David Yates Finally Brings 'Doctor Who' To Big Screen
Could it be ready in time for the franchise's 50th anniversary?
by MICHAEL HINMAN, posted Nov-14-2011
Source: Variety
David Yates wants to take the Tardis for a test spin in a new 'Doctor Who' feature
What does Harry Potter and "Doctor Who" have in common? Besides being born and raised in Great Britain, the two franchises now have a new link: David Yates.
Yates, who most recently directed both parts of the finale "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," told Variety that it will be he -- not Russell T. Davies or Steven Moffat -- bringing "Doctor Who" to movie theaters. And because of that, his version of the Time Lord and his Tardis will be much different from what fans have been watching on BBC.
Chances are, however, that movie theaters won't see the "Doctor Who" film in time for the franchise's 50th anniversary in 2013.
"We're looking at writers now," Yates said. "We're going to spend two to three years to get it right. It needs quite a radical transformation to take it into the bigger arena."
It's not that Yates doesn't respect what Davies and Moffat have done with the franchise. In fact, it is the efforts of those two showrunners to bring "Doctor Who" into the 21st century that he is using as a model to translate the concept onto the big screen.
"Russell T. Davies and then Steven Moffat have done their own transformations, which were fantastic," Yates said. "But we have to put that aside and start from scratch."
But who will write this movie? Yates said he is looking for British writers, but pointed out that Americans can bring English sensibility into their work. Just look at Harry Potter screenwriter Steve Kloves. Although Kloves has focused mainly on adaptations of J.K. Rowling's novels, he has crafted original screenplays as well, including next year's "The Amazing Spider-Man."
And Kloves might be available to work on the "Doctor Who" project if Yates decides to pick him up. Kloves most recently adapted a screenplay for the controversial live-action remake of "Akira," and has no announced projects after that, at least according to Internet Movie Database.
Creating a film version of a popular television franchise without paying attention to the source has become the latest craze in Hollywood. But will it work?
Bryan Singer is pushing his "Battlestar Galactica" project forward, which is tied more to the 1970s series than the critically acclaimed 2003 version that aired on Syfy. Dean Devlin has more than once broached the idea of following up his 1994 film "Stargate," planning to ignore the television franchise that spawned three series in the process.
There are still some concerns about how these film projects will succeed without confusing audiences familiar with stories that were told in recent memory.
The "Doctor Who" film could have some additional issues: It's likely that by the time Yates finishes his film and releases it, the television series will still be on the air. At least for Singer and Devlin, there are no current television shows creating episodes of their respective franchises, especially now that it appears the "Battlestar Galactica" prequel "Blood & Chrome" will likely never make it to television.
Yates got his break in the late 1980s and early 1990s filming shorts, before making his way into British television with shows like "The Bill" and miniseries that included "The Sins" and "The Way We Live Now."
"Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" was his first feature film project in 2007, and he went on to direct "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1" and "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2." He is currently working on "St. Nazaire," a film dramatizing the raid of that French hamlet in 1942.
"Doctor Who" has been an iconic piece of British entertainment history since its debut in 1963. Although it went off the air in the late 1980s, BBC did work with the Fox network in the United States to try and revive the show (unsuccessfully) in 1996.
Davies, who made his fame through shows like "Queer as Folk," resurrected the series in 2005 with Christopher Eccleston and Billie Piper, turning the show back into a smash success. Eccleston was replaced with David Tennant in the second season. He would later step aside for Matt Smith, the current Doctor, who stars with Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill.
Believe it or not, this wouldn't be the first time "Doctor Who" has made it to the big screen. And those past attempts are not considered a part of the television canon either.
"Doctor Who and the Daleks" premiered in 1965, followed by "Doctor Who: Daleks' Invasion Earth 2150 A.D." in 1966. Both starred Peter Cushing as an American version of The Doctor. He would later gain fame as Gran Moff Tarkin in "Star Wars: A New Hope." He died in 1994.
Have to say that I'm not a fan of this idea.. but interested in seeing what they come up with.
I'm not sure I''m up for a Doctor Who reboot...I just got into the damn show this year! Though I suppose a fresh start could mean lots of Gallifrey stuff, etc. I don't know. It's so early, it might not even happen.
