What children's stories would you like seeing made ?

Post by **YCougar** » May 17th, 2006, 2:32 am

I'd love to see one or two of the better Redwall books adapted to film. They did make a reasonably decent TV show covering three of the books, but perhaps a film or two with a bigger budget... and a good PG rating. Mossflower would be great, but I'm a bit biased there.

The trick would be getting character designs that make it clear that these aren't just cute forest animals that happen to fight each other with shiny weapons (and other things that would keep teenagers and older from being turned off), and yet keep it accessible for the young 'uns. There'd be genuine danger but not too scary... that sorta thing.

Another thing (that's firmly on a "wishful thinking" list) would be an updated version of Watership Down. I love the general loyalty to the book the first had, as well as the not-too-cartoony designs for the rabbits, so I'm definitely not saying it falls short in any way.

I just would want to see how much the improved technology, etc would make the animation better. Smoother and maybe a bit prettier, perhaps. Also, I'd cut a bit of the blood, for a couple reasons. First, I personally am a little freaked out by animated blood for some reason. Red lines as scratches don't bother me; it's the dripping, throat-being-torn-out stuff that gives me the jibblies. Second, it'd just be more accessible to kids... I can't even imagine how many mothers were horrified when they thought they were showing Junior a nice movie about bunnies. Which it isn't exactly... but the book's author did intend it to be read by children, primarily. (Whether it's actually at their level is another question altogether...) But yeah... just so the bloody rabbit battles aren't the only thing people carry away from the film.

Yeah, so I was long-winded tonight. Sorry, guys.

Post by **Meg** » May 17th, 2006, 8:03 am

I used to watch Watership down all the time when I was smaller, and I rented it again last year to see if I would still enjoy it, as I hadn't viewed it in years. I was shocked at the amount of violence and scary moments (I mean, the book didn’t have nearly as much bloody scenes)...I got on my mother's case for letting me watch it so much, heh heh.

But yeah, a remake would be awesome!

Post by **Ben** » May 17th, 2006, 10:30 am

Remake a perfect film??

Also, the blood IS in the book - you perhaps didn't imagine it that way?

I'm re-reading it at the moment after doing my piece on the film for DVD Toons:
http://www.dvdtoons.com/features/78

Post by **Meg** » May 17th, 2006, 11:44 am

There's more blood in the movie than the book. For example, in the film, the dog rips a lot of the rabbits apart, but in the book he just chases them.

Post by **Riv** » May 18th, 2006, 2:19 am

YCougar wrote:I'd love to see one or two of the better Redwall books adapted to film. They did make a reasonably decent TV show covering three of the books, but perhaps a film or two with a bigger budget... and a good PG rating. Mossflower would be great, but I'm a bit biased there.

The trick would be getting character designs that make it clear that these aren't just cute forest animals that happen to fight each other with shiny weapons (and other things that would keep teenagers and older from being turned off), and yet keep it accessible for the young 'uns. There'd be genuine danger but not too scary... that sorta thing.

The series was ok... I hate how Matthias was changed to an 8 year old tho, especially his child voice. Mossflower would rock (best book in the series IMO), but I think a CGI 'dramatic' Redwall could work too, with all its Arthurian parallels (slaying the dragon, etc.)

During my fanatic Redwall days I had sketched out an entire opening sequence to "the Long Patrol" (midnight coastal assault by the rapscallions!)... I still think it'd be awesome if properly animated. As YCougar said, the characters do need a certain degree of realism (but still retaining some animal qualities).

Post by **eddievalient** » May 18th, 2006, 4:02 pm

Call me kooky, but I think the best way to do a Redwall film would be to let the Jim Henson Creature Shop do it in live action with puppet/animatronic characters ala The Dark Crystal and Labyrinth. It would need a pretty sizable budget, but the results would undoubtedly be impressive.

Post by **eddievalient** » May 18th, 2006, 4:05 pm

Call me kooky, but I think the best way to do a Redwall film would be to let the Jim Henson Creature Shop do it in live action with puppet/animatronic characters ala The Dark Crystal and Labyrinth. It would need a pretty sizable budget, but the results would undoubtedly be very impressive.

Post by **YCougar** » May 19th, 2006, 1:33 am

Ben wrote:Remake a perfect film??

Also, the blood IS in the book - you perhaps didn't imagine it that way?

I'm re-reading it at the moment after doing my piece on the film for DVD Toons:
http://www.dvdtoons.com/features/78

Ah... I may have come across as not liking the film as-is. Personally, I think it's brilliant... especially the El-ahrairah bit at the beginning. Thinking about a "remake" makes me squirm inside, I can tell you... there's hardly anything to improve on! I was only wondering what (2D) animators today could do with the visuals, is all. They'd never do a remake if they were only going to smooth the animation, which is why it'd never happen.

As for the blood... I'm rereading the book right now, actually. It would be a definite contender for "my favorite book" if I could give that title to just one.

And yes, there is blood aplenty. As I said before, scratches and cuts don't bother me terribly. In fact, if they cut out
1) the ripping-out of a rabbit's throat (one who I might mention never died in the book) and
2) the dog's disembowelling spree
in the film, then I'd be fine. Those two were just a bit much... forget kids; I'm in college and it still freaks me out. Everything else, though (including Bigwig's great fight in the burrow) just made sure the audience was awake and aware that the "bunnies" were in real danger.

And I agree with Riv - Mossflower is my favorite of the Redwall series and I'd love to see it as a well-done film. It could be possible in CG... but I'd really love to see it done in 2D with a decent budget. Theater quality. I'd see it in a heartbeat.

Post by **Chaya** » May 30th, 2006, 3:45 pm

Ooohhh!!! Great topic. There are sooooo many great stories out there, both children's and adults', that deserve to be animated. I think that Brian Jaques "Castaways" books would make excellent animated films (that is if whoever produces them wouldn't water it down and change the storyline like hollywood is so apt to do). Redwall would be excellent as well (forget the dinky made for TV version). I would've added "the Dark Is Rising" Sequence to my list, but as the rights for these books were just recently purchased by Walden Media, that's no longer an option. A more obscure book series that would adapt beutifully to an animated movie series would be Meredith Ann Pierce's Firebringer Trilogy. BTW, a MAJOR ditto on the remake of Watership Down! It needs updating, but I'd stilll like to see it tradigitally animated. I don't think it would lfeel right animated only via cg. I also think that M. Henry's King of the Wind would make a fabulous animated film if done right.
Theses are just a few of my picks

Oh, I see everybody else would like to see Redwall animated as well. Keep the gore, don't water it down. Kids've already read the books and know what to expect.