Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy - Movie News

[Digger]

Sam`s the President of the GALAXY
It's Zaphod Beeblebrox!
Dateline: Thursday, February 5, 2004

By: PATRICK SAURIOL
By: News Editor
Source: The Hollywood Reporter

Sam Rockwell, star of CONFESSIONS OF A DANGEROUS MIND and known to science fiction fans as Guy the security guy in GALAXY QUEST, will be sipping Pan Galactic Gargle Blasters shortly because the actor has been cast as Zaphod Beeblebrox in the HITCHHIKER'S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY movie. The two-headed President of the Galaxy is one of the two that pick up the last Earthman, Arthur Dent, and his companion Ford Prefect after the Earth has been destroyed by the Vogon contruction force. Martin Freeman, Mos Des and Zooey Deschanel have already been cast as Arthur, Ford and Trillian, respectively, in the film.

Filming starts in April with Garth Jennings directing. So who's playing Marvin the Paranoid Android?
******************
I'm not sure how I feel about this, as I just started reading the book for the first time last night.

[La Bomba]

Thanks for the update, Digger! This is probably the the most anticipated movie I've ever ...umm... well, anticipated! (besides Farscape, of course) I am so glad this is FINALLY becoming a reality! :aok:

[Kurt_eh]

I wish I could be as enthused.

I've just seen hollywood take too many great British concepts and hack them to pieces. (LOTR not included).

Even with material as great as the Hitchhikers Guide is, I fear that the producers/directors/writers won't be able to do it justice...

[Digger]

Originally posted by La Bomba
This is probably the the most anticipated movie I've ever ...umm... well, anticipated! (besides Farscape, of course) I am so glad this is FINALLY becoming a reality! :aok: I honestly didn't even know they were so close to filming. I'd heard rumours for YEARS (since the late 1980's I think) that they were going to make a movie. It still amazes me that I've never read the books until now, though. I'm only about 100 pages in, but am really enjoying it so far. I got the enire series for $15 in one harcover book in the bargain bin last night. Just couldn't pass it up. I Think the time may be right for the movie what with the technical difficulties that will be inherent in such a production, but it's still going to be very hard to pull off. I don't know anything about any of the other actors mentioned, but I kinda wish they had thought of our raven haired goddess for the part of Trillian though.

[kechara420]

I've seen Sam Rockwell in a few things, and I think he's a decent actor, so hopefully he'll do well in the role.

I have the original series on VHS because my mom recorded it once when it was on TV. I LOVED the books!! Adams was such a genius, and it's a shame that he's passed on.

[scrape_medic]

Douglas Adams was working on the screenplay until his untimely death last year. So hopefully whatever he has started with his material will be continued by the lady [whose name evades me at the mo] who has taken on the responsibility of completing it.

[Kurt_eh]

Here's some of the other casting that I've heard of.

Makes sense to have it all in the same thread (aka sorry if it's a double posting ;) )

© 1981 BBC-TV
Zaphod Beeblebrox of TV`s HITCHHIKER`S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY
Movie News
HITCHHIKER'S casting is confirmed

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dateline: Thursday, January 29, 2004

By: PATRICK SAURIOL
By: News Editor
Source: Variety, Dark Horizons

Yesterday Dark Horizons was the first to publish the news and today it's confirmed by Variety: the actors assigned to the roles of Arthur Dent, Ford Prefect and Trillian have been signed, sealed and delivered for THE HITCHHIKER'S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY film. Martin Freeman (from THE OFFICE) will play Dent; Mos Def will play Prefect and Zooey Deschanel will be Trillian.

While Variety's report made no mention of who's in the running to play the two-headed President of the Galaxy and all-around cool frood Zaphod Beeblebrox, Dark Horizons did say that Robert Downey Jr. had been the filmmakers choice -- until Downey asked for a number of changes to the screenplay and a deal for insurance coverage for the actor couldn't be worked out (allegedly.)

[NYPinTA]

This should be interesting. Ford was my favorite character. Hope they don't screw this up....

[fermicat]

Lets hope for the best! It could be very entertaining, if it's done correctly and in the spirit of the books.

[Selena]

:D I have my Guide, I have my towel, and I am ready for the movie! :applaud:

[MrVesham]

I've said it elsewhere, but I truly love the casting so far. There's so much that could go horribly, vulgarly wrong with a project like this but for some reason my usually grim outlook has been replaced by optimistic anticipation. I'm such a loyal fan of Douglas Adams and of course the Trilogy, so I thought I'd hate every morsel of news that came out about a film version, but I find myself surprised and just a little more jazzed with each next blurb.

Anybody else finding thier curmudgeonry subsiding too?

[*looks up* Jesus! Must be a freakin word-of-the-day day for me. Wierd. Oh well, I'll keep it.]

[AgentSun]

mos def is a good actor. he can do comedy well. i just never really saw Ford as black...

but then again it doesn't matter since he's not even human.

[MrVesham]

I hadn't either, but as soon as I saw the photos at IMDb I actually shouted - out loud - 'that's perfect!' A couple days later, I finally saw The Italian Job.

