Harry Potter Director to do Film Version of Doctor Who?
Variety, a highly respectable and reputable entertainment industry magazine, has an article which you can read here which breaks the news that Harry Potter film director David Yates is developing a new Doctor Who movie, with the blessing of (and in association with) BBC Worldwide. The article does a fairly good summary of many of the attempts which have been made to make a Doctor Who film over the last 35 or so years, so no-one should hold there breath over this happening (and Yates indicates they will take a few years to get it going). But as Variety says, this probably is the most high-powered attempt to make a film given the track record of the director involved (and with the show never being more popular internationally), so who knows maybe this will be the one that will happen. If it does, it will no doubt be placed in the same category as the Peter Cushing films as being separate from the tv series canon, as mentioned by Yates in the article, as he is keen to pull away from the new series (so presumably neither RTD nor Steven Moffat will be involved given that he’s not interested in continuing the vision of either).
We look forward to finding out more about this in the future, as it happens (assuming it does).
Posted by Luca on Monday, November 14 at 8:33 am
11 Comments...
I’ve got mixed feelings about this. I wanted to see a movie version of Doctor Who, but I wanted something that was connected to the TV series, either a film featuring the current Doctor, or I’d have been happy if they’d done a David Tennant story. Doing what is basically Dr. Who & the Daleks 2.0 doesn’t sit right with me, because I’m concerned it’ll lessen the TV series. Or, worse, might give the BBC - which we need to remember is having major funding issues - an excuse to retire the show. I’d also hate to see the emergence of a Film vs TV division in the fandom, whether this is due to the film being awful, or the TV show entering a rough patch. Making matters worse is the fact Yates says it’ll take a couple years to make the film, which means it’ll probably come out around the time the actor playing the Twelfth Doctor is trying to get himself/herself established. I wouldn’t wish that job on a dog, especially if they DO end up casting someone like Johnny Depp for the movie. Best case scenario for the TV series would be for them to cast a complete unknown in the part.
Now I know how Harry Potter fans felt when there was a wildcat rumor a few years back of a TV version of the Harry Potter series being made.
Posted by Alex on 11/14 at 10:34 AM
Since posting my comment above I was wondering whether I’d be a lone wolf (like those who were opposed to the 2009 Star Trek remake), but if you haven’t already, check out some of the various blogs and news outlet reports about the movie. While you have people who just don’t care, there’s quite a bit of backlash against the idea of rebooting the continuity. If there are enough loud voices that could be enough for the powers that be to amend their plans. Now’s the time to do it before they’ve even hired a writer, if it’s gonna happen at all.
Posted by Alex on 11/14 at 06:33 PM
I think (and I stress “Think”) a movie separate from the television series isn’t such a bad thing. I wouldn’t want it to go as far as what they did with the Peter Cushing movies in the sense that he was from earth and INVENTED a time machine called TARDIS instead of it being refered to as “The” TARDIS. Also, like the Cushing movies were, I wouldn’t want the movie to be a re-make of an earlier episode of Doctor Who either. And I’m all for the Doctor to be different from whoever will be playing him on TV at the time this movie would come out. I wouldn’t rule out a past Doctor to be cast in the film but lets face it, anything less than Tennant or Smith just would not work or be accepted by the general public or the casual fan. (And I suspect this film will be geared towards a more general audience than a die hard fan). The word “Re-boot” is being tossed around alot and I am a bit of a fence sitter on that one. On one hand if we were to “Re-boot” we could have the movie start at when the Doctor stole the TARDIS from Galifrey and that might work. However we don’t want a complete wiping of the slate and have an alternative Whoniverse where not even the Daleks exist.
On the other hand, whether this is good or bad is debatable, a movie completely separate from the series that much could create people that love the movie(s) and hate the series or vica-versa. One would think it might be better to have them compliment one another.
Like I said, I’m a bit of a fence sitter on this topic. I am definately not holding my breath however.
Remember the rumors years ago that Dudley Moore and Donald Suntherland were to play the Doctor on the big screen?
Posted by Doug Grandy on 11/15 at 07:05 AM
The worst thing about Doctor Who is the fans.
