Both have the potential, but they both have their faults. Honestly, I would want a live action series, but I would accept an animated series, too (just not manga or anime...but that's just a personal issue). As long as they get 1) Unknown actors, 2) solid writing group, 3) decent-above average budget. There should NOT be a movie because that would be asinine. Unless, of course, they release the Invasion as a stand alone, and then release a television series. That way, they have a blockbuster hit focusing on a SINGLE novel adaptation, and a potentionally successful tv series that could lead to future movie adaptations. Sort of like what they did with Spiderman after the film was released; they released an animated show that directly followed the events of the film.
The major problem that we face with a live action show is the special effects. I have thought about it long and hard, and I can not seem to imagine the Animorphs happening as a live action show; what with the aliens, animals/animal trainers, and morphing, especially. The one thing that really killed the original tv series--aside from the fact that they strayed so far away from the canon series that you could hardly tell they were doing an Animorphs tv series-- was that Power-Rangers-esque style they used for morphing; the one-by-one morphing sequence, where you watch their faces change. It was cheesy, time consuming, and just unrealistic. I still don't know how a live action show--or an animated show for that matter-- would be able to work out the morphing sequence. I think that's something a producer/director should REALLY focus on. How to make this stuff look like MORPHING, and not something any idiot can do with photoshop. How would YOU see the kids morphing? Because I really can't think of anything.
Post Merged: December 07, 2010, 07:33:45 PM
Another major area to focus on is characters and writing; deciding what to keep, what to cut, who to cast for these major roles, etc. etc. etc. I would want this new show to be AS TRUE TO THE SERIES AS POSSIBLE. No adding characters/plots/plot devices/ dialogue. Also, try to keep the names of the characters--mainly the parents-- canon. We don't need any Jeremies and Johns, when they're so obviously named Peter and Walter. No more nerdy kids stalking Rachel because they have a crush on Rachel (unless that actually happened in the series?), and no changes to the pairings. Sure, have some hints and red herrings; like the Rachel/Marco thing, since they have some sort of chemistry going on. In short....CONTINUTIT Y IS IMPORTANT!
This brings me to my next point. I would want the writers to have actually read, or atleast know the important points of the series. There are a lot of stories on Fanfiction.net that not only trump the cheesy script of the Nick series, but also manage to sound a lot like what K.A would write. Honestly, I know that I constantly boast about this, but Capnnerefir's Neomorphs series is brilliant. I don't know if anyone else has read it, but it sounds like this guy really knows the characters. I mean REALLY knows the characters. He's also a brilliant writer, and smart enough to know what works and what doesn't work. And he isn't the only one. Hotpink Coffee and Alikat are effective writers. There's that guy who wrote Sacred Host and the Garatron Chronicles. Bird of poetry is a decent writer. Powerpen was brilliant for comedy, but I haven't seen anything new from him. And Lady Kino wrote Animorphs 2010, and that seemed to make the idea of Animorphs in modern times work.
But imagine that...an entire writing staff of Fanfiction writers. Ha-ha!
It woud be foolish to even consider..good thing we have the foolishness that was ANITV
Post Merged: December 07, 2010, 07:46:21 PM
I agree with the idea of using unknowns for the show; that applies to all characters--kids and grown ups. If they were doing an Animorphs film, I could see them using some generally known actors, but not for the show. Whether it's animation/live action I would say that it's essential that the actors be above the age of sixteen, but under the age of twenty. The writers may want to boost the ages of the Animorphs to fifteen or sixteen, but only because I can't believe that middle-schoolers would be able to "save the world" and keep their sanity. And I would want the actors to look similar to how they're portrayed on the book covers. But then there's the question of Tobias...Personally, I never pictured him as a blonde (I actually preferred Christopher Ralphs portrayal of Tobias...though I would have lightened up with the leather...geez), but if the fans want a blonde, then they should get a blonde (by the way, how many blondes are in this book? Rachel, Tobias, David, James, Melissa, Taylor, Loren...everyone and their grandmother has blonde hair...Neo-Nazi what?)
I definitely think they should expand roles of the Secondaries; namely David and Erek, since they're what I consider to be crucial. Make the relationship between the main cast and their families sort of a sub-plot--which I have to admit, the original tv series did rather well. They could also use this new show to redeem a lot of things that we disliked about the series...I'm not suggesting that we change it. I'm just saying that they would have the opportunity to handle certain situations differently (David's return?). I also think characters that appear later in the series--Ax, Erek and Melissa-- into main cast members somewhere into the second or third seasons.
Post Merged: December 07, 2010, 07:53:41 PM
That brings me to my next point; the episodes. We have a good 54 books (excluding megamorphs and chronicles) worth of material. Now, a lot of people consider most of the books to be filler, and I have to agree. But I would definitely consider using most of those "filler" books as material for the show. I also think that some original episodes would make some sense, as long as they remained true to the series. Just a few episodes that progress relationships between the characters, and expand on ideas. This allows the show to run longer (theoretically) and appeals to the audience. But there's still the question of two-parters, three-parters, beginning/final arcs...etc. Obviously season one begins with the Invasion, but where does it end? How many episodes should be limited to a season? Theoretically, how many seasons could be produced before we reach book 54?
Episode one might have to be a two-parter, unless the shows run for 45-60 minutes (preferable to a 30 minute show).
Post Merged: December 07, 2010, 08:37:22 PM
For each season you need something to keep the audience interested. You need a kick ass season premiere that makes the viewers say, "This is deffinitely something I will tune into every week!" And a season finale that leaves them thinking, "Man, how are they going to top THAT!" But what would be the season finale for the first season? One of the logical options would be the David trilogy for the Season Two Premiere, and expand that arc into about five or six episodes. They could end season one with the change; maybe have the last few minutes focus on Rachel discovering Tobias' return to his human form. Obviously, season one should focus on the kids getting used to their powers, the invasion, and trying to balance saving the world with being a teenager. The Chee, Visser One, the Ellimist, the Oatmeal incident, and (maybe) the peace movement should make some sort of appearance.
Each season--if the show is so successful-- should get darker and darker as the show progresses. In season two you get David, the introduction of the Drode and Crayak, Taylor, and the explorations into the themes of right vs. wrong, good vs. evil, Marco's conflicts concerning his mother, Rachel's own self-conflict, etc.
I would personally like to see the show having four seasons, atleast. But I guess, if nobody could come up with anything for a fourth season, the third season would mostly focus on the last few books; where our characters are pretty much unrecognisable.