[BillFrugge]

Warwick Davis will play Marvin. (Warwick played Willow...)

The only news you can trust is on http://www.douglasadams.com/movie/

[Kurt_eh]

Hhhhheeeeeeeeeeerrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrreeeeeeeeee's

MARVIN!

http://www.douglasadams.se/news/images/marvin.jpg

http://www.douglasadams.se/news/

The chap who did his voice in the old tv series recorded all the books for book on cassette, and did the Marvin voice for all of his dialogue.

As far as I'm concerned, there's only one voice for Marvin, and that's him. It'd be great if they could use those original recordings for the movie. I just don't see Warwick Davis doing the voice...

[NYPinTA]

Originally posted by BillFrugge
Warwick Davis will play Marvin. (Warwick played Willow...)

The only news you can trust is on http://www.douglasadams.com/movie/

As in Willow from the movie Willow? :eh: I never pictured Marvin as being so short in stature.... hmmm. This will be interesting. :D

[MrVesham]

Originally posted by Kurt_eh
http://www.douglasadams.se/news/images/marvin.jpg

I love the linkages/joints and the overall streamy, flowing techy design of the body... but the head just desperately needs more personality.

That's this project's first strike so far.

[Kurt_eh]

Meh, in the end, there's a leading group of scientists who believe that if we discover the true meaning of Life, the Universe, and Everything, that the Universe will spontaneously destruct and be replaced by something even more bizare.

[Kurt_eh]

There is also another group of leading scientists who believe that this has already happened! :D

[B Sharp]

Originally posted by Selena
:D I have my Guide, I have my towel, and I am ready for the movie! :applaud:

I have my anti-peril glasses on, and didn't see that post until just now.

[Kurt_eh]

There'll only ever be one Marvin:

http://www.sadgeezer.com/hhg/b56.jpg

Brain the size of a planet, and here I am, being played by a man the size of a potted plant.

[AyuRocks]

Ahhhh cooool... I just read Hitchhikers for Sci-Fi... I loved it! Funny book..

I just had to go out and order the Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy right after I finished.. :)

Ashley

[AgentSun]

i have the large volume that includes all the books plus one or two more stories. its a huge thing to carry if i ever do but i like reading it...it makes me look really smart.

[AyuRocks]

Hey, ya left out that Marvin was designed by the Jim Henson workshop :aok:

Ashley

[trubador]

Are there any plans to make Dirk Gently movies???

[AnnieBW]

Originally posted by BillFrugge
Warwick Davis will play Marvin. (Warwick played Willow...)

He also plays Professor Flitwick in the "Harry Potter" movies.

Well, here's hoping that it turns out good. I'm psyched that they're finally doing this.

"Life. Don't talk to me about life."

[Col.Batguano]

Originally posted by Kurt_eh
Brain the size of a planet, and here I am, being played by a man the size of a potted plant.
:rollin:

Originally posted by AyuRocks
Hey, ya left out that Marvin was designed by the Jim Henson workshop

the Jim Henson Workshop could have done a much better job on the Marvin costume

http://www.douglasadams.com/movie/marvin.jpg

it looks like a fat storm trooper dwarf.

[Celadus]

Even though it's merely a prototype, it probably shows a design suggestion that the production team think is pretty nifty, and the suit that will ultimately end up in the film should therefore be strikingly similar to this.

http://www.douglasadams.se/news/

Even though the suit does look a little weird, it does have the overall feeling of being depressed.

I just hope the movie tells us what the potted plant meant when it thought, "Oh no, not again." (hope I got that right, it's been a few years since I read the Trilogy)

(As you can tell by my post count and registration date, I'm a long time lurker, first time poster, so hi everyone!)

[Nicola]

Originally posted by Celadus
(As you can tell by my post count and registration date, I'm a long time lurker, first time poster, so hi everyone!)

Hi Celadus! :hi: Welcome!

[Kurt_eh]

Hey Celadus

There's a perfect logical and "reasonable" explaination, discussed in either So long and thanks for all the fish or Life, the universe, and everything but I can't for the life of me remember wich one...

And the answer to your question is
http://www.smiliegenerator.de/s22/smilies-7975.png

http://www.smiliegenerator.de/s22/smilies-7975.png

http://www.smiliegenerator.de/s22/smilies-7975.png

There was one lifeform who, whenever reincarnated was killed by Arthur Dent. At one point, in his final incarnation, he confronts and tries to kill Arthur, only to to have his plan thwarted by AD.

One of these lifeforms included that "bowl of petunias!"

http://www.smiliegenerator.de/s22/smilies-7975.png

[Mrelia]

Maybe Marvin's head is so featureless because they're going to animate the facial stuff in post?
------edit ------
Oh, I can see the little triangular eyes down low now. I kinda like the look for that line, "...brain the size of a planet..."
I agree he looks a bit stormtrooper-ish, but the look is a great parody, not a rip-off. Hmmm, maybe if they made him a different colour...