Whedonesque : Comments on 7021 : Sarah Michelle Gellar Is To Star In "Alice."

Universal is really loving the whedonverse lately :). So, another horror movie for Sarah. I don't love horror, but I probably check this out for Sarah's sake!

MySerenity | June 21, 03:47 CET

Oooh. I think this could be wonderful for her (especially as Buffy was kind of a fractured fairytale of sorts in her own right). I'll definitely see it.

orphea | June 21, 03:50 CET

I love horror :D
And i think Marcus Nispel did a great job in Texas Chainsaw remake.

Angel TheVampire | June 21, 04:04 CET

YAY! I am glad SMG is continuing to do interesting roles. I enjoyed her in The Grudge and this looks to be very interesting. I can't wait to see the results.

holymother | June 21, 04:05 CET

Ummm Yay!

nixygirl | June 21, 04:05 CET

Totally cool! SMG is doing great!

FalenAnjl | June 21, 04:07 CET

Okay, so SMG is sticking the horror then, eh? Not bad, I guess. She's doing quite well for herself.

Christopher | June 21, 04:15 CET

I think SMG is trying a little of everything, as there are as many different types of horror as there are comedy and drama.

FalenAnjl | June 21, 04:17 CET

She seems to be doing a variety of different films so good for her. I'm happy to see her being so much in demand and hopefully these upcoming films she is in will showcase just how talented she is.

I've never heard of this game. Is it a PC game or is it on Xbox and Playstation? It sounds like a fun twist on the story and I can very well picture her being able to play this kind of role.

[ edited by Firefly Flanatic on 2005-06-21 02:22 ]

Firefly Flanatic | June 21, 04:21 CET

That was one creepy PC game. Should make for an interesting movie! It was called "American McGee's Alice". Came out a few years ago.

AncientMagicks | June 21, 04:26 CET

Gonna see if I can find it on Amazon or Ebay!! Thanks AncientMagicks!! - Just went to tell my kids about the movie and they both are very familiar with the game and have seen it. Said it's very violent and weird but good.

Firefly Flanatic | June 21, 04:30 CET

Eliza Dushku was rumoured to be attached to this project a few years back...

[ edited by Craig Oxbrow on 2005-06-21 02:34 ]

Craig Oxbrow | June 21, 04:33 CET

From Amazon:

Amazon.com Review

American McGee is best known for his work on shooters like Quake III, but he split off from id Software recently and his first effort is Alice, a twisted romp through his own version of Lewis Carroll's Wonderland. The trick is that Alice, now older, is the lone survivor of a house fire that kills her family. She's stuck in an asylum and must regain her own sanity by returning to the madcap Wonderland she visited as a child. She's a darker person now, and, perhaps consequently, Wonderland is correspondingly dark.

The Queen of Hearts cruelly rules the land, the White Rabbit is tattered, the Cheshire Cat sports a pirate earring and a mangy, emaciated look, and the Mad Hatter is even madder than before. Alice, armed with her characteristic politeness, athletic ability, and a large knife, must venture through this dark Wonderland righting wrongs while thwarting the Queen and her army of playing-card guards.

Sounds like something I'd really like! And it sounds perfect for SMG with her experience on Buffy and all the athletic stuff she had to do for that show!

[ edited by Firefly Flanatic on 2005-06-21 02:36 ]

Firefly Flanatic | June 21, 04:35 CET

That's wonderful, although I found the actual gameplay in "American McGee's Alice" kind of meh, the tone, look and wonderful imagination of the game still stick with me.

I actually have a torn out advertisement with the Mad Hatter and Alice from a PC magazine.

This is really great news, hope they make a good film.

rabid | June 21, 04:39 CET

So I assume she'll have to go back to being blonde? Sounds like a good movie idea. SMG's stock is really growing.

eddy | June 21, 04:40 CET

The picture of the game case showed "Alice" with brown hair. Don't know if that's what she looked like in the game.

Firefly Flanatic | June 21, 04:43 CET

She is great with either. I bet she sticks with the brown for this. If they make this like the first Resident Evil ,it is going to kick some serious ass.

