7 posts tagged “colour of magic”
Nation: cover art, synopsis, September release date?
13 April 2008 (14:07) Comment!
Terry Pratchett’s newest novel, Nation, is now available for pre-order on Amazon.co.uk. (There is also a Nation page
on the American version of the site, although pre-ordering is not yet
available there.) According to Amazon.co.uk, the hardcover is 300 pages
long, and the publishing date is approximately September 11, 2008. (The
American Amazon states a publishing date of September 9.)
Interestingly, the (probably non-Discworld) book is categorized as a children’s book. To quote the synopsis:
Finding himself alone on a desert island when everything and everyone he knows and loved has been washed away in a huge storm, Mau is the last surviving member of his nation. He’s also completely alone–or so he thinks until he finds the ghost girl. She has no toes, wears strange lacy trousers like the grandfather bird and gives him a stick which can make fire. Daphne, sole survivor of the wreck of the Sweet Judy, almost immediately regrets trying to shoot the native boy. Thank goodness the powder was wet and the gun only produced a spark. She’s certain her father, distant cousin of the Royal family, will come and rescue her but it seems, for now, all she has for company is the boy and the foul-mouthed ship’s parrot. As it happens, they are not alone for long. Other survivors start to arrive to take refuge on the island they all call the Nation and then raiders accompanied by murderous mutineers from the Sweet Judy. Together, Mau and Daphne discover some remarkable things–including how to milk a pig and why spitting in beer is a good thing–and start to forge a new Nation. As can be expected from Terry Pratchett, the master story-teller, this new children’s novel is both witty and wise, encompassing themes of death and nationhood, while being extremely funny. Mau’s ancestors have something to teach us all. Mau just wishes they would shut up about it and let him get on with saving everyone’s lives!
Here’s to happy reading about Mau, Daphne, and the mutineers in September!
The Folklore Of Discworld, by Jacqueline Simpson and Terry Pratchett
12 April 2008 (13:56) Comment!The Folklore Of Discworld, a book we’ve heard Terry Pratchett speak about on his Making Money tours last year, is now available for pre-order on Amazon.co.uk. (There is also a Folklore Of Discworld page on the American version of the site, although pre-ordering is not yet available there.) To quote the synopsis:
Most of us grow up having always known to touch wood or cross our fingers, and what happens when a princess kisses a frog or a boy pulls a sword from a stone, yet sadly, some of these things are now beginning to be forgotten. Legends, myths, fairytales: our world is made up of the stories we told ourselves about where we came from and how we got there. It is the same on Discworld, except that beings that on Earth are creatures of the imagination, like vampires, trolls, witches and, possibly, gods, are real, alive and in some cases kicking on the Disc. In “The Folklore of Discworld”, Terry Pratchett teams up with leading British folklorist Jacqueline Simpson to give an irreverent yet illuminating look at the living myths and folklore that are reflected, celebrated and affectionately libelled in the uniquely imaginative universe of Discworld.
TerryPratchett.co.uk on-line
12 April 2008 (13:33) Comment!U.K. Discworld publishers Transworld have put up an official Terry Pratchett site at TerryPratchett.co.uk. The full site is still coming soon, but the site already has a “featured books” section, a competition (rules here and registration here), and promises “a great destination site for all fans.” Future updates are expected to include a forum, exclusive news, downloads, and games.
TV Zone magazine features Tim Curry in The Colour Of Magic
11 April 2008 (18:13) Comment!TV Zone’s 226th issue features Tim Curry, who acted Trymon in the recent Discworld TV adaptation, The Colour Of Magic. The excerpt available on-line includes Curry marveling at the technology available to the producers of The Colour Of Magic. To quote Tim Curry in the article:
The technology has taken such huge leaps. It’s so interesting that even in television, the director can now say ‘Oh, don’t worry about that, we’ll paint it out’, or, ‘This section is a CGI’. In Legend there was nothing like that. They weren’t even puppets…. I’ve seen images of [the creatures in The Colour Of Magic]. I saw the two dragons today that looked fantastic.”
And then there’s the all-important question (to fans at least): Was he a fan of the Discworld series? But alas:
I wasn’t aware of Terry Pratchett until I was sent this script, although I’m told that he sells very well in America… I hadn’t been aware of him before.
