Oh no! And I was just about to start a discussion on the merits of having bigger guns in a post-High School Musical world. Thanks for nothing, Adrian.

PS: My RSS for comments doesn’t seem to work, anyone else have that problem?

So you just completely disregard and put down the entire medium of anime? You haven’t found one you like. Please tell me you at least know it’s more than Naruto, Pokemon and porn.

Did I read that right, we’re getting a new press release??!!?!?!

@Wishtar: I cosplayed Belldandy last year. Does that mean I can play Anna? Please?

@ Adrian – Since you’re perusing legal documents I’ll toss another on the pile. Nothing much…just a little *cough* NDA I cooked up.*whistles innocently*
Upon receipt of the first draft of Myst – The Motion Picture, I, the undersigned, shall forfeit all rights, privileges, and licenses herein and herein contained, et cetera, et cetera . . . fax mentis incendium gloria culpum, et cetera, et cetera . . . memo bis punitor delicatum.Deius Infectus, Esq.(a cookie for the first to name the movie I stole that last part from).

*tosses Yale a cookie*

Ya’ got to wonder who the heck would be a good Veovis? Hm… what about Zachary Quinto?
Adrian: Sorry, and one more word: ANI—————

@ Flowerpower: My all time favorite Veovis would be Aidan Gillen. When I saw him play Lord Nelson Rathbone in Shanghi Knights all I could think of was, “It’s Veovis!!”

I can’t wait to find out who you have chosen to play Veovis! He’s my favorite character!

Yep, that one is easy. Wanting to redeem a coupon unquestionably symbolises a longing for a childhood toy. Amatuers would say one you had when you were 10 years old, but that’s why they are amateurs. The choice of the setting being a superstore rather than a stationmaster’s office is a dead give-away for something that happened when you were 7. The five hour standoff leads me to think this toy was somehow related to some Western theme, possibly a toy gun (five hours – Riven – broken – fixed – doctor – Doctor Horrible – cowboys – saloon – dancing girls – feather boa – snakes – on a plane – need of having bigger guns – cathedrals – anime – Winnie-the-Poh – toy gun). The vagueness of the language on the coupon when combined with the store name, meijer (not Walmart!), obviously means that you want to learn Dutch. When store managers are the enemies, this usually suggest you subconsciously want a cat, or alternatively you need to change the oil on your car. Since the store managers had a different interpretation of the language on the coupon, I’d say you want to teach the cat or the oil (cat might be somewhat more probable in this case) Dutch, but you are afraid it will want a different teacher.

That the production team were your allies is perhaps the only real nut. If I had to guess, I would say you enjoy their company and feel a fellowship with them, as well as wanting to work together with them towards a common goal. But there isn’t really enough information on the team members to make such leaps of logic, any such connection is tenuous at best. Perhaps if we knew if any of them carried handbags – that might enlighten things a bit.

Junee, I like your use of imagery. You always paint interesting pictures.

Wentworth Miller should be a good Veovis, I bet.

Telepathy waves, don’t fail us now! The Gods say…
Cameron Diaz- Veovis
Dwayne Johnson- Ti’ana
Amy Adams- The Philosopher
Denzel Washington- Gehn
Simon Cowell- Aitrus
Abigail Breslin- One of the five
The Undertaker- Another one of the five
The Gods would also like to add: Mwhaaaaaaaa!
…Telepathy sucks!

You guys should call the movie The Book of Veovis.

Do you still want Carey Mulligan for Anna, or how did that work out again?

Whoa, whoa, whoa. That guy who played Silas in The Da Vinci Code? Cool (and before you ask, no, I haven’t seen any of his other movies. I checked IMDB. Unless you want to count Iron Man).
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I liked what I saw of him, and it looks like he’s a good actor, from his resume.
Could it be Aitrus?

So….. does this mean you are actively courting actors for the movie.. or you are just making plans to contact them?

I think it was mentioned before, but the concept is more like real life. People aren’t evil, they just do evil things somethimes, and to them, the motivations behind their actions are not evil.
Things are much more grey in real life. Villians have a human side that motivates them.

“I also enjoy Paul Bettany. We’re going after him for a role…just not Veovis…”
Hmm… he looks like a good Suarhnir (or Ae’garis, or the servant guy whose name I’m forgetting). Or as a young (but not child) Gehn. Hroom, hroom…

hahaha I used to think along time ago that Haley Joel Osment back in his sixth sense days would have made a good 8 year old Gehn. The whole haunted look, he had that down.

*baddummmp cchheee*

“Paris Hilton and Nicole Ritchie to play a few of the walls of D’ni”
Burn!
But if they did play walls, audiences would wonder why D’ni didn’t collapse sooner.

Paul Bettany… Jennifer Connellys husband right, am I thinking of the right man? Speaking of Jennifer Connelly > Waking the Dead, great movie – thanks for introducing me to that one Adrian.

