Registered: Jul 2000
Location: Bangor, ME
Posts: 10153

I love Ilium, but I'm skeptical about the movie deal.



ILIUM-OLYMPOS movie deal signed with Digital Domain
The following news item appeared in the January 9, 2004, issue of VARIETY

'Ilium,' 'Olympos' optioned for epic
Bain, Domain plan film on Simmons sci-fi saga

By MARC GRASER, JONATHAN BING

Visual effects facility Digital Domain and Barnet Bain Films ("What Dreams May Come") have optioned author Dan Simmons' sci-fi novel "Ilium" and its sequel, "Olympos," to adapt into a feature film.

Simmons, who will also pen the screenplay, is an award-winning sci-fi writer. His "Hyperion" saga is a multi-volume space opera widely compared to the "Dune" series.

"Ilium," published in July by the Eos imprint of HarperCollins, is another epic sci-fi tale that spans 5,000 years and sweeps across the entire solar system, including themes and characters from Homer's "The Iliad" and Shakespeare's "The Tempest."

"Olympos" will be released in 2005, providing "Ilium's" producers with a potential franchise.

Producer Barnet Bain brought "Ilium" to Digital Domain topper Scott Ross. The two will produce the pic, while Simmons will serve as an executive producer.

Duo next plan to approach directors and create a visual representation of the book to showcase the cinematic elements of the novel as a way to land distribution and attract a cast for the film.

"We're thrilled about working with Dan and Barnet on this compelling property," Ross said. "'Ilium' affords us a great opportunity to develop this film and find a visionary filmmaker capable of handling this bold landscape."

"Ilium" joins several other films Digital Domain is developing in-house, shepherded by development exec Kevin Cooper. Facility, currently busy creating effects shots for Fox's "Day After Tomorrow" and "I, Robot," has been looking to boost revenues and expand its efforts beyond solely serving as a work-for-hire effects shop. It most recently completed sequences for "Peter Pan," from Universal, Revolution and Sony. "Secondhand Lions," distribbed by New Line last September, was its first production, generating $42 million at the domestic B.O.

Bain produced "What Dreams May Come," for which Digital Domain created the majority of the visual effects sequences and won an Oscar for its work. His other credits include the television movie "Homeless to Harvard."

Simmons is repped by Richard Curtis Associates and The Firm. Molly Hansen negotiated the deal Posted: Thurs., Jan. 8, 2004, 10:00pm PM

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How the hell will they do this? Those scant few of you that read Ilium will attest, great read. A motion picture? Very hard. Simmons writes with a complexity and such verbosity, showing it in a visual way will be interesting .

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Registered: Feb 2003
Location: Oceanside, CA
Posts: 5073

I just read Ilium, and I did like it. I think it would be easier to adapt than Hyperion, but I have very little confidence that either of them *will* be adapted well. I think it could be done, but probably won't be; instead, we'll see too many changes for mass-marketing purposes.

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Registered: Jul 2000
Location: A New England
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Yeah, be nice if it adapted well, and also one of a handful of times in film history where it was.

Done.

Well.

Had too much beer to make sense of that.

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Registered: Apr 2004
Location: Den
Posts: 10984

This is on the top of my to read list, but reading it will probably ruin the movie.
Currently I'm reading Revelation Space by Alastair Reynolds, which I think would make an excellent movie.

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Registered: Jul 2000
Location: A New England
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Just gave it to Smug to read.

I need to find some more good sci-fi.

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Registered: Apr 2004
Location: Den
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Try Dragon's Egg by Robert L. Forward for some mindboggling hardcore sci-fi.
That will NEVER be a movie.

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Registered: Jul 2000
Location: A New England
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Yeah, I have that, and a few others by Forward.

One of the best hard sci-fi writers out there.

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Registered: Apr 2004
Location: Den
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Camelot 30K was stupid though. Haven't read any others.
Which is his best you think?

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Registered: Jul 2000
Location: A New England
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Just finished the Ilium - Olympos books.

Fucking great.

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Registered: Feb 2004
Location: south afrika
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this thread will make amazon fat and my wallet thin

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Registered: Sep 2000
Location: The Bottom of the Toyem Pole
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I picked up Ilium (waiting for paperback on Olympos) at Christmas, but want to finish Fagles's translation of The Iliad first.

I'd love to see Peter Jackson do a multi-movie version of the Baroque Cycle.

I also picked up Gates of Fire and Tides of War.

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Registered: Jul 2000
Location: A New England
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Assuming those are the Pressfield books, they are very enjoyable.

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Registered: Jul 2000
Location: A New England
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Pressfield also wrote, The Legend of Bagger Vance, which believe it or not was a very enjoyable read (perfect airplane fodder).

Also, if you enjoy the Pressfield books, the Michael Curtis Ford book, The Ten Thousand, is also a good account of Xenophon's journey.

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