Motion in U.K. Parliament: “Terry Pratchett and Alzheimer’s Research Funding”
9 April 2008 (20:17) 1 CommentThe Match It For Pratchett website has received a message from Andrew Scheuber at the Alzheimer’s Research Trust about a motion in Parliament “to increase funding and promote further research” for the disease. The letter reads, in part:
If you’re a UK citizen, please write a letter to your MP urging him or her to sign EDM no. 1337 http://edmi.parliament.uk/EDMi/EDMDetails.aspx?EDMID=35577&SESSION=891
The House of Commons motion is called TERRY PRATCHETT AND ALZHEIMER’S RESEARCH FUNDING and it reads:
That this House applauds Terry Pratchett, who is donating $1 million to the Alzheimer’s Research Trust; notes that there are 700,000 people with dementia in the UK, a number forecast to double within a generation; notes that for every person with Alzheimer’s, £11 is spent each year on UK research compared with £289 for each cancer patient; supports the work of the UK’s leading scientists, who recently met at the Alzheimer’s Research Trust’s Network Conference in Bristol, in researching better treatments and possible cures for dementia; welcomes the campaign by Terry Pratchett and the Alzheimer’s Research Trust to increase funding and promote further research into the diagnosis, treatment and a possible cure for Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia.
Your MP’s address is: The House of Commons, Westminster, London, SW1A 0AA.
If you don’t know who your MP is, go to www.theyworkforyou.com and type in your postcode.
Writing a real letter tends to be most effective, but if you’d prefer to do things electronically go to www.writetothem.com
Use your own words; it doesn’t have to be long. Just a message asking the MP to sign EDM 1337 would suffice. If you want ideas on what else you could write, check out http://www.alzheimers-research.org.uk/info/statistics/ or see what Terry Pratchett has to say about dementia research funding http://www.alzheimers-research.org.uk/news/article.php?type=News&id=205
A few days after sending your letter, if you have a spare few minutes, call the Parliamentary switchboard on 020 7219 3000 and ask for your MP’s office. Check that your letter has been received, ask if the MP will sign EDM 1337, and explain why you’re concerned about the underfunding of dementia research. Please be extremely polite to the researcher or secretary; they are overworked, underpaid and dedicated to helping constitutents.
Match It For Pratchett advertising badges to be removed
8 April 2008 (18:08) Comment!Because of concern expressed by Terry Pratchett and his agent, Colin Smythe, the badges for the Match It For Pratchett campaign which use Discworld characters and settings should be removed from blogs. The Match It For Pratchett website has addressed the issue, saying:
They’re lovely badges and they were made for a good cause, but Terry Pratchett has no wish for his Discworld characters to be used for advertising of any kind.
They will be dropped from this website ASAP, of course. The idea of the Match It For Pratchett campaign is to raise money for Alzheimer’s research in honour of Terry, not to create problems for him or to use his intellectual property in ways that he doesn’t want.
Terry Pratchett on J. K. Rowling
2 April 2008 (20:42) 2 CommentsTerry Pratchett, as fantasy writer extraordinaire before J. K. Rowling came along and Stole His Thunder, Causing Him To Become Intensely Jealous And Bitter (according to the newspapers, anyway), has been asked once more about his attitude towards J. K. Rowling. Of course, most journalists can’t resist over-dramatizing a story (thus the heading on this article: “Broomsticks at dawn as Pratchett curses JK.” I mean, really.), but here’s the quotage anyway:
At the screening of the TV adaptation of Pratchett’s mass-translated novel The Colour of Magic, I asked if he was a fan of [J. K. Rowling].
“Not particularly,” he said bluntly. “I read the first one [Harry Potter], that was fine, but now I read other things. You don’t have to be a fan, it’s not compulsory.”
The article also mentions Terry Pratchett’s take on the Rowling’s recent lawsuit against RDR Books, who intended to publish a print version of the Harry Potter Lexicon. To quote Terry Pratchett:
In fantasy writing, accusations of copying are very difficult to make. You know who invented wizards? Who invented Goblins? If we were going to start paying royalties for nicking one another’s ideas, we’d have all given our life savings to the Tolkien family a long time ago.
Not particularly surprising, or unreasonable. And very funny. I don’t see any cursing, do you?