“But if they did play walls, audiences would wonder why D’ni didn’t collapse sooner.”
@ Flowerpower: I tip my hat to you! very good burn.

Eleri: Michael T Weiss- good choice!!! Have you even seen The Pretender? That show was awesome!

Thanks for the complement Jessica but the roles of the main characters are much to complex and deep to be played by Nate or I, but have no worries, the roles will be filled by very capable actors. This is not a fan film we are making (not that there’s anything wrong with that) this is a BIG budget film that will pull more then enough weight to get the actors we need, and it’s coming along, coming along nicely.

this is a BIG budget film that will pull more then enough weight to get the actors we need, and it’s coming along, coming along nicely.That’s what we like to hear!

Arrrgh, forgot to say this: if there are any bookshelf scenes in the movie, the Myst series has to be sitting on it.

…and we are going to Cyan HQ… not that I’m nagging or anything

Is it just me or the rss feed for the comments is broken? Not the one for this post but the one for the site in general.

@realXCV: We are fans of the Myst intellectual property, have been since we first played the original Myst game. However a fan film is a small independent production that with out much of a budget. The Myst Movie is going to be neither of those. The budget is looking to be about 100 million right now, and that makes in almost impossible to be an “independent project”.
Here an example: LoTR was made by big fans of the books and the IP, but it would never be classified it as a fan film. The Hunt For Gollum however was a fan film and was shot independently.
I hope that clears it up. This is NOT a fan film, it is a BIG budget theatrical release that we are making.

If what your saying is true, Isaac. Then I’m in complete shock that you guys have been able to get this far in talking with a production company, congrats! And a little sad, because this means that Patrick won’t get to direct the movie and Adrian will be lucky to keep his writing credit, that is unless somebody else comes along and revises the script and puts their name on it. In a way I’m excited to hear it could be a big budget movie, and then I’m not. Hollywood can be a very ruthless town. I’m gonna pray you guys have managed to find good people, because they are rare to find.

Patrick and Adrian are still planning to direct it, that has not changed. They are very capable of doing it, and it’s all apart of the package. We haven’t heard any real objections concerning that, we know that there will be some who may question the experience level of some of those involved but hard work, planning, and script are really impressing those who make decisions. We hope it stays that way.

@Issac: Ahh, you beat me to it.
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God, it’s weird to see the newer people reliving those same conversations I had with Adrian and Patrick about the whole deal months ago. How it’s not an independent film, how it’s gonna be done through Hollywood, etc. I feel like an old-timer, and I’ve only been here for around six months, approximately.
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So, question to Isaac and Nate: what is your job gonna be with the movie? Or is it more of a fluid thing, where the whole MFG is just one big think tank/labor force at this point, and that hasn’t really been decided yet?

“Animan, that’s not quite how it works”
I agree. There’s also “paying realXCV” among many other things.
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@Isaac, in my definition, a film made by fans is a fan film no matter what the budget is.

Adrian do not avoid the E-mail question this time!

What was in your e-mail?

Those that know, pray tell those unlearned in the film school experience and inexperienced in film-making (me) how exactly film budgeting works. Much appreciated.

My E-mail was about how when I was 14 in 2000 I read the Myst novels and around 2002 I was trying to write my own script for the Myst movie I wanted to make. I wanted to start with the Book of Ti’ana, although I was going to change the title to “The Story of Ti’ana” and by the time I went to the University of New Orleans to study film I was telling all my friends about the Myst novels and how my dream since I was younger was to make them into movies. I thought for so long it was my calling. Then when I worked on my first film I realized there was so much about the movie buisness I didn’t like and how I wasn’t sure I wanted to battle those kinds of people for the rest of my life to make my “art”. So I got my film degree but changed paths in life, and I’ve been all the happier for it. But… I still wanted to see those novels made into movies. So I would type “Myst Movie” into the google search engine year after year, waiting on blind hope they would have somebody who was going to do it. Then..one day it happened, google took me to this website and I just cried. Cried for joy and sadness. My movies were going to be made, but not by me. I remember like Adrian and Patrick being horrified when the Sci-Fi network said they were making their “myst mini series” and I wanted to write angry letters to them saying how they couldn’t cuz I was going to make them into movies!! lol When I saw Adrian and Patrick’s opening video they sent to Cyan about what they purposed to do I was amazed how for the last 8 years (I found this website last year) I had been living a parallel life to Adrian and Patrick, even though I’m 8 years younger than them. I also wrote in my E-mail how I wished them both the best of luck and I was proud it was men like them who were going to make this. And I still am.