FalenAnjl | June 21, 04:51 CET

I agree with rabid. The gameplay was fairly standard, but some of the visuals were just extraodinary. It's the game that made me afraid of giant doors.

Good fodder for a movie, if done right... the plot in the game was a little underbaked, at parts (particularly in regards to Alice, herself), so if the movie can correct that, it'd be groovy.

Can SMG do a decent English accent? It just wouldn't be the same without it...

SlackJawedVampireHunter | June 21, 04:55 CET

I assumed that they would shoot with a PG-13 rating in mind. That seems like the current trend. There might be some interesting visuals but I wouldn't count on too much gore (which is fine).

I'm pretty sure that Alice went sort of crazy (so to speak) in the game and turned into a demon at various moments. I wonder if that aspect will remain.

VJP666 | June 21, 05:04 CET

Oy. OK, I'll get flamed, everyone else is so pleased, but I am bummed that once again, SMG is being offered B-movies. She doesn't get offered the parts that even, say, Reese Witherspoon does. Which is odd given their similarities.

I'd really like to see Sarah in A-list big budget films. No more horror!

cronopio | June 21, 05:15 CET

Not seeing how this is B-movie. And I am glad she is not doing what RW is doing as most of those roles are twitty over the top sap. Plus is RW doing anything anymore?

Geting the lead in a huge movie like this, that hopefully launches a franchise(all movies, I believe, hope to launch "the new IT" franchise,especaily Computer games and sci-fi) is incrediable. I am willing to bet the director will be big time. Tim Burton anyone???

FalenAnjl | June 21, 05:21 CET

Burton would be perfect. I'm not really expecting him, though.

SlackJawedVampireHunter | June 21, 05:22 CET

Wow, I never expected this movie to actually fly. Never played the game but I got the feeling that is one of those game adaption that just might work. And it not like the fact that Sarah will star in it will make me less interested in it... :)

Djungelurban | June 21, 05:29 CET

Wow, this sounds really interesting. I am looking forward to all of SMG's upcoming movies. Revolver, Southland Tales, and now Alice which i think sounds the most interesting.

Dhoffryn | June 21, 05:44 CET

Unfortunately I have a very strong negative reaction to the idea of movies based on video games; that's probably just my age talking. Just seems to me that games will, of necessity, lack a certain richness of characterization that I look for in movies - good ones anyway.

I still fervently wish for Sarah to get a rich deep character part; no action, no knives, no kicks, no scares, just performance. I have nothing against horror movies, or other genre movies, and Alice could well be a good career move for Sarah, but I would love to see her play a more dramatic role. Doesn't have to be big budget, just well-scripted. Somehow I don't believe this is going to be that. But, more power to her. She pretty much knows what she wants.

SoddingNancyTribe | June 21, 05:45 CET

I think Alice is a good game to be made into a movie, since the strengths of the game came from the imagination behind it. If one was to weave a story through the twisted Wonderland that American McGee created, it could be a great film.

When I first played Alice, I thought it had a very Tim Burton visual style, he would be great. If done well, this wouldn't neccesairly be a B-level horror film.

Added Note - In defense of movies based on games, most of the attempts have just plain been bad. I think a story along the lines of Final Fantasy 10, or Metal Gear Solid could make for very good movies.

[ edited by rabid on 2005-06-21 03:52 ]

rabid | June 21, 05:48 CET

And here I thought they were talking about the 1970's CBS sitcom"Alice". Well kiss my grits I'm old!

nakedandarticulate | June 21, 05:55 CET

Sodding, American McGee's Alice was a very well written game, lots of atmosphere. American McGee is very committed to his vision, and I assume this movie wouldn't get made unless he has veto power in the creative process. With all other video game movies it wasn't made by anyone actually involved with the game, they were made quickly by studios thinking that if people liked the game they would be OK with any crap they put out. But in the last few years the gaming industry is being more and more widely accepted.

I think this could very well be the first good movie based on a video game. And I look forward "American McGee's Oz" which I assume he is hoping the success of this movie will allow him to make. I have respect for American McGee because he is willing to make sacrifices for his craft, and refuses to work on "Generic Sequel 5" even though that is where the obvious success is.

