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Armada -- based on Ernest Cline's novel -- news, rumors
EXCLUSIVE: Dan Mazeau has been tapped to write a draft of Armada based on Ernest Cline’s New York Times best-selling novel for Universal Pictures. Cline wrote an earlier draft of the screenplay and will remain in collaboration with Mazeau and producers on the forthcoming draft. Cline is coming off a great weekend for Ready Player One which has grossed north of $186.4M worldwide to date. Ready Player One is enjoying a nice trifecta with No. 1 at the global B.O., and both the New York Times paperback and audio book bestsellers list. Cline co-adapted his book for the screen. Dan Farah (Ready Player One) and Dylan Clark (Planet of the Apes) are producing through their Farah Films and Dylan Clark Productions banners, respectively. Scott Stuber executive produces. Mazeau’s credits include Wrath of the Titans, World’s Most Wanted for Original Film and Vin Diesel, Section 6 for Joe Cornish, Marc Platt, Big Talk and Grey Matter, and Van Helsing for Chris Morgan Productions and Secret Hideout. EVP of production Jon Mone and VP of production Jay Polidoro will oversee the project on behalf of Universal. EVP Beau Bauman will oversee for Dylan Clark Productions. Mazeau is represented by CAA, Circle of Confusion, and Lee Rosenbaum at Katz Golden Rosenman, LLP. Cline is repped by CAA and Farah Films & Management. Universal snapped up the film rights to Armada days after Cline landed a monster North American publishing deal with Crown back in December 2012. Less than year after the publication of Ready Player One, Cline wrote a 20-page proposal for Armada. While Cline wrote his novel Armada for publishers, he also wrote the adaption for Universal, an impressive balancing act no other writer has pulled off, made more impressive by the fact that he was also adapting Ready Player One at the same time. Also filled with many Easter Eggs of ’80s and ’90s pop culture, and wish fulfillment like Ready Player One, Armada follows teen Zack Lightman who learns that the space invaders-like videogame he’s been playing for quite some time is actually a recruitment tool for a secret government organization called the Earth Defense Alliance, which has been in a secret war with an alien race for decades. Now that the war has escalated to a threat of invasion of Earth, Zack and the other top gamers are officially recruited and called into action. They must now use their gaming skills to help save the world. Armada has been published in 20 languages in 36 countries. Cline has another top secret book project that Random House bought after Armada was published, but the details of that have yet to be announced. Farah is producing that adaption and Cline will write the screenplay. |
Re: Armada -- based on Ernest Cline's novel -- news, rumors
Terrible novel that lends a metric ass-ton of credence to the theory that Ready Player One was a fluke and Clines is a one-trick pony.
"D&D-playing nerds must save humanity!" |
Re: Armada -- based on Ernest Cline's novel -- news, rumors
Originally Posted by Hokeyboy
(Post 13302754)
Terrible novel that lends a metric ass-ton of credence to the theory that Ready Player One was a fluke and Clines is a one-trick pony.
"D&D-playing nerds must save humanity!" |
Re: Armada -- based on Ernest Cline's novel -- news, rumors
Originally Posted by Noonan
(Post 13302760)
Sad to hear. This is in my backlog to read. Would you say it's not worth getting into?
There's a reference to pop culture geekery in every single sentence. |
Re: Armada -- based on Ernest Cline's novel -- news, rumors
Originally Posted by Dr. Mantle
(Post 13302788)
I loved Ready Player One. I stopped reading Armada after 75 pages.
There's a reference to pop culture geekery in every single sentence. |
Re: Armada -- based on Ernest Cline's novel -- news, rumors
So it's basically The Last Starfighter with the government doing the recruiting instead of aliens?
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Re: Armada -- based on Ernest Cline's novel -- news, rumors
Yeah it sounds like a cross between The Last Starfighter and Pixels.
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Re: Armada -- based on Ernest Cline's novel -- news, rumors
Speaking of second novels, how was Artemis, from The Martian guy? That didn’t get as much hype either.
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Re: Armada -- based on Ernest Cline's novel -- news, rumors
Originally Posted by bluetoast
(Post 13302913)
Speaking of second novels, how was Artemis, from The Martian guy? That didn’t get as much hype either.
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Re: Armada -- based on Ernest Cline's novel -- news, rumors
Originally Posted by Noonan
(Post 13302760)
Sad to hear. This is in my backlog to read. Would you say it's not worth getting into?
From my Goodreads review: Armada by Ernest Cline My rating: 2 of 5 stars Alien invasions! Video games! Loner angry kid with single mom as hero! Sci-fi, fantasy, action movie references! Wish fulfillment 101, get your seats, buckle up, and hang on for the ride of your life! I refuse to compare this novel, despite its obvious similarities (and tropes and over reliance on pop culture beats) with “Ready Player One”, a book which I really, *really* enjoyed. A story should rise or fall on its own merits/demerits, and so be it. That said… “Armada” simply didn’t work. It was clunky, ham-fisted, a bit too pleased with itself, relied on way too much plot contrivance that my eyes got tired of rolling, and do I even need to mention the Deus LEX Machina to push the storyline along when needed? No spoilers, but you’ll know it when/if you read it. The book is squarely rooted in YA-territory, which is fine. But the flaws I listed above, combined with an ending that felt rushed and entirely unfulfilling, left me cold and disappointed. Young adults probably deserve something a little meatier. Cline’s world-building strengths are on clear display in this book; the careful construction of the events and rules of his universe helped keep my interest afloat throughout its quick reading time. But in the end, it didn’t amount to much of anything. Disappointed? Very much so, but I’ll definitely be reading his next book because I know he can do better. |
Re: Armada -- based on Ernest Cline's novel -- news, rumors
I didnt think it was that bad. I did find a copy last week in one of those "little libraries" that people have on their yards. i picked it up for my teenage gamer daughter.
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