*Pats Jessica Adams on the shoulder* I had the same exact feeling!
well… minus the film school… and trying to write out a script… and thinking I could be the director. But I always was excited to see if the books would become a movie. And when I found the site, I literally screamed “OH-MI-GOSH!!!! NO WAY!!!!!”
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That was like… what? a year or two ago? Now look at the project! script is finished and mostly edited (I think you guys said you edited it as much as your heart would let you), they have cyan and Rand behind it, they are already talking to producers/ producing companies, they are pushing for major stars, and they are planning on having a huge pricetag on the movie. I won’t say 100,000,000 because i think that was just a guess.
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So, needless to say, I’m still completely stoked!

Maybe they don’t receive/read/reply to emails except thoses by big names.

Most of thoses youtube myst movies are trailers made from an assembly of shots from the games and their trailers. Others are made with green or blue screens and what you get is a character that doesn’t blend at all with the background.
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I’m sure fans can do a lot better without needing a 100000000 budget.

@realXCV: If fan films are a films made by fans, most films are fan films. Why would many people bother making a movie on a subject about which they are not enthusiastic?

Off topic – just for the halibut, I just watched both the animatic and Delve’s Audition Project again, and I have only this to say…I can haz Myst Movie now?!!

No no, don’t get ILM. They’re good and all, but to me most of the time their work has this slight plastic, unreal look to them. If I were you, I’d try to go with Digital Domain, now those guys are good. Founded by the great James Cameron himself.

Vulcans: Pointy ears! Personally I think I’d just be me. Being someone or something else would change the game entirely and I’d rather figure things out for myself in this little realm before running amok as a Vlucan in another!

Heyyy… get the Skywalker Symphony (they’re real… I swear!) to play the score (done by Michael Giacchino of course)! Yeah! I’m a violinist and that’s one of the organizations I’d do just about -anything- to be part of!

I’ll have to agree with WETA. The work they did on LOTR was incredibly realistic. ILM’s CG in the last three Star Wars films looked like CG. not what you want.

Actually, ILM is capable the very best visual effects in the industry. I think the reason their CGI in the latest Star Wars movies was sometimes spotty was because of the sheer amount of effects that Lucas had them do. But, their work on the Pirates movies, especially the last two were some of the best I have ever seen. It’s too bad, because those movies weren’t that good.

I don’t care which company (or companies) will work on the myst movie. It can be done by a billon dollars company or an ordinary guy in its basement. What I care is that at the end, the movie look like what it should look like.

Adrian is a LofR groupie… Adrian is a LofR groupie… nah nah.. nah nah nah… *running around in circles, waving hands*

“Adrian is a LofR groupie… Adrian is a LofR groupie…”
LofR? Lord of five Rings? Lord of fat Robots? Land on far Rivers?

Okay, ILM isn’t the best. Didn’t know that. ^_^
My demand still stands: I WANNA KNOW BOUT DA LINKY EFFECTS!!! WAAA!!!!

From what I’ve read you all seem like you are legit and going through with this movie, I have hoped there would be a movie for this game for quite a while (The game already has the cinematic presence on it’s own). A movie for this game would require some high-quality cinematography, as well as quite a cast of talented actors, not to mention top-notch special effects and CGI. Do you think you all will be able to add all of this into the motion-picture, and have you had any thoughts on casting at all?

“From what I’ve read you all seem like you are legit and going through with this movie, I have hoped there would be a movie for this game for quite a while (The game already has the cinematic presence on it’s own). A movie for this game would require some high-quality cinematography, as well as quite a cast of talented actors, not to mention top-notch special effects and CGI. Do you think you all will be able to add all of this into the motion-picture, and have you had any thoughts on casting at all?”
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Just to clarify, the Myst movie is going to be off one of the novels – the Book of Ti’ana (the story of the fall of D’ni, among other things). They have apparently given quite a lot of thought to casting, but we haven’t been told too much yet (on this page you can see Adrian mention that they know who they want for Veovis and that “… Paul Bettany. We’re going after him for a role…just not Veovis…”, we’ve also gotten some other hints earlier back [but my poor long term memory forgot what exactly they were hinting at]). They’re looking for a pretty nice budget for the film too, so they can probably afford good CGI and special effects where needed.

I’m joking guys , Weta seems to be on the cutting edge of everything in the special effects realm, often times re-inventing the edge. They get my vote.

Jeremy Davies… *drool* Ehem, sorry, just watched my favourite movie of all time so far again. What’s your favourite movie? You’re only allowed to pick one!
(Now I most certainly have to watch Lost maybe.)

So…whatever happened to that press release that was mentioned waaayyy up there? Usually with press releases they get…released.

Words of great advice (for anyone in any situation):
1) Four walls make a house
2) Never read a book that begins with a monologue about death to an elderly person who is living in a retirement home.
3) Never write emo/ semi- suicidal sounding term papers- they will get sent to the counselors

Let’s try to get this into production first…

“Production is about to begin on “The Hobbit”. The two films that will be created for this book will probably have Weta quite busy for the next few years. They may not be a possibility for Myst, sadly.”
…
…
…F**k.