The Halo movie is another to watch out for, I personally don’t enjoy the Halo games that much, but when MS shopped it around for a movie, they made their demands very clear, and one of them was that the creators of the game had final say in everything, and that the studio had to stick to the script (Written by the guy who wrote “28 Days Later”)

Look for some reviews of the game online, I think you might be pleasantly surprised about what is said about the games presentation and story. Here is on review for you to look at - http://pc.ign.com/articles/164/164054p1.html

This could be a great thing for SMG.

Odysseus | June 21, 06:04 CET

And here I thought they were talking about the 1970's CBS sitcom"Alice". Well kiss my grits I'm old!

LOL - that was my first thought too when I read that! I was glad to see that wasn't the case!

Firefly Flanatic | June 21, 06:20 CET

I'm so pleased with her decisions. I don't understand why people need to pick at the genre. Not every movie is the same just because they have a similar characteristic. She's said she likes scripts that she feels like doing so when you are famous then you can do those other roles that don't interest you but might get you an oscar. Alice could be a dark but layered movie like Edward Scissorhands. I see this movie with a lot of potential.

charisma | June 21, 06:52 CET

This will be her first producing role for her new company.

Marcus Nispel is directing..Anyone know who that is???

[ edited by FalenAnjl on 2005-06-21 05:33 ]

FalenAnjl | June 21, 07:27 CET

Rabid, Metal Gear Solid is the perfect game to be made into a movie. I'm surprised they haven't done it yet. I haven't played a game in years but that was the most cinematic one I did.

eddy | June 21, 08:12 CET

It's great that many folks see this as a positive step. And, as I said before, I wouldn't either second-guess SMG's own decision-making nor presume to say that the movie will suck. Oh, and thanks for the link, Odysseus. Alice certainly sounds like a labor of love - rich in art and design.

But I think my original qualms persist. It's nothing to do with the movie, which could be terrific - and that will clearly continue to raise Sarah's stock, thus giving her more choice in future roles. Still and all, nothing anyone has said changes my belief that a movie arising out of a video game will be primarily about the external visual, rather than the internal. The glowing review of Alice was all about the look, the world design, the concept. That's great, but that's not primarily what I'm interested in.

So, my personal selfish wish? I'd like to see Sarah tackle a full-on meaty dramatic role, a Mamet, a Miller, a Patrick Marber, G-d even a Tarantino - something where the visuals don't overwhelm or subvert the acting. I just wanna see what she can do when/if she flexes her acting biceps. Didn't anyone else watch that brief bit in Restless with SMG's monologue about "passing around the same worn-out urge" and wish for the same thing? Just me then. :) But, of course, congratulations to Sarah for landing another big-time part.

SoddingNancyTribe | June 21, 08:22 CET

I actually HATE video games, but this sounds interesting. Especially if Burton picks it up, I love anything he does. I'm hoping this will be better than other video game movies since the creator is involved. I'm very excited to see SMG in a film with some fantasy and possible sci fi paired with the horror. Sodding, I'm hoping if this video creator is as great as everyone seems to think, we may get a big character arc in this film. I mean her house burns down killing her parents for god sakes...pretty dramatic stuff if you ask me. Let's at least hope!

Harmalicious | June 21, 08:23 CET

I loved the PC game and was hoping they'd make a movie based on it. SMG starring in it is the icing and cherry on the (scary and creepy) cupcake!

Lunakitty | June 21, 08:30 CET

Well, at least they're making her darker. Don't think I'd buy a blue and white pinafore on SMG. And this could be interesting, but I'm with SNT.

Can't she find something without any "BOO!"?

One of my favorite scenes on Buffy was in Seeing Red when she was in the backyard, poking that stick around looking for surveilance devices. Xander comes up and they just start talking. She had verrry little makeup on, her hair was carelessly pulled back, and she was wearing a hoodie and jeans that didn't look like they'd been washed in a week. She looked fuckin great. And that scene to me, is the kind of stuff I'd like to see her do more of.

One on one, emotional stuff. We all know she can ace it, just wish 'the great role-bestowers on high' knew it too. As it stands now? She's a half-inch away from being the next Jamie Lee Curtis ( who I happen to think is great, by the way, but you get my point).

