How Ender's Game the movie should've gone

A place to discuss official news from the production of the Ender's Game film, due in theaters November 2013
Sternrage
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How Ender's Game the movie should've gone

Postby Sternrage » Mon Nov 04, 2013 5:09 pm

When I saw Ender's Game on Thursday I was scarred. The story had almost nothing to do with the story that I was so fond of AND none of the characters, except maybe peter, Valentine, and the nurse, were themselves. Plus anyone whose listened to the audio of Ender's game knows Card didnt want the movie to essentially be [changed] by Hollywood which is basically what happened, minus Ender and Petra becoming a thing, which i think everyone whose read the book would agree shouldn't've even been plausible for countless reasons. yet, for all the grievances I have for the movie, like neutering Bean's character along with any possibility of the shadow series, what I hate the most about it was that the movie was good, it just wasn't Ender's Game.

I've listened to all of the books in the Enderverse on audio and Card has stated multiple times that it'd take about 6 hours to make the film. what I fail to understand is why they didn't do it? Before anyoen says time constraints I want to point out 3 blockbuster movies, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Mockingjay, and Breaking Dawn. all of those movies were made in parts. Why couldn't Ender's Game be made in parts?

this thread is how you would've done the movie, by which I mean make the plot.

I would've had it be a trilogy. it would go something like this

Part 1: Battle School

Title: Ender’s Game: The Battle School

Ender’s journey from the monitor being taken out to being the top student at battle school
Movie ends after Ender and Bonzo’s fight. by which I mean his finishing Battle school and being taken to the lake. as soon as Valentine is shown the screen fades to black.
Armies have 20 cadets instead of 40 or 15.
Also would not neuter Bean’s character

The story
Monitor taken out
Ender Ends Stilson
Peter nearly ends Ender
Ender goes to battle school (he breaks Bernard arm in the shuttle)
Bernard shown making friends and mocking Shen.
Ender playing around on the DESK mocking Bernard
the battle room scene where he befriends Alai, and they freeze everyone.
Ender assigned to Salamander (which isn't the top army, really? Bonzo is an idiot, nothing more)
Petra training him.
Ender meeting up with his launchies, and trying to train them
Ender has one battle. he initially listens to Bonzo, but as 10 people remain, Ender basically says screw this and freezes 6 people and preserves a draw.
confrontation with Bonzo

(the following takes about 10 minutes)
Ender in Rat
Ender and Dink
The first fight with rat in which he freezes half the enemy army via Rose throwing him out the gate.
Ender's heart to heart with Dink

something says 2 years later
Graff talking about Ender being the top soldier, and him arranging his army.
Ender and Graff talking for about 3 minutes about the rule changes.
instead of battles god knows when they happen in the order they happen in the book (8 in the first week, 15 in the second) this focuses on the first, the mentions the first time they have 2 battles in one day, then waits.
during meals Bean overhears a plot against Ender
After a battle Petra stops him in the hall, bean stops her, and they walk.
the next day Bonzo royally screws up.
After Bonzo's army is defeated he confronts Ender, alone, in the shower.
Ender and Bonzo fight (I was fine with how this happened in the movie, though i would've preferred Bonzo be taller)
Ender is given an order for a third battle. he basically says screw the game and has bean devise the strategy.
Battle ends, and Ender is clearly destroyed. show him going ape on his room before breaking down into tears.
Bean comes to comfort him. Graff and Anderson come and Ender is promoted.
Ender says he quits, and Graff takes him back to Earth, where they go to a cabin on the lake.
after credit scene shows Ender and Graff arriving at the lake where they see Valentine.
targeted length 2 hours to 2.5 hours. The Fantasy game would be included, and it'd take longer than a minute for him to solve the giants drink

if the above is successful, the following would be made.

Ender’s Game 2: Pseudonomic War
This would focus on Peter and Valentine.
(10-20 minutes)
It would start off showing the government coming for Peter, shows his progress, and why he failed.
It would then show Valentine, and why she failed.
the government authorizing Ender, and Peters true feelings, like wanting a brother, but growing jealous.
the childhood is summarized (however the director or script person wants) up to when Ender leaves.
Ender leaves, the screen fades to black, and says 1-2 years later.

Movie is done from Val's POV where she is lighting a fire for Ender on his Birthday.
Peter coerces her into doing his bidding, and they start they efforts.
show a montage or something of their early efforts, to them becoming Locke and Demosthenes.
Val's inner person says she and Peter were doing this for a month when Graff comes to her and demands a letter.
Val is in turmoil over the letter and writes the article about Thirds being a noble title.

of course there'd be mention of how they can't get caught, and several instances where that nearly happens.

Soon after Graff's letter Demosthenes gets on the presidential board.
Peter and Val monitoring the Warsaw pact's movement and the danger they represent.
A year later, after they have a clear following, Graff comes again
Movie can end with Valentine on top of the world, only to receive a call from an IF Colonel named Graff (for the meeting at the lake)
post credit scene shows Ender telling Val "I quit". she says "You can't quit. The War's just begun"

targeted length, 1.5 hours. does it need more excitement, probably, but the above likely wouldn't cost over 110 million dollars.

Ender’s Game 3: Endgame
Starts with the meeting at the lake
Includes Command school with Ender being isolated
Ender meets Mazer.
Enders getting his friends back (Dink, Crazy Tom, Petra, Bean, Hot Soup, Alai, Shen, at the very least, if not the rest of the jeesh.)
Ender defeating the Formics
The league war
Peter and Val arguing for Ender’s future
The Lock Proposal
Ender meeting Val who tells him they are going to be colonists

targeted length 2 hours.

A post credit scene where Ender finds the last Bugger Queen (3 years later).



Is this perfect? No. But, It's how I would've done the movie.

How would you have done the movie?


[Mod Edit: That's not a nice word even in context. Out of context, it makes you look ignorant and crude. - Dr. Mobius]

chriswen
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Re: How Ender's Game the movie should've gone

Postby chriswen » Mon Nov 04, 2013 7:44 pm

Yup, it was incredibly shortened and packed in. And I all the 3. 2. 1. FIRE!

I didn't really like the movie but you're right if they did a trilogy the quality could have been a lot better. But the thing is I'm not exactly sure how big the ender fanbase is. If the first movie klunks out then they won't make any sequels.

I was going to say they didn't really have that big of a budget but, then it was 110 million and the hobbit budget was estimated at 180 million. But the hobbit had a much better opening weekend.

What I did like was the mind game. Good graphics.


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