MovieChat Forums > Rendezvous with Rama (2003) Discussion > Well, are they gonna do one or all four ...

Well, are they gonna do one or all four books?

posted 20 years ago by Tanis__13
14 replies | jump to latest

The major problem that I see with doing all four is that you need to have the Rendezvous to have Rama II, Garden, and Revealed. But, the whole cast from the first one will be dead before part two takes place. So, you have to expect the audience members who haven't read the books to swallow all new characters for the last three novels/movies.

Speaking of charcters, I pray that if the story gets continued, all of Nicole's visions get left out of the script. God I hated all that crap. Nicole des Jardins was perfect without all that Senoufo mumbo jumbo. When I re-read these books last month I just skipped all that stuff and the story just flowed better. Mr. Clarke, Mr. Lee, if you read this I'm sorry but I feel that the visions and dreams were not needed. You did a perfect job without them. And, Thank You.

[–] acclarkefan2001 20 years ago

I've got to be honest, I don't care for the sequels. The original is a masterwork, the epitome of "sense of wonder" science fiction, a staple of the genre. The sequels had no direction, were crammed with loose plot threads that went nowhere, and strayed far from the central concept. The Garden of Rama might as well not have even taken place in Rama! I hope that they make the first book into a movie and ignore the sequels.

Collin R. Skocik

[–] Tanis__13 19 years ago

I would be more than happy with that. I completely agree. My thoughts above were only for IF they make all four boks into movies.

[–] RasGold 19 years ago

I *liked* Garden of Rama ...
BTW - There are FIVE books ...
BRIGHT MESSENGERS takes off where Rama left off (But, it was written solely by Gentry Lee and sorta sucked).

[–] victoryismineblast 19 years ago

Ras... Bright Messengers takes place IN THE RAMAN UNIVERSE but is not a sequel. It should be noted however that BM has a very excellent sequel called Double Full Moon Night. All six books are excellent in my opinion.

[–] ablebravo 18 years ago

"Any technology sufficiently advanced would be indistinguishable from Magic."

I'm afraid that only Rama was any good.. I've read the entire series and honestly hated all but the original RAMA. The entire "sense of wonder" was shot to hell by Gentry Lee's hamhanded writing style. Clark is a magical writer who doesn't need any he'ep from some JPL engineer and wannabe sci fi writer. I'd be satisfied if they went with the original Rama, did an almost word-for-word transfer of every detail of the story-with a possible 3 1/2 hr run time notwithstanding- and leave the rest strictly alone.

As to directors?... Hmmm I don't want Speilberg in on this (not after that hideous abortion called the Star Wars prequel)... Lucas, maybe... but I keep thinking of Jackson.

[–] 18 years ago

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[–] carriveaua 19 years ago

I read the whole series about 10 years ago, so I'm reading them again.

I have to tell you, i like Rama II much more than the original Rama, and I think Rama II would make a wonderful movie as well. I agree, Nichole's spiritual stuff was a bit much, and could never be part of a movie, but I dont think we could of gotten a true view of Nichole without that info.

I think the characters of the second book were much more rich and interesting than the first. Nichole's lovechild and spiritual side, Wakefield's troubled past and his shakespearian excape, and Francesca's need for weath and fame. I think those insights of the characters of the novel were something that the original Rama lacked. The original Rama had lots of science, and little humanity. Rama II had lots of both.

I do agree too, that a sequel with an entirely new cast is hard to swallow, and so was the book in the beginning, but i think it would make a wonderful movie anyways

[–] SewerRanger 19 years ago

They could easily get around filming the first by giving a little introduction stating X years ago a space ship showed up, was investigated and then forgotten. The ship has now returned. Blah, blah, blah. Then start Rama II. I don't know how well the whole religious ending would go over though. Unless they made it exactly like in the book (and I mean almost word for word). I think it would destroy the rest of the movies.

"Faith: not wanting to know what is true."
- Friedrich Nietzsche
www.deism.org

[–] tad-32 19 years ago

They should just go with the first book and start it by showing why the Space Guard was formed...the asteroid impact in Europe. Arthur's details on the impact were staggering...several million people permanently lost their hearing from the shockwave of the impact while several hundred thousand were seriously wounded or killed. In addition, many priceless artifacts of humanity were lost. <if I recall from memory>

That should certainly grab the audience's attention.

[–] xredgarnetx 18 years ago

The original needs to be filmed as written. The sequels are neither here nor there. This is a Big Director's film. Maybe Ron Howard. Maybe Robert Zemeckis. Maybe Joss Whedon. Maybe James Cameron. Maybe Nicholas Meyer. Maybe Wolfgang Peterson. Maybe Gore Verbinski. Maybe Bryan Singer. Maybe Ridley Scott. Maybe Brett Rattner. Maybe even Michael Crichton. Anybody but Spielberg. Anyhow, to do the plot right, they would not have enough money to do the massive FX and pay Spielberg more than $1. Some of you will have noticed EVOLUTION swiped some of the plot, but did so badly.

[–] adamk420 18 years ago

That would be a perfect opening scene, maybe start on Earth from afar and the asteroid sweeps by and strikes Europe, then they could narrate all what happened, and how the space guard was formed.

[–] Nelfarion 17 years ago

I liked the whole RAMA series. Yeah, the spiritual ramblings were a bit much - but I did kind of liek the ending, where the concept of a god without an afterlife (or the corollary - and afterlife without a god)is toyed with. However, my biggest complaint with the books was this - I was more interested in the myrmicats and their Avian symbionts than with even the octospiders I don't recall that relationship being described very well.

Maybe leaving the movies to the first book is a good idea, but I'm not sure how a general audience would react to the ending. Besides, if it was ended like the book - "The Ramans always do things in threes" - the audience would be EXPECTING a sequel, even if they hadn't read the books and/or had no intention of doing so.

[–] 17 years ago

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[–] xredgarnetx 16 years ago

For those of us us who grew up reading Clarke novels as they were turned out, such as RENDEVOUS WITH RAMA (I was 23 when it was published), I can tell you that it would be sacrilege to combine the four books, as the three sequels are absolutely unnecessary and get worse with each sequel. I assume Fincher is filming the original novel only, which has enough material for two or three movies. There is absolutely no reason to go beyond that. Now, of course, they could film the second novel at some later date, as a halfway decent followup. But then it should stop. Novles 3 and 4 should never have seen the light of day. It is very hard to turn a sow's ear into a silk purse. And it has only happened once cinematically that I know of: JAWS, a really awful novel about an avening angel that looks like a shark eating a series of morally corrupt people, was turned into a hummer of a screenplay and movie.