Willowy | June 21, 08:49 CET

This sounds like a Burton breeding ground. I'd love for him to do it. I dunno if he will, he's still making Corpse Bride. It does sound like the kind of movie I would love.

p.s I also first thought it was kiss my grits Alice hee hee

nixygirl | June 21, 09:33 CET

If you think about it, the next few films on her résumé will be out long before this will...assuming those do fairly well, Sarah will be "going back to her roots" (i.e. the horror genre) for Alice as opposed to "doing yet another horror flick". She'll have done "The Film Formerly Known as Revolver" (which is a thriller ALA "The Gift"), "Southland Tales" (a highly anticipated Richard Kelly film with an amazing concept) and "The Untitled Marc Klein Project" (based on the novel, The Girl's Guide to Hunting and Fishing...). People will hopefully be so preoccupied in discussing how she's stepped away from the horror genre and how she's dabbling in different genres (dramatic thriller, whatever ST will be categorized as, and rom-com drama) that they won't even think of labeling her as the next Jamie Lee Curtis (not that that is a bad thing). I also wouldn't place Alice in the same category as slasher films such as Halloween or supernatural JPN horror films such as The Grudge.

Happily N'ever After, a film for kids and families, will be coming out in theatres as well. That's four movies she'll be involved with before Alice even starts filming. I hope her career flourishes the way Johnny Depp’s has...He did films that he wanted to do and though he never got massive amounts of attention for them up until Pirates of the Caribbean, he's still considered a very capable actor.

[ edited by Kyotoyoshi on 2005-06-21 10:32 ]

Kyotoyoshi | June 21, 09:38 CET

Kiss my grits (actually that was Flo's catchphrase) Alice was based upon the book, then the movie Alice Doesn't Live Here Any More. The movie saw Ellen Burstyn as Alice.

You know, that wouldn't be such a bad role for SMG. Obviously she's too young to play an older woman, but if they spun it young? She'd be great.

Too bad she's still in the ingenue track, or trying to be. Love to see her as a married woman or struggling single mom onscreen. Meaty.

Willowy | June 21, 09:43 CET

Don't know if this was already mentioned, but I think this is a different project than the Dakota Fanning one. That one's a live action adaptation of the original "Alice" story and is set up at Dreamworks.

So no biting, Dakota.

DarqueGuy | June 21, 11:38 CET

My first reaction when reading the various messages here was to wonder why there seemed to be the hint of a negative vibe about SMG's choice of films and the way that her career is now developing. On reflection, I can understand the point that many people are making, although I don't necessarily agree that Gellar is stuck in a rut of making horror films, a contention that seems to have haunted her ever since 'I Know What You Did Last Summer' and 'Scream 2' (eight years ago, let's not forget).

'Alice' (assuming that it is 'horror' - I don't know enough about it to make that call) will be her fourth 'horror' film. While I can understand why she is sometimes referred to as the "new Jamie Lee Curtis" (nothing wrong with that) I think she has made a wider variety of films than she is frequently given credit for. The same, of course, would need to be said about JLC, even though she will always be the "Scream Queen" to many people.

I think Gellar's career gives every indication of being in a very healthy state. Her various films so far confirmed for the next couple years all sound interesting. I do appreciate the point being made that she doesn't seem to get the variety of roles offered to her that the likes of Reese Witherspoon and, say, Katie Holmes do, both of whom I think are excellent, as it happens. That certainly would appear to be the case, although I can imagine some of the reaction if Gellar were to start making films like 'Sweet Home Alabama'.

SMG is still a young woman, and I think there is little doubt that she is also very smart and knows exactly what she is doing. Even if nobody is knocking on her door to offer her the "big roles", she is still forging an interesting and successful career. Personally, in the years to come I see her developing into a kind of Naomi Watts or Cate Blanchett. Time will tell, I guess.

alien lanes | June 21, 12:13 CET

Not "The Looking Glass Wars"? Ah well. Maybe next time. Sounds like Sarah is onboard for an interesting movie.

Simon | June 21, 12:29 CET

This will be her first producing role for her new company.

FalenAnjl - what do you mean by this?

