M: The Future of the "HDM film trilogy"... just my thoughts

[daemon_light]

After much thought on the subject, I've concluded the studio WILL make the rest of the film trilogy, and use the same cast. I've given up on caring if they make it within the next year... it'll happen if it happens. Right now, I just care if they're made at all, and if they have to take their time in preparing to make good films out of the next two, that's okay too. I'm confident it will happen within the next couple of years.

But, like many fans of the movie and books alike, I do ultimately hope they make a Director's Cut of the Golden Compass. Of course, it won't fulfill everyone's hopes and dreams, but I'm beginning to believe that the studio has figured out that marketing the trilogy to a younger audience wasn't the way to go.

It sounds like to me though, that Weitz wrote AND shot an adult/teenage film, but it was cut down to make it aimed towards a less mature audience (not to say the final film was a bad one.)

If I'm right, I dearly hope that the studio let's Weitz have his liberties in making the director's cut "franchise" after the other two films are given the go ahead. I hope that all the footage and violence/gore he planned on having in the film in the first place is kept in, (the rumor/news that a Grumman head sequence was originally filmed makes me all fuzzy inside!!!)

Of course, I want the original ending re-installed. Many fans feel this unlikely since they planned to have the ending as the beginning of Subtle Knife. But it would be an excellant idea if they just went ahead made the next two films, and then did a director's cut "franchise" for the fans. What I mean by a DC franchise is that they make the Director's Cut for each film all at the same time. This way, the ending is likely to be edited to be put on the Golden Compass film rather than the Subtle Knife film. This "franchise" concept is one of the reasons I want them to keep Weitz for director of the next two. I'm willing to wait for an outstanding and thorough director's cut series rather than get them sooner and be less satisfied.

So my plea to the studio and Weitz: Make the next two films, and do a fantastic job, TRUST your director, and after the next two films are finished devote time to making an excellant director's cut trilogy all at once. This way the trilogy flows as one movie (like Lord of the Rings does) and make a load of money off the fans! You can sell it in boxed sets, and the fans (back me up, fans) will buy them if word gets around you did a fantastic job with them!

Please, I appreciate your consideration... dear God, I hope people from the studio check these threads.

[TheRealNeo]

What makes you so sure that they will be made?

I really think we have to wait for a Director's Cut, because as we know from Deborah Forte, they see there mistake in the USA that they NOT sold the film as a family/kids movie in the USA and so we have to expect sequels which will be also not so faithful to the book as the theatrical version from the golden compass. So it will be also difficult to get director's cut from film 2 and 3 when they from the beginning aim a kids movie and never shot something else.

And I think a golden compass director's cut will just be released and is possible when they decide to do sequels, because then they maybe will give Weitz the money to finish his version.

(the rumor/news that a Grumman head sequence was originally filmed makes me all fuzzy inside!!!)

They don't shot the whole scene so I think it wouldn't be appear in a DC:

[Philharmonic]

I think and hope full heartedly that theyll happen. the question now is whether or not theyll happen within the next ten years...

[TheRealNeo]

within the next five years sounds more possible. 10 would be too long.

Next 5 years or never or in 25-50 years or so...

[daemon_light]

What makes you so sure that they will be made?

I'm as f**kin' clueless as everyone else... these are just my predictions.

[TheRealNeo]

Yeah but you said "After much thought on the subject, I've concluded the studio WILL make the rest of the film trilogy".

So what thoughts lead you to this conclusion?;)

[daemon_light]

Yeah but you said "After much thought on the subject, I've concluded the studio WILL make the rest of the film trilogy".

So what thoughts lead you to this conclusion?;)

Obviously, this a rather unfounded prediction... I'm just saying that I think they'll be eventually made within the next few years. I was also going ahead and assuming they'd be made, so I would be able to get my point across without having to go into my discernment of whether they'll make the trilogy or not. Clearly that didn't work out for me.

Anyway, the intended purpose of this thread was not to discuss whether they'll be made, but more how they'll be made if they are to be... this includes marketing, extended editions of the trilogy, etc.

Of course, the thread will go where it goes... just thought I'd mention that considering there are about twenty other topics about if they'll be made. Thought I'd be a little different...

[TheRealNeo]

Mhm OK.

I think that there is a possibility that sequels will go ahead, especially with the recent Pullman producers thing, but there is also a high chance that it will NOT be a faithful adaption, because since New Line believe The Golden Compass was not well defined as a child's film and would be making every effort to promote it as such if sequels went ahead. I'm not even sure if it is New Line or Warner Bros. who are in control of the rights anymore. The chances of a director's cut at the moment are slim I think, because it would cost much .

But overall I would say there is a 50/50 chance that there will be sequels, a smaller chance they will be as faithful as we should like, and maybe a 50/50 chance Weitz would direct again.

A Director's Cut is possible but will be hard for Weitz to get the money for it.

[daemon_light]

Mhm OK.

I think that there is a possibility that sequels will go ahead, especially with the recent Pullman producers thing, but there is also a high chance that it will NOT be a faithful adaption, because since New Line believe The Golden Compass was not well defined as a child's film and would be making every effort to promote it as such if sequels went ahead. I'm not even sure if it is New Line or Warner Bros. who are in control of the rights anymore. The chances of a director's cut at the moment are slim I think, because it would cost much .

