Re: Television programmes

by Eldorion Mon Feb 09, 2015 3:08 pm

Maybe they want to force any other interested company to buy the rights from them? I dunno.

Screenshots from the pilot here: http://www.reddit.com/r/WoT/comments/2v9yyt/a_few_images_from_the_winters_bone_opening/

Lews Therin Ascotmon:
Television programmes - Page 36 BHse8kZl

Television programmes - Page 36 BHse8kZl

Television programmes - Page 36 HUXP363l

by Bluebottle Mon Feb 09, 2015 3:33 pm

Wth.

by Bluebottle Mon Feb 09, 2015 3:42 pm

The Wheel of Time movie and TV rights are currently owned by Red Eagle Entertainment. REE has had these rights for many years. They've been involved in several significant efforts to produce a feature film or TV show. If you google enough, you'll find interviews and back story about this. We know their rights expire after 7 years (beginning about a year after RJ died in 2007). Harriet has been very clear about that length of time in the past. Based on our math, it's been our suspicion that the rights are about to expire. Possibly any day. But in order to keep those rights, and extend it for a longer time period, Red Eagle would have to successfully produce a pilot before that deadline occurs. All they need to do is put out an episode with the name WHEEL OF TIME, and use some familiar characters. We don't know what this episode will look like. Something tells us it won't be GAME OF THRONES quality, however.

That's probably a bit of an understatement. As is that. Razz

It's apparently just the prologue of The Eye of the World, the first book, that they have adapted, which is actually a really good piece of writing. No expectations though.

by Bluebottle Mon Feb 09, 2015 3:44 pm

Eldorion wrote:
bungobaggins wrote:
Eldorion wrote:So apparently FX made a pilot episode of Wheel of Time in secret as a ploy to help Red Eagle keep the rights and it was aired tonight at 1:30 am. I hope it makes its way online cause this is bound to be funny to watch.

That is so stupid. If you want to keep the rights, why not actually do something with it? Why make a completely half-ass attempt at something just so you can keep the rights and possibly not do anything with it in the future? Maybe let the rights go to someone who is actually interested in making it into a movie/tv show? What's the point of sitting on the rights if you've no intent of actually adapting it?

Maybe they want to force any other interested company to buy the rights from them? I dunno.

As a financial decision, which this most likely was, making the small investement of an amateurish pilot with the possibility of making major dividence if a movie or television series should take of must seem like a very small and possible lucrative investment to make. Though it is a shame, because if this kind of pilot shows us anything, it's a lack of will and ability to get a proper adaptation off the ground. And from what I've read REEs relationship with Jordans inheritors isn't the best either. Remind you of anyone? Rolling Eyes

by Bluebottle Mon Feb 09, 2015 4:22 pm

Eldorion wrote:Lews Therin Ascotmon

?!

(It's supposed to be Telamon..)

Still, it's better than Lewis Therin. Rolling Eyes

by Mrs Figg Mon Feb 09, 2015 5:11 pm

Wolf Hall is certainly NOT 'The Tudors' Laughing

thank goodness. The only thing that seems a little odd is the quality of the costuming, its a bit cheap looking, but it doesn't try to thee and thou everything and its quiet and thoughtful. I like it.

by Bluebottle Mon Feb 09, 2015 7:53 pm

Well, here it is. And it's a bit groaninducing, and the production... it's certainly not mean to in any way be taken seriously. Though for what it is.. Shrugging

by Bluebottle Mon Feb 09, 2015 8:04 pm

The following is a statement from Harriet McDougal Rigney, Robert Jordan's wife and editor, regarding the FXX show "The Wheel of Time: Winter Dragon" that aired last night:

"This morning brought startling news. A “pilot” for a Wheel of Time series, the "pilot" being called Winter Dragon, had appeared at 1:30 in the morning, East Coast time, on FXX TV, a channel somewhere in the 700s (founded to concentrate on comedy, according to the Washington Post).

It was made without my knowledge or cooperation. I never saw the script. No one associated with Bandersnatch Group, the successor-in-interest to James O. Rigney, was aware of this.

Bandersnatch has an existing contract with Universal Pictures that grants television rights to them until this Wednesday, February 11 – at which point these rights revert to Bandersnatch.

I see no mention of Universal in the “pilot”. Nor, I repeat, was Bandersnatch, or Robert Jordan’s estate, informed of this in any way.

I am dumbfounded by this occurrence, and am taking steps to prevent its reoccurrence."

by Eldorion Mon Feb 09, 2015 8:12 pm

Bluebottle wrote:?! (It's supposed to be Telamon..)