Anyway, great for SMG! She's lining up her projects pretty well. I think she's booked until mid-2006. :)

Silent Night | June 21, 15:01 CET

Part of her new talent deal was to start producing her own movies.

eddy | June 21, 15:13 CET

Don't forget SMG is shooting a romantic comedy for Warner Independent in the fall. She has done a lot of horror but I wouldn't say she's in a rut.

VJP666 | June 21, 15:16 CET

While it's premature to say that this film is going to be an outright horror film, it's clear that there will be horror elements. At this exact moment in time, given that Sarah's last film to be released was The Grudge, I can understand why some might look at this and feel like it's "another horror film". But by the time this film comes out, we'll have seen her in 'Revolver' and 'Southland Tales', neither of which are horror films. By that time, I don't see any problem with her dipping her toe into the genre again.

I also don't think it's the case that she's not being offered the same range of roles as some other actors. I think that from things she's said, she's just not interested in films which are completely formulaic. That rules out about 80% of Hollywood scripts...lol. I think this is something that will stand her in good stead in the future.

I'm not a huge fan of video game adaptations either, but I'm willing to give this a shot.

Impossible | June 21, 15:22 CET

Oh WOW! is all I can say!

I was a rabid fan of one game for a few years. Looked through a couple/few others to find another. Alice was my second favorite option, but... I got so frustrated trying to use my mouse to control it. There has to be a better way but I didn't find it.

That said, it was so cool. I can see that those who played it are enthusiastic and I'm not surprised. Yes, yes, very rich in story and visuals. And a tad creepy. That's exactly why I bought it. I even read all the printed material. Another first.

It doesn't seem like a horror flick, though, just an odd film with creepy elements. People will say that as production continues. At least not horror in the sense of The Grudge or IKWYDLS. Tim Burton? Could work wonders with it.

It's not your standard video game at all and this is puurrrrfect for SMG. If its a thoughtful and well done adaptation, it could be very good. She's an excellent choice for Alice.

It will probably get a fair amount of criticism for not being a kid's story, but that will come from folks who don't know Lewis Carrol was a nut and this is called creative liscence.

April | June 21, 15:25 CET

Quint on AICN wrote up about the movie.

eddy | June 21, 15:33 CET

eddy - I heard about that but I was wondering if FalenAnjl has other info because I've read 3 articles about this announcement but no mention of Sarah being a 'producer' for the project. :)

Silent Night | June 21, 15:34 CET

I'm never going to read comments at AICN again. Jeeez. That's why I read threads here.

April | June 21, 15:39 CET

I think it was in the full variety article that you have to subscribe to read. Back when it was announced.

Oh wait, you meant about this project. I don't know....

[ edited by eddy on 2005-06-21 13:48 ]

eddy | June 21, 15:47 CET

eddy - I heard about that but I was wondering if FalenAnjl has other info because I've read 3 articles about this announcement but no mention of Sarah being a 'producer' for the project.

Over at SMGboard, the Hostess says 'Alice' is being produced by the production arm of SMG's management company. I don't think Gellar is actually producing the film.

I took a look at the AICN report. I'm not very familair with that site. Sorry to sound like an old fuddy duddy, but are the posting board messages there always that unpleasant?

alien lanes | June 21, 15:48 CET

We aren't supposed to insult people posting at other sites, but yeah. They always are in every talkback.

eddy | June 21, 15:51 CET

At the risk of repeating myself again, please remember that we don't comment on posters/message boards at other sites.

Simon | June 21, 15:51 CET

Oops, sorry Simon.

[ edited by April on 2005-06-21 13:54 ]

April | June 21, 15:53 CET

My apologies, Simon. I'll remember for the future.

alien lanes | June 21, 15:59 CET

I agree with the person who said the game wasn't horror per-say. I guess the best way to describe is like this - American McGee's Alice is to "Disney's Alice in Wonderland" as a Grimm Fairy Tale is to the Disney movie of it. It's just dark, dark doesn't always mean horror.

Oh I meant to say this earlier in defense of video game plots. Many have wonderful, deep stories, they just don't get made into movies. Xenogears is one of my favorite games, but because of it's highly controversial story it was almost never released in the US.

