Genre: Science Fiction.
Studio:
Warner Brothers.
Production Company:
Weed Road Pictures.
Project Phase: Development Hell.
Who's In It:
Unknown.
Who's Making It:
Akiva Goldman (Producer); based on the novel Man Plus by Frederik Pohl.
Premise: An astronaut is scientifically 'augmented' to survive a manned expedition to Mars.
Release Date: Unknown.
Comments: None.
Rumors: Unknown.
Scoop Feedback:
October 21, 1997... This scooper gives us first word on the project in development at Warners, described by the scooper as "sort of like a smart man's 'Six Million Dollar Man.'" Being produced by Witt-Thomas Films with a screenplay is by Jeff Vintar, currently Warners is searching for a director. [Project announcement and scoop information submitted anonymously.]
"Just read this script. It will blow you away. It departs from the novel in several key areas, and yet manages to be faithful in both theme and mood. No kidding, this could be the next 2001. It is set up at Warner Bros. and being produced by Witt-Thomas Films. Forget the name of the guy who wrote it, but it is a thousand times better than that horrible Ebbe Roe Smith draft of four or five years ago.... Great parts for three or four good actors and stars. The last image on the planet Mars is truly magnificent." [Scooped anonymously.]
October 28, 1997... "I've read 'Man Plus' by Pohl: intelligent sci-fi. Basically, the plot is this: rather than spending billions of dollars trying to recreate a habitat on Mars that normal humans can survive in, it is decided to modify a single human - cybernetic, psychological, and biological changes are made to a man in order to allow him to survive unsupported on Mars.
"The book was a bit vague about the long-term goals of this project: it was definitely a 'one-off' thing: as all 'non-essential' human equipment was eliminated, the subject's ability to reproduce became non-existent - in the easiest way possible.
"It seemed strange that they would spend so much money and only end up with a single 'dead-end' creature capable of living on Mars.
"On another level, though, the book had several P.K. Dick-esque twists, and actually included a conspiracy theorist's wet dream at the end. I've not seen the script, so I can't comment on if this will be incorporated into the film.
"I certainly hope so: without any deeper kind of plot structure, this may turn out to be just an eye-candy version of the 'The Six Million Dollar Man'. The interesting parts of the book where when they started directly supplying the subject's brain with input that a human couldn't possibly gather: radio waves, UV light, etc - with interesting psychological results." [Book review sent to us by 'Drunken Master'.]
November 4, 1997... Christian Duguay (who most recent work was The Assignment) may direct Man Plus. [Anonymous.]
July 28, 1998... Someone's sent us a status report for this project and they don't like what's been happening to it...
"After failing to land a 'big-time' director Warners wanted to work with [although several terrific directors wanted to make the movie, like Kevin Reynolds and Christian Duguay], Warners has attached Akiva Goldsman on, as a producer, to re-write the script. So you can write this project off, because it will no doubt degenerate into another BATMAN AND ROBIN and LOST IN SPACE. What the hell is Warners thinking??? And I know that Akiva Goldsman wants to put a race of Martians on Mars. There goes poor old Frederik Pohl. Too bad, because I read the last Vintar draft, and it was exceptional sci-fi. Will Warners never learn?!!! Does every movie they make have to be the same mindless sludge, churned out by the same old hacks, year after year after year??? I guess the answer is yes." [Yeah, so 'Burbank Larry' was the same dude who parked in Akiva Goldsman's parking space last week. S'chu got sum kinda problem wit 'dat?]
August 4, 1998... "I have to disagree with your latest scooper's opinion of Jeff Vintar's MAN PLUS draft. It was in no shape to shoot, and felt like warmed-over ROBOCOP. It had very little to do with Mars, and a lot to do with politics. Hiring Akiva Goldsman may only compound their problems, but it definitely needs work." [Anonymous.]
August 11, 1998... Our reporting on the latest development with this project has sparked some anonymous Hollywood professionals to write in to CA and express their thoughts on the three different versions that current exist of Man Plus. Besides offering us the chance to gain some more knowledge about this project (our third and final scooper gives us a fantastic chronological breakdown of the project, as well as revealing the take on the picture the current producer is embarking on) the dialogues we hereby present give you, dear reader, an excellent opportunity to understand that the movie you go see in theaters one day may have gone through many different incarnations...
...still, it makes us damn curious to get our hands on and read at least the Vintar version...
"Just thought I'd chime in on the debate concerning the Vintar draft of Man Plus. I thought it was fantastic, and very faithful in spirit to the book, with four or five swell characters--each great roles--including the women. The kind of smart science-fiction that we never see on the big screen. Frederick Pohl's story was never 'about Mars' at all, of course, but about what we'll become. Too bad this version isn't going to make it...." [Sent in by 'helium5411'.]