It's a joke because he's wearing an ascot for some ungodly reason. Wink

And that's really bizarre if this was made by some rogue company without the rights. Why would FXX go along with that without checking?

by Pettytyrant101 Mon Feb 09, 2015 9:45 pm

Just watched episode 3 of Wolf Hall- I am loving it- just keeps getting better than better.
In particular I love how Cromwell has maneuvered things so that people in support of him are all in key positions, but each time he has a perfectly legitimate, seemingly non personal reason for helping that person out- you can see how he might have manipulated events without seemingly being openly manipulative at all.

And the performances are a calibre above the usual.

by Bluebottle Mon Feb 09, 2015 10:21 pm

Eldorion wrote:
Bluebottle wrote:?! (It's supposed to be Telamon..)

It's a joke because he's wearing an ascot for some ungodly reason.

Ah, that went straight over my head. Laughing

Eldorion wrote:And that's really bizarre if this was made by some rogue company without the rights. Why would FXX go along with that without checking?

Having loooked at it briefly the rights issues look really messy, like Tolkien Estate messy, but it seems they did hold the rights at some point at least. If anything really, it shows you just how helpfull GRRMs Hollywood insight was to him. There must be some real naivety among both writers and their advisors to have these situations crop of as often as they seemingly do.

by Bluebottle Mon Feb 09, 2015 10:24 pm

Hm, perhaps I should give this Wolf House thing a look. Might be a good pick-me-up after that Wheel of Time thing. Razz

by Pettytyrant101 Mon Feb 09, 2015 10:36 pm

I really like it- its very low key- in how its shot, how its presented, nothing is hyped it all just unfolds. Its character and dialogue heavy and there is almost no action n it so far at all, all the drama comes form the characters, the dialogue and the history.
If you enjoy the pacing and tone of these clips then you will most likely enjoy it-

by Eldorion Tue Feb 10, 2015 1:48 am

Bluebottle wrote:Having loooked at it briefly the rights issues look really messy, like Tolkien Estate messy, but it seems they did hold the rights at some point at least. If anything really, it shows you just how helpfull GRRMs Hollywood insight was to him. There must be some real naivety among both writers and their advisors to have these situations crop of as often as they seemingly do.

Maybe you can help me understand it a little better then. Razz

The fan site that first broke the news of the pilot said that the rights are held by Red Eagle, and according to an article I was linked to on another forum (see below), FXX has stated that Red Eagle is behind the pilot (apparently they bought the half-hour slot, infomercial style, and FXX is disavowing any connection to the pilot whatsoever). So what's the deal with Universal then, which according to Jordan's widow owns the rights? scratch

http://aggressivecomix.com/2015/02/wheel-of-time-fxx-showed-a-pilot-with-vid/

by Eldorion Tue Feb 10, 2015 1:53 am

Apparently in 2010 one of the people at REE said they had an agreement of sorts with Universal to make a Wheel of Time feature film, but I have no idea what rights Universal might have acquired and whether they have any connection to the project now that it might become a TV series.

http://www.tor.com/blogs/2010/05/jordancon-interview-with-red-eagle-entertainment

by Eldorion Tue Feb 10, 2015 2:13 am

Adam Whitehead has an interesting rundown:

http://thewertzone.blogspot.com/2015/02/wheel-of-time-gets-tv-pilot-out-of.html

Of course, the real money was in a film/TV adaptation. Red Eagle's initial attempts to produce a film script based on The Eye of the World were not successful, with a few people who managed to read the script declaring it unbelievably awful. With the company running out of money, Red Eagle re-sold the film and TV rights to Universal Pictures in 2008 in return for Red Eagle retaining a production credit.

So Red Eagle might try to claim they had the right to make this pilot, but it sounds like they will be challenged on this. What a clusterfuck. Laughing

by bungobaggins Tue Feb 10, 2015 1:32 pm

I watched the pilot. Had no idea what was going on the entire time, because I've never read the books. Is that an actual scene from the books? Was the dialogue from the book? What was the point of that? Did he die at the end? scratch

by bungobaggins Tue Feb 10, 2015 1:59 pm

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/tv-ratings-better-call-saul-771750

Haven't gotten around to watching the pilot. I might have time on Thursday to sit down and watch it, though. Hope it's good.

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/better-call-saul/s01/

Critic's consensus: Better Call Saul is a quirky, dark character study that manages to stand on its own without being overshadowed by the series that spawned it.