I can imagine the "colourful metaphors" being uttered by Meds right now! :roflmao
Looks like BBC is squashing this rumor of the Doctor Who movie!
Quote from: Geekyfanboy on November 14, 2011, 01:44:44 PM
Looks like BBC is squashing this rumor of the Doctor Who movie!
Thank goodness! :)
If I could punch this screen I would. Ridiculous, stupid idea coming from the mouth of a man with no respect for the history of this show. "We have to put that aside and start from scratch" Never before have i heard such crap in my life.
I kept this in even though I have just read Kenny's comment about The BBC squashing the rumour. BBC hold rights for all Doctor Who tags (bar The Daleks hence why there has been two off canon films) and so if a film would be made it would be BBC film, look I'd love a film, but with the right attitude and the current Doctor.
I can understand some reservations, but keep in mind it's a very rare thing to take a TV show and turn it into a good movie - especially with the same actors. Typically they want to change - a lot! Star Trek is a unique exception to this as they did well with the original cast and then the TNG cast and now have even gone with an entirely new cast. It can be done. It's just very, very hard to pull off something that a wide audience wants to pay money to see in the theater.
BBC AMERICA
A Doctor Who feature film remains in development w/ BBC Worldwide Productions in LA. As of yet NO script, cast OR production crew in place.
The most important word in this statement is BBC and that means i feel calmer, but only just. Sorry my American friends but if a film is to be made I would like it to be done here in the UK with someone in charge like Moffat or RTD who understand the formula. If they don't think it can be done without bastardising it then leave it alone.
I will beleive it when it happens! lol!!! I am still waiting for the Red Dwarf and U.F.O movies! lol!
Well, they make plenty of "American" films in the UK. Maybe it's time we return the favor. ;)
I'm not sure Doctor Who has a wide enough appeal to make into a feature film. It's a little too cultic in my opinion. I would love to see one but I think it would be a financial disaster.
Kevin
I'm not a fan of DW on the big screen either. I'm quite pleased to get 13 or so episodes per year on my TV vs one 2 hour move in a theater every 3 to 4 years at best.
Oh Rico, you tease. You'll say you'd like to see it in 3D next.
I'd love to see a film but as Kevin said its not 'world wide' popular to pull in the credits and that's what worries me when I read Yates say "start from scratch"
It's impossible to tell the Doctors story in 2 hours. Where he comes from, how old is he? Why is it a police box? What's so big about a 1963 blue box? He's not human, he has two hearts etc
I can see what would happen in Hollywood "hey buddy what's with this phone box? That's what Bill & Tedd did, how about we change it to a corn dog stand" or the classic scenario of " we can't not have a love story," oh I shudder.
Would I like a TV movie with American involvement. Yes I would as long as they remember not to go down the last Dr Who tv movie route. Moffat would have to be involved and it would have to be canon.
Hmmm. Not really a fan of this idea. If someone wants to do something similar then do that and call it something else.
The last BBC show I saw on the big screen was the Hitchikers Guide. Look at how good a film that made (not)!
Mos Def!!!!!!!!! Terrible tick the box casting.
So the rumours I saw about the next movie Doctor being an American and a woman and the Tardis being a "photo-me" booth are wrong? ;)
Remember my avatar rant in the pub Dan? That was a scale 2 be ready for a scale 7 lol ;)
I'm in. I know that people have reservations, but I don't understand why. A movie in any form will only serve to draw interest in the characters, even if it has nothing to do with the series. It doesn't have to be connected for people to wonder.
As for the ability to pull off a two hour film, sure they can. We're not dealing with an audience that doesn't know how to suspend disbelief anymore. We're easily able to tell valid stories in less than two hours. We do it often and many times, it's done well.
As for Hitchhiker's ... I think that's the problem. You might have seen it as based on a BBC show, but most other people saw it as something based on the book. We often try to claim a closer ownership to something and that, in the end, affects how we see the product.
It's not like it's some nobody that came up with this idea. It's a British director that has one of the highest grossing British movies in well ... ever. How about a little benefit of the doubt and see if he can raise the bar. Who cares if it's not the TV series ... when has a movie about Doctor Who ever been connected to the TV series?
I think what gets people's back up is that the basis for the idea is just to make money. Yes I know movies need to make money but it shouldn't BE the reason to make the movie.
