Elric the Movie

[Anonymous]

I discovered these ramblings about "Elric the Movie" the other day. Like any other Moorcock fan, I am curious to hear about the direction of this trilogy. First of all, Tom Cruise or Orlando Bloom??? Isn't Tom Cruise only 5'7" and a little femme? Nor, does he look like an albino! Orlando Bloom?? Yes, I loved him as an Elf in "Lord of the Rings" also. However, in my opinion, his acting ability is a little subpar for Elric. Nor, do I want to hear that "Elric the Movie" is "Lord of the Rings" Round 2. So casting from this movie is out.

This movie is not your bedtime story. From Brad Pitt to Ralph Fiennes (who I think is too old), some people are really out there in the multi-universe.

Also, did anyone really read all of the books? We can all safely assume that Elric is tall (>6'). So this eliminates most of the mentioned casting picks automatically. Besides a unique face and acting chops, I think Christian Bale (of the new Batman franchise) would be ideal. However, he is out, as he is the new Batman. Jude Law is 2nd best, but last I saw, he is short also. I have seen pictures of Simon Russell Beale, and he could play the part.

Aside from all of this, the movie would have to be visually intense (like the first "Conan the Barbarian"). Also. the visual effects would have to be in the league of "Lord of the Rings".

I will agree that someone with professional stage acting ability should be considered and cast as Elric. If any Hollywood heavyweight should be cast, I would like to see it be Jude Law.

If the movie is not intense, violent, and visually satisfying, all will be lost. I look forward to seeing Stormbringer beheading someone in its thirst for souls on the big screen soon.

Avid Elric Fan

p.s. Mr. Moorcock, please consider what I have said and hopefully, the movie adaption will run true to your creation. Blood and souls for Arioch!

[Michael Moorcock]

Thanks. I'm still rooting for Paul Bethany. But we'll see. I have said here that I have every confidence that Chris and Paul Weitz will do a great job. They have a good sense of the character, story and everything else and I'm very pleased with what they've done so far.
Meanwhile, I'd recommend the audio book of Elric of Melnibone, from
AudioRealms. It's a great version and will give some idea, I feel, of how the film will go.

[Jules]

Personally I don't think Jude Law has the right presence for Elric, but that he'd make a fine Arioch (or rather Arioch in his Lucifer like form). He's got haughty but not brooding. Paul Bettany on the other hand . . . he was fantastic in Gangster No.1, in that he was believable as a younger version of Malcolm McDowell's character. Not a great film by any means, but a terrific physical performance, and he can definitely do brooding and mental torture!

[Silverdragon]

:D Yeah,i agree with Jude Law as Arioch.He'd be really good for it.

[Anonymous]

Does anyone know the estimated timeline for the movie? I can't wait for it to be out since all these other movies like VanHelsing and Riddick are out and I KNOW elric will be visually amazing with a great storyline. Would love to see it soon!

[PsychicWarVeteran]

I'm still rooting for Paul Bethany.

MM, would that be the guy from Master and Commander and A Knight's Tale?



He sure looks like he could be a good Elric!

[Michael Moorcock]

That's the guy. So far he's my favourite. But until we have a script completed, to show to potential actors, we have no timeline!
I can only ask readers to cultivate the same patience I'm cultivating.
It's a long, slow process. We should have a script sometime this summer. I'm looking forward to Van Helsing and to Riddick, but I suspect the Elric movie will be something of an advance on both and if it takes a bit longer to make, it should be worth waiting for.
Meanwhile, I can only continue to recommend the audio book of Elric of Melnibone!

[WhiteWolf]

If you can't find someone tall, just hire short people to play all the other roles. I like Paul Bettany. He really looks good. He's so pale already. I've never see any pix of Arioch so I can't decide if Law would be good as him or not. Anyone got any pix of Arioch?

[Michael Moorcock]

Plenty of pictures of Arioch in the old Elric comics. And there'll be some new ones in the forthcoming Elric: The Making of a Sorcerer from DC.

[versemicroverse]

P. Craig Russell and Walter Simonson

P. Craig Russell’s fantastic work in the late 1990’s Dark Horse/ Topps comics depicts Lord Arioch in splendid detail as both a beautiful and terrible youth and as the parasitic fly summoned by the invocations of Elric. Russell’s aesthetic approach to the Champion Eternal illustrates the integrity of the artist as he rendered, with precision, Michael Moorcock’s tragic hero and the surrealistic world of sorcery and adventure found in the literature.

I am thrilled to hear that Walt Simonson will be designing the new Elric mag from DC. Simonson revitalized the Thor mag from Marvel in the mid-1980’s and infused the comic god of thunder with the captivating mythos of the Norsefolk and the twilight of the gods. His phenomenal work on Thor was some of the most memorable artwork of the period and incorporated a wealth of accurate and enchanting lore from the followers of Woeden and the hammer-wielding godling. Can’t wait!

[Michael Moorcock]

I've just seen the first few pages in colour and they are superb.
Walter said, after he'd seen the colour, 'people will say, hey! this guy Simonson can draw, after all!' Joey C at DC thinks that this is Walter's best work to date. I think it probably is, too, though I was extremely satisfied by his Multiverse work.

[Darren]

the audio book of Elric

Where, supposing that your subtle hints have worked (damn you!) and that we don't have a credit card do we get an audio book of Elric of Melnibone from? I tried to look for some secondhand Elric comics or graphic novels in London, am I in the wrong place? Told there was somewhere in Notting Hill called the Book Exchange.

Watched Van Helsing and saw a behind the scenes trailer that will be on the DVD of that when it comes out. Universal undertook the film having already come up with the merchandising and spinoffs. Will there be little Elric dolls? An Elric Theme Park? CDROMs? in the wake of it to soak up as much chaos cash that would make Theleb K'aarna blush (he's the theocrat of Pan Tang, right?)?

Alan Cameron seems to be a very talented set designer who loves fantasy and as I was already a fan of Sommers work after seeing The Mummy and Mummy Returns Van Helsing was a blast. It would be great to see the Movie infused with either of those talents.

So, where can we get a copy of the audio book while the screenplay's being written?

PS

though this isn't meant to be on this thread (more current affairs, really), it's easier, what do you think of Piers Morgan resigning from the Mirror?

[Michael Moorcock]

Um. Didn't I just reply to this in the Piers Morgan question ?

[DyvimTvarsBodyguard]

Not what I had in mind, but here's brom's Arioch

[Jerico]

I've just seen the first few pages in colour and they are superb.
Walter said, after he'd seen the colour, 'people will say, hey! this guy Simonson can draw, after all!' Joey C at DC thinks that this is Walter's best work to date. I think it probably is, too, though I was extremely satisfied by his Multiverse work.

Well, I hope I will agree! I think Simonson is good; I collected his Thor books. He can draw, of course, but my criticism of him is that sometimes his work looks "rushed" and not clean looking as I'd ideally like.
So if it is indeed some of his best work, I'm hoping that it is "clean" and looks as though done with TLC, not rushed. Whatever the case,
I'm buying it of course! ;)

--Jer
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p.s. Arioch? Surely that's a mortal Arioch of the Cyberpunk world, and not the immortal of the E.C. Multiverse (whatever that means).