That's pretty much what I was hoping for.

by Bluebottle Tue Feb 10, 2015 7:17 pm

Eldorion wrote:Adam Whitehead has an interesting rundown:

http://thewertzone.blogspot.com/2015/02/wheel-of-time-gets-tv-pilot-out-of.html

Of course, the real money was in a film/TV adaptation. Red Eagle's initial attempts to produce a film script based on The Eye of the World were not successful, with a few people who managed to read the script declaring it unbelievably awful. With the company running out of money, Red Eagle re-sold the film and TV rights to Universal Pictures in 2008 in return for Red Eagle retaining a production credit.

So Red Eagle might try to claim they had the right to make this pilot, but it sounds like they will be challenged on this. What a clusterfuck.

Yeah, I think that's putting it pretty well. Laughing

Two things that strike me, if we assume Uiversal had no involvement in this, are;

One, if REE have sold the tv rights to Universal they have no right to be launching a TV-show without their involvement. So, their statement in that link is most likely just propaganda.

Two, if they have sold the tv rights to Universal I would think they neither would have the right to either produce or publish a pilot without Universals involvement.

The problem for the Jordan estate (the Bandersnatchers Laughing

) is that both these issues are breaches of the contract between REE and Universal, and doesn't involve the Jordan estate as such. Would Universal make a problem out of this? Well, they do derive their rights from REE, but I can't help but think that a pilot of this quality wouldn't exactly be something Universal would be happy with or about. But it would be up to them to bring a case for breach of contract for the courts.

It really boggles the mind that writers sell ther rights off to these kinds of poeple who, one, have no other regard for their work than making money of it and, two, are completely imcompetent at doing even that. Rolling Eyes

by Bluebottle Tue Feb 10, 2015 7:20 pm

bungobaggins wrote:I watched the pilot. Had no idea what was going on the entire time, because I've never read the books. Is that an actual scene from the books? Was the dialogue from the book? What was the point of that? Did he die at the end?

It adapts the prologue of the first book in the series, The Eye of the World, it takes place in the second age, the story itself takes place in the third age, and features the main antogonist in the series, and the hero, the one the protagonist in the series is meant to be a reincarnation of. It chronicles his demise, yes. It's dificult to explain succintly. It's actually a really good piece of writing, although amateurishly brought to the screen. It's in the spoiler if you want to give reading it a go. (It's only about 3 book pages long.) Wink

Spoiler:

by Bluebottle Tue Feb 10, 2015 7:21 pm

Pettytyrant101 wrote:I really like it- its very low key- in how its shot, how its presented, nothing is hyped it all just unfolds. Its character and dialogue heavy and there is almost no action n it so far at all, all the drama comes form the characters, the dialogue and the history.
If you enjoy the pacing and tone of these clips then you will most likely enjoy it-

Ah, it certainly looks and sounds interesting. And Jonathan Pryce. Very Happy

I'll give it a go. Wink

by Eldorion Tue Feb 10, 2015 7:33 pm

I read the prologue (actually I think I've seen it before when I tried reading my friend's copy of Eye of the World like 10 years ago -- that was the same friend who first loaned me The Silmarillion and helped introduce me to D&D), but I don't really have any clearer sense of what's going on than I did from the pilot, with the exception being that it's much clearer that Lews died at the end. Razz

All in all though, the pilot was got it across pretty well, except for the low production values, Billy Zane being more low-key than the book equivalent. But there was absolutely no artistic reason to drag it out to 22 minutes, though obviously the pilot was not made for artistic reasons in the first place.

by Bluebottle Tue Feb 10, 2015 7:43 pm

Well, Robert Jordans favourite phrase was "rafo". Razz

by Pettytyrant101 Tue Feb 10, 2015 7:43 pm

I'll give it a go.- Blue

You can try here for episodes-

http://www.free-tv-video-online.me/internet/wolf_hall/season_1.html

by Eldorion Tue Feb 10, 2015 7:53 pm

Bluebottle wrote:Well, Robert Jordans favourite phrase was "rafo".

I had to Google that. Razz

I might, although a co-worker recently encouraged me to give The Kingkiller Chronicle another try. He said that he found the first several chapters to be downright bad, which was my conclusion too and why I abandoned the book quickly, but said that it got better once Kvothe reached University. So I might try plunging into epic fantasy literature again (it's been years since I read it regularly). Although I also have a bunch of anime from last year that I want to catch up on. Decisions, decisions. Laughing