Genre: Science Fiction/Adventure.
Studio:
Polygram Films.
Production Company:
Propaganda Films, Revelations Entertainment.
Project Phase: In Development.
Who's In It:
Morgan Freeman.
Who's Making It:
David Fincher (Director, attached); Andrew Kevin Walker (Screenwriter);
based on the Arthur C. Clarke novel Rendezvous With Rama.
Premise: Two centuries from now, a mysterious, immense alien spaceship dubbed 'Rama' enters the Solar System. Earth sends out an exploration team to board the approaching craft, which appears to be a giant cylindrical tube. Once inside the vessel, the explorers find themselves in a self-contained world of alien wonders and unknown purpose - seemingly abandonded. Perhaps.
Release Date: December 31, 1999.
Comments: While amongst the science fiction community this story is one of Clarke's better-known works, the general public best knows the futurist as the writer of 2001: A Space Odyssey. Clarke's novel is set primarily inside the hollow (and behemoth) interiors of the alien spacecraft as the scientists try to determine the purpose and reason why the vessel is empty. In some parts, the novel presents the silent, alien corridors of Rama like the forboding rooms of a haunted house - except in this case there are no human ghosts in residence.
Rumors: Unknown.
Scoop Feedback:
February 10, 1997... Project announcement is sent by this scooper, who tells us that Morgan Freeman is attached to the project. Polygram Films may be the picture's distributor, as they have backed Propaganda films in the past. [Scoop and project announcement sent in by 'RedRaider' and 'medaslin'.]
March 11, 1997... The budget for this picture may be in the process of being planned, and it could top $100 million. A rumor forwarded by this scooper names Terry Gilliam as a possible director. [Scoop submitted anonymously.]
March 18, 1997... According to this reader, the French film magazine Premiere had a small interview with Morgan Freeman. Freeman was quoted as saying he has formed his own production company and that his choice for director on this movie would be David Fincher (Seven). [Reported by 'Simba'.]
July 22, 1997... Fincher is presently considering tackling this film. Freeman and the production company want to release the film on New Years Eve, 1999 - a fitting evening to speculate about Mankind's first encounter with aliens. We heard from good authority that the producers are really striving to create a film pleasing for hard science fiction fans. To create a plausible vision of Clarke's future world, the production wants to film all the Rama sets as virtual sets and then place the actors in afterwards. This would allow the actors to actually see what the Raman vessel looks like, and act off of it - which would practically be the first time such an effort has been made. Previously, actors have been required to react to 'invisible' special effects that are later inserted in the post-production phase. [Credit to an anonymous source.]
September 2, 1997... With the advent of PolyGram's new domestic distribution arm (The Game being the line's first release), PolyGram Films will indeed release this film when its release date comes around. The scooper also confirms that David Fincher is attached to direct the picture; and actually, Morgan Freeman (who owns the film rights to the book) took the project to Fincher with the actor attached to it already. Then Fincher brought the project to Propaganda Films (owned by PolyGram) under the conditions of his overall deal with Propaganda (Fincher has a three-picture deal with Propaganda.) And finally, scribe Andrew Kevin Walker (who wrote Seven and did final production polishes for Fincher's The Game) is penning the adaptation. Walker has been doing extensive research for the past six months and will hand in his take of the novel sometime this month.
Everything sounds first-rate with this project so far, and the fans of the Rama book here at CA anxiously await an official announcement in the (hopefully) near future. [Thanks to Kurt for the info!]
October 6, 1998... Navasota did some snooping around and here's what he came up with. SPOILERS in the last sentence, so swipe if you wanna.
"I spoke to Andrew Walker at a film festival here in Austin and asked about his adaptation of the novel. He confirmed that he is indeed scheduled to write this one for David Fincher. However, he also said the project is on hold due to PolyGram's sale (to Seagram?). In spite of the delay, he looked forward to eventually working on the script. He also intends to keep the open-ended conclusion of the book and commented it should be a challenge to write a script where the aliens never actually appear."
[Thanks to Navasota for the good word.]
October 11, 1998...I met Joe Black! And guess what he said: "Fincher is possibly scheduled to direct The Black Dahlia before Rama. Fincher is currently completing his duties with Fight Club, which looks very good." That's it? No cosmic truths? No tips on how to get Forlani's phone number? Oh, well. [Scoop provided by Joe Black]
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