What We Know So Far
Last Updated: May 12, 2006
Here is a run-down of what we know so far about the Ender's Game movie from official sources:
Who's Making it: Warner Bros
Who's Directing it: Wolfgang Petersen, best known for directing The Neverending Story and Das Boot. He's said it will be his next film, if there's a script he likes.
Who's Writing it: Orson Scott Card himself! As of May 2006, he's working on a new draft, that should be finished by June 2006. No word on what changes might be in this draft.
The draft written by David Benioff (Troy, 25th Hour) and DB Weiss was rejected. Previous drafts were written by: Michael Dougherty and Dan Harris (X2, Superman Returns).
Scifi.com had reported in September of 2003 that, "Another writer is now being pursued to work on a tightening-up re-write based on OSC's script. This is an expected normal procedure, and does not reflect on the quality of OSC`s script, which the producers are reportedly very happy with, and find to pack an emotional wallop."
Card had this to say about Benioff and Weiss: "I have every expectation that he [Benioff] and Mr. Weiss will be able to create a screenplay that will distill the strong characters and moral dilemmas of the novel into an exciting film that will justify the huge expense involved in filming it." (source)
Card told The Charlotte Observer that Benioff and Weiss will be writing a complete new script, but at least they had read his scripts before writing the new draft. Apparently Dougherty and Harris had not bothered to. So Dougherty and Harris' draft was a completely new version of the script, not a tweak.
Release Date: Unknown. It all depends on when the script is finished. If they can get a script finished during the summer of 2006, shooting could begin by early 2007 for a 2008 release date.
Rating: Wolfgang Petersen told MTV.com that he hoped for an R-rated Ender's Game. Whether Warner Bros might want a more kid-friendly rating has yet to be seen.
Will It Ever Be Made?
Hopefully, but it all depends on the script. The option on the rights for the books was renewed for one year. It appears Warner Bros is trying to make the Ender's Game, but it's uncertain if they will renew the option again if they do not like the latest version of the script.
Warner Bros option on Ender's Game and Ender's Shadow runs out on December 7th, 2005. So a decision has to be made by then by Warner Bros. Card told an audience at a lecture at University of Missouri in Columbia in early Oct 2005 that he would be meeting with Wolfgang Peterson to discuss the script and with special effects companies, and was reasonably hopeful that the movie will be made. If the deadline passes without the film being greenlighted, Card said he will no longer try to get the movie made. [source]
Who's Starring In it? So far, there has been no casting announcements. There have been indications that an unknown will play Ender.
I heard Jake Lloyd (Anakin in Star Wars Ep 1) was playing Ender?
Back in 1999 when Card sold the rights to Warner Bros, he has met with Jake Lloyd and wanted him to play Ender. Card said that he felt Jake had the exact qualities he saw in Ender and was re-writing the script because Jake convinced him a child actor could carry some of the emotional burden of the character.
On top of that, Ender's Game was Jake's favorite book and Jake posed with the Ender's Game novel in posters that encouraged kids to read. Too much time has past now for Jake to play Ender. Jake is 17 years old now, and has retired from acting to live a normal life in the midwest.
What about Haley Joel Osment (that kid from the Sixth Sense)?
Haley is also too old now (he was born in 1988 so he's 18 years old). Card also had strong feelings about Haley being absolutely wrong for the role of Ender. He was quoted as saying that Haley was too weak and timid to play Ender, and that Haley was good at playing the boy needing protecting, not a strong leader.
So we can expect someone similar to Jake Lloyd rather than Haley Joel Osment to play Ender. Incidentally, Card also ripped George Lucas for his direction of The Phantom Menace and his inability to direct Jake Lloyd (who was excellent in his role as a mentally disturbed child genius in the tv series Pretender)
What about Petra?
In OSC's review of Uptown Girls, he mentioned; "I also selfishly hope that my own movie, Ender`s Game, gets made soon enough that Dakota Fanning can play Petra.". (Fanning is 11)
I want to be in the movie. What do I do?
There have not been any casting notices posted yet. It is possible there would be an open casting call, when is common for movies doing a wide search for child actors.
Petersen has indicated that he intends on auditioning a 1000 actors for the role of Ender, so there will be plenty of opportunities for youngsters to audition for roles in the film when they start casting.
Character Information:
Ender:
Bean: should have a larger role in the film, since it will combine elements of Ender's Shadow (most likely including some of Bean's back story).
Valentine & Peter Wiggin
In an interview with OSC on the Fresco Picture site in 1999 (that has since been removed), Card said, "Valentine and Peter, though their parts are brief, must also be played by good young actors."
The script has since changed, but it's likely that Val and Peter's roles will still be brief. Card has said that kids sitting at computers does not make for an interesting movie and obviously many parts of the book will need to be cut to fit in into a 120 page script.
Graff
OSC has said that he toyed with the idea of combining Graff and Mazer into one character in his drafts of the script. No word on whether the latest script will do the same.
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