The probability of getting Weta to do effects isn’t zero, you know. It is if you stop trying to get them interested. So, don’t give up. You never know what could happen- artistic differences, they expand, finish early, etc. Look on the bright side, what if they come up with a new technique (or whatever) that revolutionizes effects and what if they do work on Bot. Still keep them in mind if they’re what you want.

Okay so I was really excited to see that someone, anyone was even thinking about making a movie remotely concerning myst. Then reading the about the long tortuous rollercoaster of the efforts has left me concerned. I am not getting any younger and I would really like to get to see this before my eyes are totally gone. I’m not D’ni you know. is there any target date for poroduction? As the ancients have said “No date?… its only a wish”.

Hobbit production is possibly on hold because the Tolkien estate is suing New Line (for the same reason PJ did- underreported profits.)

Strange conversation at our house: Christopher Lambert as Creepy D’ni Guy, just for the voice.

Hm, not sure about the eyes… It would be neat, but wouldn’t it be a very arduous task to change the eyes of nearly everyone in the movie?
And even disregarding that, I think changing the eyes would be much too distracting. Not necessarily in an uncanny valley way, but when people watch it, instead of paying attention to what is going on in the movie, they would just go: “Hey, look at their eyes! Their eyes are weird!”. That’s not what we want, is it?
I for one hope that they concentrate on making a good movie first and pleasing fans second when it comes to things like this. It should be as detailed and authentic as possible, but not in a way that steals the focus from the story too much. Or what do you think?

Or Vulcans for that matter!

They wouldn’t need to change the eyes of everyone digitally, it can be done relatively cheaply with contacts. TV shows, as well as movies, have been using this to change eyes for ages.

‘the show must go onnnn’ …will this ever end? say it ain’t sooo [falls on mah knees and begs the higher universal power to show mercy] I want my MYST! in any shape or form! hercules, hercules! buys my ticket early for the BIG SHOW! * wonders if Tim Burton and Disney are a likely blend for this one tooo…MYSTical real[m]…oh yes!

“The Book of Atrus” says of Gehn, “…the irises of his eyes were huge, a thin circle of pale green about them.” Even if another reliable source contradicts this one, I would choose large pupils for scientific accuracy. Our own pupils must grow in dim places to let enough light into the eye.

Come on, guys–I know you have more to write about now!

Have we driven you two crazy with all the eye-talk yet?

Eyes are the windows to the soul…

@thestrangerd: That’s a good point, however, as we see with Atrus, the D’ni blood runs quite strong (his age, among other things), so I think that it’s safe to assume that gehn, who has much more d’ni blood than atrus, has eyes very similar to a tru blooded D’ni.

I agree that Aitrus’s picture is a better example of D’ni appearance, but to me his pupils look like ours. Does anyone else agree? MYSTlore says only that D’ni pupils are pale, not narrow or large. Thestrangered: I would appreciate a citation of one of the quotes you remember from the books to relieve me of my doubt.

@ Isaac T. – I’ve always had the same problem with that photo. The reason he looks like a civil war vet is because the photo it was based upon is of Benjamin Huger, a civil war Confederate general. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benjamin_Huger_(general)

I had to laugh at Isaac’s ironic comment about the civil war veteran. Haha.
_
I remember when the thing with Gehn’s face in the Riven book at the beginning of Riven was explained, something was said about him having the slightest resemblance to D’ni’s think pupils. Just saying…

Good catch Deius! Those two photos are the same, seems like we need to update the Myst Lore site (Maybe we will when we have our actors nailed down.)

You should get Major Benjamin Huger for Aitrus part!

>_<

Yeah.

Anyway, I noticed the age problem too. And that’s why I said: at least keep the beard. You obviously won’t get an actor that age since it’s a mistake by developers, but the Huger’s beard is very nice and I can see it fitting in with a younger actor.

As for the pupils, maybe when they said “pale” they didn’t talk about the color, but about the eyes being weak?
:O

What do you want? I’m trying, I’m trying!

I nominate Thestrangered for president of F.A.B. (Fans of Aitrus’ Beard). They even have a rally song. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xe3Vsbsb33Q By the way, it wasn’t me who caught the Aitrus/Huger photo thing. someone else posted it somewhere years ago. I just happened to remember it.

BTW for anyone who couldn’t notice I’m usually known as “the stranger”, I just changed my name. And I think I’ll change also at MOUL forums.

Nestor Carbonell as Aitrus… then we can all argue if he wears eyeliner.

Lost rocks Sylanya good taste! *pat on the shoulder*

OMG! Nestor! I love love love him. Don’t get me started… lol! He’s no Aitrus though, lmao!