The Bartimaeus Trilogy comes to Film!
January 31st 2007 08:58
Well, at the moment there seems to be no shortage of children's fantasy novels coming to the screen. Following the success of the last four (soon to be five) Harry Potter films, we've had a film adaptation of 'Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events', 'Eragon' and the soon-to-be-released 'Inkheart'. Also in the works is a big-budget film version of the awesome 'His Dark Materials' trilogy.
And now, getting in on the action is the first book in the Bartimaeus Trilogy, 'The Amulet of Samarkand'. Sydney Pollack is producing, and Mirimax is the studio pushing it. No actors have been announced, but a director is currently (albeit not officially, and these things can and do change) attached to the project. This director is the Oscar-nominated John Madden, most well-known for 'Shakespeare in Love'. An interesting and possibly inspired choice, if he ends up doing it (for a comparison, the 'His Dark Materials' film currently being made had no less than four or five different well-known directors attached to direct at different points, including American Beauty-director Sam Mendes).
For those of you in the dark on this one, the Bartimaeus Trilogy is a wonderful work of speculative fiction. A kind of anti-Harry Potter that shows us an England ruled by a tyrannical class of right-wing magicians who get all their power through the enslavement of various demons. Bartimaeus is a droll djinn conjured up by Nathaniel, an abused magician's apprentice looking to get revenge on a high-profile magician said to have stolen the powerful Amulet of Samarkand. The trilogy is a complex and risky work of fantasy, set roughly over a decade, and propelled by a mostly unsympathetic protagonist and fabulously dark wit. For a full review, go here. A film version of this could be very exciting... if done right.
As usual, I'm trying not to be too cynical. I'd hate for this to become a cartoonish CGI-ladden affair and for Bartimaeus to become a wisecracking Eddie Murphy/Robin Williams-style animated character. I'm struggling to see how else a big budget film would tackle this though. I suppose I shouldn't be too critical when so little has been announced about this film... 'Harry Potter' and 'His Dark Materials' have both attracted a huge range of impressive talent, hopefully 'The Amulet of Samarkand' can do the same.
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Comment by Anonymous
Does anyone know whether it's definitely coming out and if so what year? Me and my friend love Barty! If and when it does come out, we're defo gonna se it!!
Comment by anonymous
i rate it 12 out of 10!
Go barty!
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Comment by Anonymous
That's very good! I hope so gets into an other country!
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The Amulett of Samarkand
The Golem's Eye
Ptolemy's Gate
Comment by Anonymous
I've been waiting for the film adaptation for ages, I hope they make it well!