"l thought your July 28th scooper is having some fun laying into Akiva Goldsman, and your August 4th scooper seemed to dislike the Vintar MAN PLUS draft, neither one really reflects the truth. So...here it is:
When that last draft of Man Plus was handed into the studio about a year-and-a-half ago, everybody just loved it. That was the script that people were calling up their friends about and saying, 'You've got to read this script!' It went over big. I myself thought Vintar did a great job. A real human story with scope and originality. And, I think, even an improvemnet over the original novel. But here's the way things go around Hollywood: They just couldn't get it going. Warners Bros. works with certain directors, on a certain budget. That's the Warner way, for better or for worse. And Warner couldn't get the directors that they wanted, although there were directors dying to direct that script. And so, after so much time passes, something has to be done. The producers can't let the script gather dust too long. And so, the result is that, whether it needs it or not, there will be another draft. Goldsman will probably not write it, but oversee it. Does it need a re-write? That depends on what kind of film you want to make. There are plenty of people who loved the Ebbe Roe Smith draft. I happen to be one of many who loved the Vintar draft. But it's true that some people just do not get it, and want an 'action movie.' That's probably what the next draft will give the studio. Which script will eventually get made? Well, maybe the new draft. Maybe the Vintar draft. Maybe the Smith draft. Maybe a combination. Or more likely than any of those possibilities, it will never get made. But that is the dance of development hell. There are many versions of MAN PLUS that could conceivably get made. And there are many versions that will never get made. If you ask me, Warners had just the right take on the story with that smart adult last draft. But the truth is that the right version of the story does not always get made. " [Our teacher for today was 'Thorella'.]
"...I hope you don't mind this being anonymous, but stuff like this makes me a bit nervous. So, anyway, for what it's worth, here goes:
"Ebbe Roe Smith wrote a few drafts of Man Plus. Now, this is back a few years, around 1991-93 or so. Anyone who is familiar with Ebbe's work, and who likes it, will probably like his drafts. Other people will be quick to point out that Ebbe is an acquired taste. Still, the truth is that the script was dark and depressing, and had nothing whatsoever to do with the original novel that Frederik Pohl wrote. It also had no hope in hell of getting made at Warner Bros....
"So, Warners hired a guy who had just made a name for himself with several sci-fi spec scripts he sold around town, Jeff Vintar. And Jeff wrote a script that was actually based on the novel. There are some differences, such as the film ending with their arrival on Mars [the book goes on for several chapters after they get there]; but still it is a faithful version of the novel that revolves around a cast of characters who get caught up in the convoluted machinations of a trip to Mars, and about one man who is turned into something other than human [and who comes to thematically symbolize the future of humanity]. I was never a very big fan of the book, to be honest; but I have to admit that Vintar's version of the script got some of the best written coverage at the studio I have ever read. The evaluations found it sweeping in scope, adult, and exciting. In every way, the coverage said, it was the type of science-fiction rarely seen today. This script was--and still is--immensely popular on the lot, and all around town.
"Why didn't it get made...? Because the executive in charge of the project left to go work for another company. Because the new exec brought onto the project thought it should be a monster movie with a good Man Plus fighting a bad Man Plus. Because it did not have a big powerful producer on the project who could push for the directors who wanted to make the film. And so...two long years passed.
"Now Warners has decided that they need a new producer to come in and shepherd this project through. And, not surprisingly, they chose one of their own, Akiva Goldsman, who wrote Batman Forever and Batman and Robin. Now, producers who come in and take over projects are inclined to rewrite them, and so this too will be rewritten. Goldsman's company is called Weed Road Pictures. Weed Road plans on taking parts of Smith's draft, and parts of Vintar's draft, and mixing them all up with elements that Akiva likes. Akiva has never read the novel, but he has always liked the idea of making a movie out of it. So that's why Weed Road's current thinking includes a race of dangerous Martians on Mars, and the need to send a Man Plus up to the red planet to essentially kick their Martian asses.
"Now, anyone who has read the original novel, and loves it, and who thinks that the current state of sci-fi films is pathetic, will already be gagging. But other people who have never read the novel, and who love action movies, probably think, 'Huh, Martians on Mars, that sounds cool!' And so the point of the whole thing is this:
"It is pointless to say that one draft is better than another, or that one writer succeeded, and one failed. I have met all of these guys, and none of them seem to me the type of person who would spend one moment bad-mouthing the others. They were each hired to do a job. Smith wrote his dark religious version of Man Plus. Vintar wrote a compelling novel adaptation. And Goldsman, once he finds a writer, will oversee a new big summer movie version that will feature aliens.
"Is one better than the other? Sure, depending on what you like. Will any of these versions ever get made? That answer is even more difficult than attempting to track the convoluted histories of these development projects...." [Anonymous.]
October 25, 1998... If not us, would someone at Warner Bros. please listen to our scoopers? Yet another email proclaiming that WB is sitting with a dynamite script by Jeff Vintar for this project. C'mon WB execs, get your acts together and make this picture with the Vintar script!
"That third Vintar draft of Man Plus is almost two years old now, but it is still being passed around as a hot writing sample for this guy. I just had the opportunity to read it, and was really impressed. It's like reading a terrific novel, with great characters and many layers. We can only hope that Warner Bros. comes to their senses soon. But they just released Soldier, didn't they? Oh well..." [Anonymous Martian.]
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