the top with secret famlie members/love etc
Title: Re: New books, new TV Show?
Post by: Tglvg11 on February 21, 2011, 02:34:36 PM
First off, that video showed me how easily Animorphs could be made.... what do they think, oh technology hasn't changed in the decade since the original Animorphs. Of course it has! I don't see why they can't make a new tv series/movie. Also, have you seen the realistic aliens from Bungie? Like in the Halo games. They make pretty realistic aliens/humans and great battle/combat scenes. Morphing wouldn't be too far as they have animations of various sentient creatures turning into a sort of zombie caused by a galaxy-wide parasite (Irony?). Well I think by all means a pretty awesome Animorphs movie/tv show/video could be created. ;D
Title: Re: New books, new TV Show?
Post by: TobiasMasonPark on February 21, 2011, 03:11:05 PM
     There have been enough discussions about the movie issue, so I'll just skip that.

     Phoenix makes a good point. The show can't work without a budget big enough to fund trained animals and such.
Title: Re: New books, new TV Show?
Post by: Slushie Man on February 21, 2011, 04:47:22 PM
have you seen the realistic aliens from Bungie? Like in the Halo games. They make pretty realistic aliens/humans

No. Just, no. Those things AREN'T realistic-looking AT ALL. They're great graphics FOR A GAME, yes, but in terms of a live-action movie or show...just hell no. They would look dreadful next to real people and real sets.

I would love to see a new TV show, but guys, realistically speaking... it's NEVER going to happen. What we got in the 90's, even by todays standards, is the best they'll ever be able to do on a television-sized budget. The reason shows like that Discovery Channel documentary that was posted above, or whatever it is, works...is because it's ONE episode. So they can afford a rather large budget for just the one episode. Also, everything looks fine when EVERYTHING is CGI, including the world that those animals inhabit. However, as soon as you start mixing those CGI creatures with real tangible, live-action sets and people, they look HORRIBLE.
Title: Re: New books, new TV Show?
Post by: wildweathel on February 21, 2011, 11:11:26 PM

Na... no offence but when the thing's anime they get really exagerated with the whole thing. Eg: Jake had a little bt of hair sticking up on his fringe. LET'S MAKE IT A METER LONG!!! Plus they tend to go on and make extras and go over the top with secret famlie members/love etc

Uh, no offence (really, this expression doesn't work), but not all animation (weastern, eastern, or otherwise) is Yu-Gi-Oh.

Sorry, that's mean and poorly argued.  Three points:

1) All art involves exaggeration, and this isn't a bad thing.  A Random Sample of Peoples' Lives Today wouldn't even make a good news show.  If Visser Three were believable, Animorphs would be really, really short.  The Chee make no sense, even less than Asimov's robots.  Inception's use of cheap emotional tricks re: intimacy, friendship, family, etc. are cheap tricks, but it's still a really good movie.  Draw With Me is powerful precisely because it takes a single aspect of human emotion and blows it way out of proportion. 

2) The American market's idea that cartoons must be cartoonish isn't an artifact of the medium.  Something like Kino's Journey or Mushi-shi or Cowboy Bebop isn't silly or cartoonish--nor do they sell here.  Those examples are sometimes exaggerated, but are serious dramas that don't resort slapstick.  Too much.  If you really want to be pure, there's nothing in the medium to prevent you from pulling a Serial-Experiments-Lain and going for Totally Incomprehensible Post-Modern Intertextuality (TM).  (I mention Japanese shows only because it's really, really, really hard to find good examples from America.  Avatar?  Gargoyles?  Batman?  Perhaps.)

3) Mind-numbing cartoonishness is possible in live action, too.  Ever seen anything by Uwe Boll or Michael Bay?  Or Nick Animorphs?

Cartooning has the huge advantage that while animals are somewhat more difficult than people, fantastic creatures are no harder than animals.  The big problems are a) stereotypes about what you can do with cartoons and b) the temptation to really cheap out and go with static talking heads.  Yes dear Virginia, you have to pay for quality animation.  No where near what you'd pay for seamless CGI-enhanced live action, but a lot more than your average daytime drama.

But, honesty, the story and tone is orthogonal to the choice of medium.  You could do a gritty and visceral radio drama or shadow-puppet adaptation of Animorphs.  You just have to keep it a dark war story, more Things They Carried than Kids Next Door.

Title: Re: New books, new TV Show?
Post by: NateSean on February 22, 2011, 11:08:31 AM
     There have been enough discussions about the movie issue, so I'll just skip that.

     Phoenix makes a good point. The show can't work without a budget big enough to fund trained animals and such.

Not that I don't adore the points Phoenix made, but I think I made a fairly good point in that if you can afford the CGI you don't need the animals at all.
Title: Re: New books, new TV Show?
Post by: Slushie Man on February 22, 2011, 11:13:27 AM
And I've already made a point AGAINST the CGI just a couple posts above.
Title: Re: New books, new TV Show?
Post by: NateSean on February 22, 2011, 11:18:34 AM
And you used the CAPS locks key a few times too.
Title: Re: New books, new TV Show?
Post by: Slushie Man on February 22, 2011, 11:21:10 AM
...ok? I fail to see what that has to do with anything...
Title: Re: New books, new TV Show?
Post by: NateSean on February 23, 2011, 04:09:22 PM
That you didn't really make a point so much as you stated that you knew for certain something would never happen.
Title: Re: New books, new TV Show?
Post by: Slushie Man on February 23, 2011, 04:12:37 PM
And then I went on to explain why...
Title: Re: New books, new TV Show?
Post by: AF_junkie on February 23, 2011, 06:34:16 PM
They could probably make it an entirely animated show like Star wars: The Clone wars as a short series, But that has alot of issues with it. I don't see it happening though, due to the fact that it's a "children's" sci-fi book from the 90's that only we seem care about anymore. Plus the issue of what network would play it because Nick already had a show for it, there might be legal problems behind it being used by a different network. (This type of show wouldn't fit the style of modern day Nickelodeon).

I don't like the idea of it becoming a movie. There's just too many crucial points that would be left out of a 2 hour movie, and no one would like it. Also, movies always ruin everything and start a bunch hype with new "fans" that we would all rather not be associated with.

Personally, I think an extremely well done fan-made animation would be enough for me. Assuming it was done convincingly, and it captured the story/charactors accurately. If i was good enough with that sort of thing I'd do it myself.
Title: Re: New books, new TV Show?
Post by: Andalite_Shorm on July 02, 2011, 11:48:10 AM
Surprisingly, they actually had pretty reasonable graphics for the PS1 game, espceially for that time, I don't get why they didn't just make the Visser the same way they did in the game, or at least, add a little CGI on to his costume/puppet like they did the the chronicles of narnia. Plus, I didn't like the way Tobias was being all like 'I'm free!' but while he's flying you can see the rope things attactched to his talons, same when he's sitting on someone's arm.  :o
Title: Re: New books, new TV Show?
Post by: SuperBlue on July 02, 2011, 12:34:26 PM
If they did another show, their first mistake would be putting it on a channel for children or advertising it like it's a children's show. The only channels I could see doing Animorphs any justice are Fox, NBC, the Sci Fi channel, and *sigh* that monstrosity that G4 has become.
Title: Re: New books, new TV Show?
Post by: NateSean on July 05, 2011, 02:01:07 PM
Fox,

The way they did Firefly justice, right?

 ;)