Snow Crash movie?

[Excession]

http://www.geek.com/articles/geek-cetera/snow-crash-movie-to-be-written-and-directed-by-joe-cornish-20120615/

So yeah. Not sure what I think about this. CGI certainly keep up now. They've got an up and coming writer/director with something to prove, a story with heaps of action, but I'd really hate to see this done badly.

[Xondoure]

On the bright side; my Cosa Nostra Pizza Delivery shirt might be recognizable to more people after the movie comes out.

[Mx.Silver]

Huh. Snow Crash is probably not one of the easier books to adapt to film, I'd have thought. Also rather curious about who exactly they could cast as Hiro. Or Raven, for that matter.

[D+1]

About the only way I can see it working is by weeding out all the discussion of Sumerian myth and origins and function of language. It made for a more interesting WRITTEN story, but film has different requirements and the more "faithful" the adaptation the more of a total snoozer it's likely to be and fly right over the heads of those who just want to watch a SF action movie. The latter goal is VERY easily acheived from the original material. The extended contemplations on linguistics and myth are easier to gloss over and mention in passing than to treat more directly.

[Mx.Silver]

About the only way I can see it working is by weeding out all the discussion of Sumerian myth and origins and function of language. It made for a more interesting WRITTEN story, but film has different requirements and the more "faithful" the adaptation the more of a total snoozer it's likely to be and fly right over the heads of those who just want to watch a SF action movie. The latter goal is VERY easily acheived from the original material. The extended contemplations on linguistics and myth are easier to gloss over and mention in passing than to treat more directly.

Also, the Sumerian stuff is, I would argue, the weakest aspect of the novel. Besides most of the chapters focusing on it being essentially solid blocks of exposition, the entire plot element of an Ancient Artifact of Power (the tablet) doesn't quite fit with the setting and narrative. That most of the characters' final conclusions on the discussion are basically nonsense doesn't help either. The actual concept of a 'mental virus' is interesting, relating as it does to memetics, but pretty much everywhere the book ends up taking it is, at best, pretty unsound - even leaving aside the religious elements (which we have to due to board rules).

[Science Officer]

Snow Crash could make a good movie, the main issue would be length.
A bunch of the Sumerian mythology could be safely cut out, but what else?

[The Glyphstone]

I could see the subplot with the Rat Thing removed, and have the BBEG be defeated in a less anticlimatic way. A good chunk of Hiro's journey north could be removed entirely before his trip to the Raft - getting on the Raft could involve the Mafia or not depending on if he has to make the raft-dwellers listen to Reason.

[WalkingTarget]

I could see the subplot with the Rat Thing removed, and have the BBEG be defeated in a less anticlimatic way. A good chunk of Hiro's journey north could be removed entirely before his trip to the Raft - getting on the Raft could involve the Mafia or not depending on if he has to make the raft-dwellers listen to Reason.

A film version without Reason would be irrational. I'd be disappointed.

[kind_of_a_ROBOT]

A film version without Reason would be irrational. I'd be disappointed.

This.

Also, the Rat Thing would be easy enough I think. Removing the Sumarian stuff would be enough, I'd think. Obviously less exposition regarding religion in general, though I think Rev. Wayne's is a must.

[thegurullamen]

A film version without Reason would be irrational. I'd be disappointed.

Quote of the Month.

I think it's unfilmable in its original version. It has a core narrative, but it's far too scattered and chaotic to follow without some miraculously economic exposition woven into the dialogue and background. Plus you have the basics to build up as well since peoples' understandings of current-day Internet might work against them when it comes to the Matrix. Or maybe I'm just not giving them enough credit?

There's one thing this movie might clear up for me that I might have missed in the book (MASSIVE Spoilers): I know Raven's avatar's death locks him out of the Matrix because of Hiro's work at the end. What happened to his physical body and more importantly, the nuke?

Donald Glover for Hiro.

[Mx.Silver]

Quote of the Month.

I think it's unfilmable in its original version. It has a core narrative, but it's far too scattered and chaotic to follow without some miraculously economic exposition woven into the dialogue and background. Plus you have the basics to build up as well since peoples' understandings of current-day Internet might work against them when it comes to the Matrix.
The Metaverse. The Matrix is from Neuromancer (and the Sprawl Trilogy in general).
In any event, I'd say the more widespread popularity of Second Life and MMOs might actually make it easier for modern audiences to get how it works.



I know Raven's avatar's death locks him out of the Matrix because of Hiro's work at the end. What happened to his physical body and more importantly, the nuke?
He had a fight with Uncle Ezio and lost. Got pretty badly injured but not actually killed, IIRC.



Donald Glover for Hiro.
He's only a 50% match for ethnicity though.

[thegurullamen]

The Metaverse. The Matrix is from Neuromancer (and the Sprawl Trilogy in general).

Son of a-- [/embarrassed]


He had a fight with Uncle Ezio and lost. Got pretty badly injured but not actually killed, IIRC.

He's only a 50% match for ethnicity though.

So the nuke was still around just unaccounted for? For a story that tied everything else up to a greater or lesser extent, that bugs me.

I chose Glover because the dude's got some geek cred. And this might have to be a situation where the studio needs to whittle the racial profile down a little because I doubt there's a half-black, half-Japanese actor who can not only lead a blockbuster, but one that the studios would trust to do so. Just hope to God they don't whitewash the role.

[Mx.Silver]

I chose Glover because the dude's got some geek cred. And this might have to be a situation where the studio needs to whittle the racial profile down a little because I doubt there's a half-black, half-Japanese actor who can not only lead a blockbuster, but one that the studios would trust to do so.
Note that Joe Cornish has gotten the director nod for this. The man who made Attack The Block, which was notable for featuring a cast composed basically of unknowns - especially in the leading roles - and working very well. That may allow him some leeway on the casting, which is good because you can't really drop the 'racial profile' when it comes to Hiro since it's by no means a minor detail in the novel. Among other things, it informs quite a lot of his interactions with Mr Lee (the man and the franchise) and Raven (who may also present some casting problems). I like Donald Glover, but Hiro isn't really a character you can afford to stunt cast, as it were.

Incidentally, if you haven't seen Attack The Block, do it. Right now, if you can.




Just hope to God they don't whitewash the role.
Do not even joke about that.