Posted by John on 11/15 at 09:17 AM
“I wanted to see a movie version of Doctor Who, but I wanted something that was connected to the TV series.”
Yes, because the previous continuity-heavy DW movie in 1996 was such a smashing success.
I’d be happy with a “Rose”-style reboot, which sticks to the basics: mysterious stranger, Police Box, and adventures through space and time, fighting “the most terrible things.”
Nods to the past are okay. But leave Gallifrey, the Time Lords, the Daleks, regeneration, the Master, etc., etc. for the sequels.
Posted by Matt on 11/15 at 09:43 AM
I expect this will be a serious attempt to do a movie but it depends if they can get the money.
About $100 million would be relatively medium budget for a major release like you’d want this to be. Star Trek was $150.
Well they have a director so now just a writer, many writers and a story and everything else.
Now if they get Johnny Depp as the Doctor things will go easier on the money side.
Posted by Ryan on 11/15 at 10:50 AM
Is the above a poor attempt at subliminal advertising? (Did I spell subliminal right?)
[ admin: “above” post referred to has been removed. And yes, you spelled subliminal right
]
Posted by Doug Grandy on 11/16 at 06:47 AM
1) Keep Fox studios out of it!
2) Do not mess with the established mythology
3) Work towards a trilogy dealing the the Time War—allows use of Daleks, Cybermen, The Master and a whole set of creatures that were created in that (alluded to) hell
4) The final scene is the Doctor regenerating into Christopher E who mutters “Damn, still not ginger”, then “Hello, I’m the Doctor…Run for your life!”
Posted by Zach on 11/16 at 03:29 PM
“Yes, because the previous continuity-heavy DW movie in 1996 was such a smashing success.
I’d be happy with a “Rose”-style reboot, which sticks to the basics: mysterious stranger, Police Box, and adventures through space and time, fighting “the most terrible things.”
Nods to the past are okay. But leave Gallifrey, the Time Lords, the Daleks, regeneration, the Master, etc., etc. for the sequels.”
Well it was a success in the UK and nothing came of it because BBC TV didn’t have the vision to do anything and wanted a series for a nominal fee.
As for the ROSE approach that’s fine when you’ve got a guaranteed 13 episode run as opposed to doing a one-off movie. Actually they were a lot more similar just as there was when the series started or for Doctor Who in 1996. There is a difference though between the companion in the witness role and them being the central character. It’s a balance that comes from how you structure the script. Grace was certainly a central character but in the movie we saw things from both the Doctor’s perspective and Grace’s while with Rose it was more skewed towards her with the Doctor more ‘mysterious’ because there were more episodes to play with to do so.
I always find it odd when people complain about things like “continuity” because some people think it’s some barrier to an audience but as the new series with RTD and Moffat shows that really isn’t true and it never was but some fans think that it is.
Posted by Ryan on 11/18 at 10:12 AM
I adore this film1 And I waite for next parts
Posted by buy papers on 11/18 at 11:08 PM
I’ll get it out first: I would love David Tennant to be back for the movie. After all, the human Doctor on New Earth is probably still alive and having many adventures with Rose. However, I understand that one can’t make David Tennant act in the movie if he’s not interested.
It would make sense for Matt Smith to be on the big screen if he’s still working on the show when the movie is ready. Even if it’s not canon with his arc, I can’t see that we would necessary start a movie from an immediate regeneration.
It’s unfortunate that given the nature of the show, that there is a lot that someone can make with a movie. Therefore there will be elements that we want to see (TARDIS definitely, Daleks possibly, the Sea Monsters unlikely) and then elements that we don’t want to see. There will be fans that love the movie and there will be fans that don’t love it.
Given that Yates is going to take his time over the movie is positive. That hopefully there’s going to be a great script with well developed characters. He’s not bashing out a script in five minutes, casting the next Big Stars and gearing up for a December 2012 release date. I’d rather wait a number of years in the hope that he can catch the Doctor in the right light and make it appealing to everyone.
Posted by Rachel on 11/25 at 05:36 AM
Post a comment