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic an RPG by Bioware, has a plot that is IMO(and many others agree) that blows the three Star Wars prequels out of the water.

Odysseus | June 21, 16:11 CET

Another film to look forward to, quirky, dark, horror or close to it, hope the film does get made and doesn't fall by the wayside like so many others.
Not blockbuster material maybe but definitely sounds like something I'm likely to watch and enjoy.

Sounds like something Tim Burton could have done well but ...
the signed director Marcus Nispel seems to have a short resume but working with an up and coming director isn't neccessarily a bad thing, quite the opposite, just hope he brings something new to the table.

Looking forward to seeing SMG in a bona fide blockbuster some day, a la Naomi Watts in King Kong or Katie Holmes in Batman Begins, soon that will be the only thing missing from her resume.
( bet the producers of Batman Begins now wish they'd gone for a different choice :)

jpr | June 21, 16:21 CET

jpr: This is just my opinion of course, but I don't think Sarah would accept a role like that played by Katie Holmes in Batman Begins. I'm sure others will disagree, but it seems that she's deliberately going for films which aren't blockbusters and where her character plays an important role. I'm not sure that playing Batman's girlfriend (for all intents and purposes) is something she'd be interested in.

[ edited by Impossible on 2005-06-21 15:09 ]

Impossible | June 21, 17:08 CET

The game and the concept are already so burtonesque that actual Tim Burton wouldn't have much to do, so I don't think that will be a problem. Especially with this young director who seems to invest lots into visual style. I'm worried about horror genres usual way of portraying anything 'insane', 'hallucinatory' or 'weird' -usually you need a-list actors to be anything more than irritating. SMG is excellent, certainly good enough, but they need more, and they have to avoid raving maniacs.

futile | June 21, 17:12 CET

It sounds awesome to me! I'm a big fan of Alice in Wonderland & horror movies. Perfect combo for me.
SMG is a nice bonus.

supersymetry | June 21, 17:17 CET

I'm sort of happy but also reluctant about this film.

On one hand, any sort of films role will increase Sarah's visibility as an actress, and the film itself does sound like an interesting idea with a lot of potential, but there is the possibility that it could be a horrible mess, like many recent horror films.

I also find it odd that Sarah seems to be sticking to a lot of horror roles or those similar to Buffy, given that she left Buffy in order to avoid being typecast. The Grudge and Scooby Doo, for example. It's up to her, but I think it would be better for her to show off her various skills with a lot of different roles and in different genres rather than sticking to a similar sort of thing.

As people have mentioned above, I think if she were to work in a drama as a single mother or drug addict or something like that, which we haven't seen her play before, it would be a fantastic change. I think that Sarah just needs the right role to really launch her into the public eye, like when Scarlett Johansson did Lost in Translation, and that brought her a lot of fame and critical acclaim, and led to her being offered a lot of roles, and since then she's had a lot of success.

Razor | June 21, 17:21 CET

Isn't her porn star character in Southland Tales also a drug addict? Or did I dream that up.

eddy | June 21, 17:37 CET

Buffy was such an amazing show which incorporated every single genre. It'd be impossible to find a film which didn't have some kind of link to it. So far, she's had one horror role since the show ended. This seems to be more complex. Her next two roles don't seem to have outright horror elements, so I don't know. I don't think the choices she's made have been all that closely linked to Buffy at all. For those who know just how complex the show was anyway (which obviously includes everyone here). I do think there are superficial similarities. But once you scratch beneath the surface, I think those quickly vanish.

Impossible | June 21, 17:56 CET

Alice isn't horror!

April | June 21, 18:22 CET

Impossible, you might be right, she might not like that kind of role and prefer other roles but I do believe she'll have to do at least one if she wants to move further up the Hollywood food chain.
A critically praised role in a big moneymaking movie would silence the last doubters out there and get her more of the better quality scripts to choose from in the future, even if the role itself is less than interesting.
I do believe she should take the opportunity to play a villain in one of the bigger franchise films if she ever got a shot at it, the villains always get some good lines in before they are killed off by the hero of the piece, she doesn't have to fight the hero in hand-to-hand combat she can have broad shouldered henchmen/women for that, I can see her in the Blofeld chair, holding the cat and describing exactly how the world is going to be destroyed this time.