These execs see a potential cash cow in the Doctor Who franchise they want to exploit due to its higher profile in the US these days.
Now, if a cut of the profits from such a venture were were to be used to secure the future of the TV series and give it a higher budget then that would be something.
I actually enjoyed the Hitchhiker's movie, as it's own story. I've heard the radio play, read the books, watched the show, played the game, browsed the picture book, seen the movie - all forms have their own "features" and unique plot elaborations.
That said, a Dr Who movie bearing no relation to the new series? Crap. It took me 4 years to warm up to the notion of the new series to begin with. And I think it's largely because they've "continued" the classic series, instead of trashing it, that I find it enjoyable.
Colour me *very* reserved on the matter at this point. That said, I'll probably not waste much brain space worrying about it until there's actually something to worry about... (p.s. Thx to Meds for the perspective so far.)
((Ok, let's see if we can provoke a rant from Medz....))
Justin Beiber as the new doctor (we need to bring in a younger demographic..)..I was tempted to list Robert Downey
Taylor Swift as his side-kick..
;)
Oh, it also nearly never happens that a TV show gets a movie while new TV content is still being made.
Another article on this:
http://www.contactmusic.com/news/doctor-who-making-transition-to-the-silver-screen_1260895 (http://www.contactmusic.com/news/doctor-who-making-transition-to-the-silver-screen_1260895)
Quote from: Bromptonboy on November 15, 2011, 07:17:51 AM
((Ok, let's see if we can provoke a rant from Medz....))
Justin Beiber as the new doctor (we need to bring in a younger demographic..)..I was tempted to list Robert Downey
Taylor Swift as his side-kick..
;)
Taylor Swift as side-kick?! Change my mind on this thing, I'd see that.
No Dan. We need team Bartowski on this! Zach Levi as the movie Doctor and Yvonne Strahovski as his companion! :)
Sorry I'm still stuck on the Taylor Swift thing. Though that would be pretty cool as well.
Quote from: Rico on November 15, 2011, 08:50:28 AM
No Dan. We need team Bartowski on this! Zach Levi as the movie Doctor and Yvonne Strahovski as his companion! :)
Love it!
Another article (nice)
http://www.cinemablend.com/new/Doctor-Who-May-Regenerate-Movie-Any-Time-Soon-27906.html (http://www.cinemablend.com/new/Doctor-Who-May-Regenerate-Movie-Any-Time-Soon-27906.html)
Here you go....
LOL thats quite cool.
Some umm... "interesting" casting choices for a movie Doctor here:
http://blastr.com/2011/11/11-actors-who-could-be-th.php (http://blastr.com/2011/11/11-actors-who-could-be-th.php)
Calm down Meds lol :)
Bloody hell.
Lol
Out of that list I'd say yes to
Michael Fassbender
James McAvoy
Idris Elba
The others ha ha ha. I love Tom Hardy but it's not his kind of thing.
You didn't go for Natalie Portman? ;)
I'd almost prefer an unknown if a movie ever happens. I didn't know any of the actors really before they were on Doctor Who (Tennant, Smith,...). But they were brilliant and for me had no "baggage" from other roles. That helps you believe they are this eccentric, alien doctor more easily.
Quote from: Rico on November 17, 2011, 08:25:24 AM
I'd almost prefer an unknown if a movie ever happens. I didn't know any of the actors really before they were on Doctor Who (Tennant, Smith,...). But they were brilliant and for me had no "baggage" from other roles. That helps you believe they are this eccentric, alien doctor more easily.
While we might not have known them here, they were known faces in the UK. I don't think that there has ever really been a true unknown cast in the role of Doctor Who. From what I'm getting from other sources is that they were names of some sort and became bigger in Doctor Who. So while some of us here might not have the baggage, the story was different on the other side of the pond.
By going with a complete unknown, you really don't know what performance you'd get and that could be bad.
Maybe they could do that by getting a solid Ozzie or Kiwi actor that has the chops there but is an uknown in the Northern hemisphere
Yes, I know they had done work before, mainly in the UK. Like I said, I didn't really know their work. When I say go with an "unknown" I don't mean someone who has never acted, just someone without a lot of history yet or exposure worldwide. For example I think Johnny Depp could put an interesting spin on the Doctor character, but I'd still prefer someone a lot less well known in the part.
