Mwamba wrote:I think it would be nice if the Japanese took it over and made it an anime movie.

Or better yet, a series. xD

My thoughts exactly when I saw the animation WhitePanda made ^-^. I'm an otaku(ish), so I would love that...Also, it might popularize the Trilogy, considering the vast amount of anime-watchers these days.

Mwamba wrote:I think it would be nice if the Japanese took it over and made it an anime movie.

Or better yet, a series. xD

Perenutet wrote:My thoughts exactly when I saw the animation WhitePanda made ^-^. I'm an otaku(ish), so I would love that...Also, it might popularize the Trilogy, considering the vast amount of anime-watchers these days.

I think making it into an anime would limit the viewers to a very narrow group of viewers, and most commercial cinemas dont release animes, unless the movie is particularly good. Therefore the movie would risk getting lost in the whole hollywood-industry mess, only to be found on some sleazy free-movie internet site.
If the Lord of the Rings had been an anime, it would probably have met a similar fate. Therefore I think what we need is a live-action movie (and just hope that it becomes one of good quality, not like, for an example in the case of Eragon, where the book was a HUGE and very popular thing , but the movie turned out so bad, the production abandoned the idea of filming the rest of the trilogy).

Thats just what I think, I've never really been a huge fan of the whole anime thing (Damn, I feel the hate on me already :P )

Salin_Mandrake wrote:

Mwamba wrote:I think it would be nice if the Japanese took it over and made it an anime movie.

Or better yet, a series. xD

Perenutet wrote:My thoughts exactly when I saw the animation WhitePanda made ^-^. I'm an otaku(ish), so I would love that...Also, it might popularize the Trilogy, considering the vast amount of anime-watchers these days.

I think making it into an anime would limit the viewers to a very narrow group of viewers, and most commercial cinemas dont release animes, unless the movie is particularly good. Therefore the movie would risk getting lost in the whole hollywood-industry mess, only to be found on some sleazy free-movie internet site.
If the Lord of the Rings had been an anime, it would probably have met a similar fate. Therefore I think what we need is a live-action movie (and just hope that it becomes one of good quality, not like, for an example in the case of Eragon, where the book was a HUGE and very popular thing , but the movie turned out so bad, the production abandoned the idea of filming the rest of the trilogy).

Thats just what I think, I've never really been a huge fan of the whole anime thing (Damn, I feel the hate on me already :P )

If you indeed look at it that way, hmm, yeah, I agree :). There are a lot of anime viewers, but not a lot compared to the popularity of movies. Some people would love an anime, however most people (perhaps) wouldn't even hear about it. It's true that anime series' aren't played in theaters, but rather are watched online.....(Still, though, if there was an anime, I would rejoice :P). I agree completely with the Eragon case- I loved the books, but the movie....er, just....no. Same with Vampire's Assistant...

Hey,

As someone who has devoted a lot of time learning about the film industry, and screenwriting I predict that the film adaptation may be doomed to mediocrity. The studio system in Hollywood is broken. More and more movies that come out just plain suck, and things have become incredibly risk averse while budgets continue to balloon.

The craft of screenwriting is also on the decline, and collaboration between "artists" isn't what it used to be. Screenwriters ideas get overridden by producers and managers that have no idea what they are doing. There's a hundred million at stake, no two hundred million, so the "love interest" has to be developed more, or the "explosion has to be bigger" or "this star needs a bigger scene or they won't sign" etc etc.

They could have an Oscar winning/nominated screenwriter screaming not to change something that would totally destroy the movie, and they would ignore him. Maybe it's because he doesn't understand the realities the director faces shooting the scene, but more than likely the decision makers are clueless about the craft. So few of them read, or understand writing, so why should that be a surprise?

Think about The Lone Ranger. Total disaster. They spent $250 million (and more with marketing) and they did so many things wrong:

(minor spoilers)

1. They pissed off Native Americans.
2. They didn't have a love interest in the film.
3. They made the Lone Ranger into a loser who they dragged through the mud.
4. Depps portrayal was a bit bizarre.
5. It was violent in this really psychotic way - not in a fun shootem up kind of way.

I predict with Bartimaeous they would:

1. Lose Bart's cleverness and make him into a silly flying genie or something.
2. Do something "weird" with the chemistry between Kitty and Nathaniel.
3. Lose the tone of the series completely (happens all the time).
4. Introduce some stupid insipid idea from an actor that doesn't fit the series at all.
5. Get so fearful that they change big parts of the series. Suddenly Lovelace is really the good guy, and it's the "evil spirits" that need to be stopped.
6. Change the macguffin into something else other than the amulet, or change what the amulet does completely so audiences can "grab onto it" easier.
7. Make it so special effects driven that the character arcs, plotting, and story structure are lost.

Who knows though, but I tend to put my expectations on the low side for film adaptations.

If they made a movie it would probably go under the huge mass of films that are vomited out on regular basis, especially if they mess it up.

Most movie adaptations from books do exactly what hexdrex said and will probably not get the desired publicy for the books.

If there was an anime... not many people are interested in anime, many even consider it childish and overdone, so that probably wouldn't work either.

I wonder what would happen if they made a cartoon out of it, or a 3D movie? the problem would, of course, be quality (please, nothing in the style of 'fairly odd parents' or stuff like that!) and keeping the tone of the books (meaning, that they don't water down strong themes etc.)

Anime has a narrow group of viewers, and I doubt thats the exact same target group who reads Barthimaues. It would not appeal to everyone, and I think that would be unfair for a large group of people who have read the books.
Cartoons, as well as anime (for that matter) would encounter the issue of not being taken seriously. It would risk getting caught up and made into a kids show or something like that (not favorable for obvious reasons...) :P

Honestly I think the only real solution is a live-action movie. Yes, it could screw up like Eragon (or The Golden Compass for that matter) did.

There seems to be very little chance of the Bartimaeus Trilogy making it to the big screen now; novel-based movies tend to hit theaters when the books are at their peak popularity to attract the highest profit.
Anime, although it can be quite serious (despite the stereotypes; it's true that some people view it as generally childish) is typically based on Japanese works (manga). American anime just doesn't seem to get the same vibe among watchers of it.

In any case, it may be better if the Bartimaeus Trilogy remained as it is now. I highly, highly doubt that movies can suppress the images already in our heads.
Besides, there's Bart's witty narrating and hilarious footnotes. Nothing would be the same without them.

I assume the footnotes would appear as voiceovers or flashbacks, depending on the situation.
Our next hope could be Lockwood, if it gets wildly popular.

Film rights for Lockwood were purchased in October 2012. I haven't heard anything since, though.

Who bought them?

Illumination Entertainment (who made Despicable Me) and Universal Pictures.

Cool, are we gonna have a 3D version of Lockwood?

Supposedly live action.

Double emphasis on 'supposedly'.

Supposedly we're gonna get a movie.
Supposedly it's gonna be live action.