Razor, As Impossible mentioned it is likely that she is actually looking for interesting roles more than specific genres, 'Untitled aka Revolver' 'Southland Tales', 'Untitled Hunting and Fishing' and 'Alice' does not seem one-note to me at all.

jpr | June 21, 18:25 CET

A critically praised role in a big moneymaking movie would silence the last doubters out there...

I suspect that no matter what happens in the future or what she does, some doubters out there will never be silenced. That's just the way it is.

Some very interesting points have been raised in this thread. I think SNT made a particularly good point when he wrote:

I still fervently wish for Sarah to get a rich deep character part; no action, no knives, no kicks, no scares, just performance.

I'm just pleased that she has a lot of projects in the pipeline. They all seem interesting to me, although, in truth, I'm sad enough that I'd probably be more or less happy whatever she did.

alien lanes | June 21, 18:51 CET

"Unfortunately I have a very strong negative reaction to the idea of movies based on video games; that's probably just my age talking. Just seems to me that games will, of necessity, lack a certain richness of characterization that I look for in movies - good ones anyway."

Yeesh. This is very short-sighted. Games have all the storytelling and characterisation potential of novels and film, and so there's no reason to believe that all films based on games need to focus on the external visual element rather than the internal. There are games out there where you solve problems with action and violence, but there are plenty of games out there where you solve them with logic and smarts, and there are plenty of games out there where the fun is in the conversations and the dialogue. The only problem thus far is movie producers that have decided to just pick the shallow action game and hand the reigns over to Uwe Boll to steer directly into turdsville.

If they'd only look a little harder, there are plenty of games out there with truly awesome stories worth being re-told on the big screen.

And as for Alice, I played the game way back when and it had certain elements to it I liked - the atmosphere, the story, the design - but the gameplay never really worked very well. It's a decent choice to adapt for the screen, and to all those worrying that it's another horror film for SMG; don't. It's a very, very different type of horror than I Know What You Did Last Summer or The Grudge.

Gonnas | June 21, 19:15 CET

Not familiar with the game, but I absolutely love the concept, and I think the movie could be one of the rare videogame adaptations with some depth and genuine heart to it. I've always loved Carroll's Alice in Wonderland, all the film versions, and especially projects that take the original text and put a spin on it: Jan Svankmajer's Alice, Dreamchild, and the like.

The world of Alice is so rich in metaphor and symbolism, I doubt ANY movie delving into that world could be called pure horror. I think this project (if done right!) would combine horror, fantasy and allegory, much like Dreamchild or The Company of Wolves. Or BUFFY. This could be a stupendous breakthrough for SMG on the big screen (if Southland Tales doesn't do it for her first).

cjl | June 21, 19:25 CET

Yeah Gonnas the major problem with video game movies is that for the most part the developers(the people who actually design and craft the game) do not own the rights for the stuff they make, they have to give up the rights in order to get funded by a publisher, a publisher does not care about the franchise, or tarnishing the franchise for the most part. They only care about the money, so a publisher and a movie studio will give the concept to a yes-man director like Uwe Boll who will make the movie cheap and fast to make a quick buck off the fans. The problem is, and the publishers and studios are starting to learn this, most gamers demand quality and won't see the films.

Odysseus | June 21, 19:34 CET

I think this project (if done right!) would combine horror, fantasy and allegory, much like Dreamchild or The Company of Wolves.

Funny you should choose those particular movies, cjl: my oldest friend's dad directed the former, and my first ever proper kiss was with the young star of the latter. Small world, huh? ;) /personal plug

Gonnas: guilty as charged, as I'm happy to 'fess. We all have myopias, the trick is being aware of them . . .

SoddingNancyTribe | June 21, 20:23 CET

Odysseus, agree with your Xenogears mention. Fantastic plot. I think that one would be better suited to a TV series than a film though. Too huge and involved for a 90 minute to 2 hour movie. Unfortunately it wouldn't get out of the gate without nutty anime fans complaining that it's a Neon Genesis Evangelion rip-off, without first watching it of course.