Matt Smith was pretty much unkown when he took the job on and while Tennant had done a couple of things, I'm not sure how mainstream they could be said to be.
Quote from: Feathers on November 18, 2011, 01:14:28 AM
Matt Smith was pretty much unkown when he took the job on and while Tennant had done a couple of things, I'm not sure how mainstream they could be said to be.
My point exactly! :)
--- Quote from: Rico
--- Quote from: Feathers on Today at 01:14:28 AM ---Matt Smith was pretty much unkown when he took the job on and while Tennant had done a couple of things, I'm not sure how mainstream they could be said to be.
--- End quote ---
My point exactly! :)
--- End quote ---
Barty Crouch Jr. from Harry Potter wasn't mainstream? ;)
Quote from: ricdude on November 18, 2011, 01:19:40 PM
--- Quote from: Rico
--- Quote from: Feathers on Today at 01:14:28 AM ---Matt Smith was pretty much unkown when he took the job on and while Tennant had done a couple of things, I'm not sure how mainstream they could be said to be.
--- End quote ---
My point exactly! :)
--- End quote ---
Barty Crouch Jr. from Harry Potter wasn't mainstream? ;)
Bit part in a movie? Not really mainstream... ;)
I have two choices for the Doctor in a movie. Sam Troughton or Jonas Armstrong.
I still hanker after an older Doctor. I really think they wouldn't do that in a film but if they did, it would redeem the idea a little in my mind.
The ageist problem is alive and well. The BBC are guilty of this and so is (and has always been) Hollywood.
If and I will say IF for my own sanity they make a movie and IF they want a screen Dr i'd pick either
Bill Nighy
Eddie Izzard
Richard E Grant
Trevor Eve
Hugh Bonnerville
Wrap your head around this for an actor to play the Doctor: Tim Minchin
You know I like the idea of Tim.
If they did do a big screen version of Doctor Who, something staring Paul McGann charting the Time War has potential. They could do all kinds of things that does not destroy canon without disrupting the tv series. Plus treat the subject matter of "Time War" in the epic way it deserves.
Heck you could even do a trilogy ending with the regeneration in to Christopher Eccleston or at least alluding to it - from what I've read Eccleston does not want anything to do with the character again.
Quote from Mr Moffat
To clarify: any Doctor Who movie would be made by the BBC team, star the current TV Doctor and certainly NOT be a Hollywood reboot.
That's what I call a great start to a Friday.
Quote from: HawkeyeMeds on December 02, 2011, 04:44:28 AM
Quote from Mr Moffat
To clarify: any Doctor Who movie would be made by the BBC team, star the current TV Doctor and certainly NOT be a Hollywood reboot.
That's what I call a great start to a Friday.
How long before this gets misquoted as Moffat confirming that they are making a BBC Dr. Who movie staring Matt Smith? Lol
Quote from: Dangelus on December 02, 2011, 05:57:11 AM
Quote from: HawkeyeMeds on December 02, 2011, 04:44:28 AM
Quote from Mr Moffat
To clarify: any Doctor Who movie would be made by the BBC team, star the current TV Doctor and certainly NOT be a Hollywood reboot.
That's what I call a great start to a Friday.
How long before this gets misquoted as Moffat confirming that they are making a BBC Dr. Who movie staring Matt Smith? Lol
The BBC is making a Dr. Who movie with Matt Smith? Excellent!
(was that fast enough for you?) ;)
Quote from: PaulECoyote on November 27, 2011, 02:09:15 PM
If they did do a big screen version of Doctor Who, something staring Paul McGann charting the Time War has potential. They could do all kinds of things that does not destroy canon without disrupting the tv series. Plus treat the subject matter of "Time War" in the epic way it deserves.
Heck you could even do a trilogy ending with the regeneration in to Christopher Eccleston or at least alluding to it - from what I've read Eccleston does not want anything to do with the character again.
I could get behind some more McGann as the Doctor on screen. Eccleston should talk to Tom Baker and see how that plan worked out for him. I wouldn't even know who he was if he hadn't been the Doctor. He shouldn't bit the hand that made him.