But overall I would say there is a 50/50 chance that there will be sequels, a smaller chance they will be as faithful as we should like, and maybe a 50/50 chance Weitz would direct again.

A Director's Cut is possible but will be hard for Weitz to get the money for it.

Hmm... sure.

Of course, I do think it'll be harder for them to promote this one as a child's film, and hopefully they'll realize they shouldn't. Golden Compass is more easily turned into a family film than Subtle Knife or Amber Spyglass, with the CG animals, magical alternate universe, and all that...

I'm hopeful that Deborah Forte will do a better job promoting and (more importantly) making these films more adult. With three MAJOR deaths happening in the SK due to the GC cut, it'll be more difficult to maintain a light and fluffy mood. I remember reading the article I think you're referring to stating that the studio thought the problem with their marketing was that they didn't sell it to families well enough. I wish they'll realize that the problem with their marketing was that it looked like a generic fantasy film to the public, which it certainly was not. They need to advertise the next two as the trilogy that will REINVENT fantasy.

Hope it works!

[tato]

a directors cut costs money?i thought it was just edit deleted scenes and thats all. what i know is that they have many scenes already done, like that one when lyra and pan are running in the jordan, and he , as a mouse, transforms into a cat, and say something about daemons. many scenes are done, so, it will cost that much?for sure the sales will pay the costs, i think. the dvd closed with 2 millions in us right?45 millions, few sadly!

[TheRealNeo]

The Problem with the Director's Cut would be that there are some scenes where the effects are still unfinished and that would cost a little bit more than just editing new scenes in.

@daemon_light

Thats the quote I meant. Unfortunately you put your hopes in Deborah Forte, but she is the one who said it:

It's hard to avoid the conclusion that the foreign indies such as Entertainment in the U.K., Metropolitan in France, Tripictures in Spain, 01 in Italy and Gaga in Japan, not to mention Warner in Germany, simply did a better job of understanding and positioning "Golden Compass" as a family film, and heading off the potential problems in advance, than New Line's domestic team did.

"The film left money on the table in the States," admits Forte. "The perception of this movie as a family film was not as great as in other territories. It did not get the heart of the family demographic that it was intended to. Maybe because it was coming from New Line, all the press was about whether it was the next 'Lord of the Rings,' a lot of the press was about very heady issues, none of the press was about the movie itself. It was not clear to a lot of family audiences that this film was for them."

Forte won't be drawn into blaming New Line's marketing strategy. But for the upcoming DVD release, she says efforts are being made to rectify the problem. "We've talked to New Line about it, and they have agreed it must be marketed as a family film for DVD."

"This was a success as a family movie in most countries, it's a very strong family franchise, it won an Academy Award. We have to make the second and the third movie.

so everywhere there's the word "family" in a way.

[daemon_light]

I know what she said... I'm just hoping she finds it impossible to do with the next two, and realizes the mistake in marketing is clearly not because it wasn't family-oriented enough.

[TheRealNeo]

I hope she will handle it, although we haven't heard from her since March.

[daemon_light]

I hope she will handle it, although we haven't heard from her since March.

*sigh...*

Any news from any person that actually knows what's going on would be nice.

[TheRealNeo]

Maybe one of the producers Pullman spoke with was she.

[Grumman]

It has just been known that WB has delayed Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince from November 2008 to July 2009http://www.suntimes.com/entertainment/movies/1108607,potter081408.article, even when the postproduction will be finished as scheduled. Although they blame the writer's strike, the actual reason isn't clear. This apparently means that they are in some deep trouble, so I guess they are in no position to go ahead with The Subtle Knife within any forseable future.

[daemon_light]

It has just been known that WB has delayed Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince from November 2008 to July 2009http://www.suntimes.com/entertainment/movies/1108607,potter081408.article, even when the postproduction will be finished as scheduled. Although they blame the writer's strike, the actual reason isn't clear. This apparently means that they are in some deep trouble, so I guess they are in no position to go ahead with The Subtle Knife within any forseable future.

Oh my God... I feel so utterly and brutally betrayed. Thanks for letting us know though. I feel like I've been stabbed. EIGHT MONTHS! What the ~*iguana*~ were they thinking...

[TheRealNeo]

That means nothing to subtle knife, because its now longer clear that it won't come Christmas 09, also they moved harry potter because they have no blockbuster in the summer.

Like every other studio, we are still feeling the repercussions of the writers strike, which impacted the readiness of scripts for other films — changing the competitive landscape for 2009 and offering new windows of opportunity that we wanted to take advantage of," he said. "We agreed the best strategy was to move 'Half-Blood Prince' to July, where it perfectly fills the gap for a major tent pole release for mid-summer."

Anybofy else thinks of the HDM sequels?

Its clear that we have to wait for so long.

1.) The merging into New Line to Warner took/takes time
2.) The writers strike made some new problems and cost time to be worked out.

[daemon_light]

also they moved harry potter because they have no blockbuster in the summer.

F**king STUPID!! But... if this means that it'll help production start sooner on Subtle Knife then I can forgive this whole thing with Harry Potter.

[TheRealNeo]

also they moved harry potter because they have no blockbuster in the summer.

F**king STUPID!! But... if this means that it'll help production start sooner on Subtle Knife then I can forgive this whole thing with Harry Potter.

I can't imagine how this could inffect the subtle knife in a way.