SNT said:
Unfortunately I have a very strong negative reaction to the idea of movies based on video games; that's probably just my age talking. Just seems to me that games will, of necessity, lack a certain richness of characterization that I look for in movies - good ones anyway.

There's gotta be a video-game-based movie eventually that'll be lauded as much for its plot and acting as it is for its visuals. Comic book-based films have done it (a lot of video games are simply comic books in motion, especially the story-driven kind with dialogue bubbles and the whole bit--RPGs mostly). You agree that there've been some damn fine comic book movies, right? (putting aside the fun stuff you may like such as the Spiderman, X-Men, and Batman films--some of which did feature some pretty great acting and well thought out action-movie plots) Ghost World, From Hell, American Splendor, etc...? So it's only a matter of time before we get the same from video-game-based movies. And working in Alice's favor, it's already very literary. I mean the game is based on a classic, and the movie's based on that game and what is essentially the game's prologue, Alice in Wonderland/Through the Looking Glass. So it's got that going in its favor. At the very least we know we'll get an interesting portrayal of Alice from Gellar.

Kris | June 21, 20:40 CET

"It will probably get a fair amount of criticism for not being a kid's story, but that will come from folks who don't know Lewis Carrol was a nut and this is called creative license."

I'm certaintly waiting for the backlash so I can matter-of-factly state how much of a weirdo Lewis Carrol was anyway. The man probably intended his Alice to be somewhat dark. I've read the novel and though the disney version is excellent, my interpretation of the novel is a definitely darker. I read "Through the Looking Glass" as a kid (before I read Alice surprisingly enough) and that creeped me out quite a bit.

"I also find it odd that Sarah seems to be sticking to a lot of horror roles or those similar to Buffy, given that she left Buffy in order to avoid being typecast. The Grudge and Scooby Doo, for example. It's up to her, but I think it would be better for her to show off her various skills with a lot of different roles and in different genres rather than sticking to a similar sort of thing."

There are perhaps many reasons why she left Buffy, I don't think fear of being typecast was one of them. I think she wanted to do different roles even if that meant different roles in which she still played a strong woman. She has said that she'd rather be involved in films where she is typecast as a strong individual than someone's girlfriend (rom-coms). Her next four films have nothing to do with the horror genre unless you count Revolver, which has spiritual elements (i.e. the idea of reincarnation will be a prominent theme) but will be classified as a mystery/thiller.

"like when Scarlett Johansson did Lost in Translation, and that brought her a lot of fame and critical acclaim, and led to her being offered a lot of roles, and since then she's had a lot of success."

I still don't understand why Scarlett received so much acclaim for her role in that film. I don't think her particular role in that was as amazing as so many critics made it out to be. I paid more attention to Bill Murray's acting in the film, I must say.

When I first heard of this project I balked at the idea for a few minutes before really thinking about it. Someone, who is *not* easily impressed at all, showed me the trailer for the game a long time ago. He was extremely excited about it. I remember thinking that it had an interesting concept. I was impressed to say the least...I just never thought SMG would be the one to take the role if it were ever translated into a film version.

[ edited by Kyotoyoshi on 2005-06-21 21:38 ]

Kyotoyoshi | June 21, 23:32 CET

I attended the Public (English version) school that Lewis Carroll (real name Charles Lutwidge Dodgson) went to and his name is fairly thoroughly obscured, if not actually removed, from most records. That Dodgson had ... how could I put this ... some very unconventional relationships with pre-pubescent girls is beyond question. What those relationship actually were is not exactly clear. My Eng. Lit. teacher was firmly of the opinion that "Alice in Wonderland" was written as a form of grooming for the girl concerned.

As you can tell, that released a few ghosts for me! And I have got over them now too! But I have never been able to read any of Dodgson's work since knowing those things. "Alice in Wonderland" reads very differently in that light - characters like The Mad Hatter, the Queen of Hearts take on a very ugly light (they are your terrible and exploitative parents etc)

It has been a long time for me but I might just watch this because it is sufficiently divergent from the original that there isn't that hanging over it.

catalyst2 | June 22, 05:26 CET

June 21 2005