Colour Of Magic premiere Q&A transcript
1 April 2008 (21:00) Comment!DenOfGeek.com, in addition to the review we told you about earlier, has made available a complete transcript of the Q&A session that followed the screening March 3. Director Vadim Jean, Sir David Jason (Rincewind), Sean Astin (Twoflower), and of course Terry Pratchett participated in the session. Some selections:
Terry Pratchett: … some screens actually glittered at home but now, well, some screens didn’t glitter so much – I’ll put it that way.
Vadim Jean: It’s definitely the projector! In glorious high definition – which you’re all going to go out and buy just to see this, it’s, well, stunning.
Terry Pratchett: Actually, for once, he’s not lying! I’ve seen it on the big TV screens and there was masses of colour.
Vadim Jean:We’re just stretching the technology to the limit, throwing it 150 feet.
————
Sean Astin: Richard, the prop guy who worked it from inside – there actually was someone inside working it – after 45 minutes you’d forget someone was inside there. You’d lift the lid and he’d be just about dead, make-up running, sweating and everything, and they’d like ‘we’re gonna go for another one, jump over the hill again?’ and he’d say ‘no problem! No problem!’
————
David Jason: I think this is accessible to everyone. The Rambo-lovers as well as mums and dads – we’ve got our little ones here and they’ve been loving it, and Sean’s little ones too. I think that given a fair go, and reasonable publicity, that this will attract a lovely family audience, and that’s what we made it for.
Match It For Pratchett: “Not official”
31 March 2008 (17:37) Comment!Terry Pratchett issued a statement on The Cunning Artificer’s about the Match It For Pratchett campaign. The campaign is organized by fans to match Pratchett’s recent half-a-million-pound donation to the Alzheimer’s Research Trust in the U.K. To quote Pratchett’s post:
As far as we are concerned this is not official, and if we don’t think its official, it aint. I hate to appear to be in any way negative about what appears to be very good intentions, but I could wish that the gentleman concerned had got in touch with us first before going ahead.
I have to say there are certain things that worry me about this project, not because they are in any way fraudulent, but raising and distributing money for charity can involve rather more problems than seem apparent at the start – especially in the loveable volatile world we know as fandom.
Most of the £13,000 raised since last Thursday has been sent to the Alzheimer’s Research Trust (https://www.committedgiving.uk.net/art/public/donor.aspx?id=cc) directly, which at least has the benefit of being straight forward.
Luggage auction ends at £3,667.42
30 March 2008 (11:31) 1 CommentThe charity auction for the one-off replica of the Luggage used in the Colour Of Magic ended on Monday March 24, with a bid of £3,667.42. All £3,667.42 of that goes to the Alzheimer’s Research Trust in the U.K. The Luggage was filled with the complete set of Discworld books, signed by Terry Pratchett, and the new film tie-in edition of The Colour Of Magic, signed by some of the actors in the movie.
Colour Of Magic premiere report; Terry Pratchett, Sean Astin, and David Jason on video
27 March 2008 (0:51) 1 CommentBBC has a video report on the premiere of The Colour Of Magic, which includes interviews with Terry Pratchett, Sean Astin, and David Jason. Terry Pratchett says seeing the film is “like wandering around on the inside of my own head,” while Sean Astin and David Jason bring the on-screen double-act into real life, bantering about David Jason’s daughter’s impressions on the film as well as other things.
The premiere took place March 3, and the Colour Of Magic adaptation aired for the first time last Sunday and Monday in the U.K.
Terry Pratchett on Alzheimer’s: “I’ve never felt more alive.”
27 March 2008 (0:04) Comment!In the wake of Terry Pratchett’s 500,000 pound donation to Alzheimer’s research, BBC has posted a video interview with Terry Pratchett. In the fairly long (fifteen minutes long) interview, Terry Pratchett is asked about his life since the diagnosis, what his plans are for writing in the future (”I’ve started the next book.”), his access to medicine, what he feels about Alzheimer’s underfunding compared to cancer, and a whole myriad of other interesting topics.
Also made available by the BBC website: Terry Pratchett’s donation speech, including the preliminary banter about the evolutionary reasons for Alzheimer’s.
Terry Pratchett audio interview on Arthur C. Clarke
26 March 2008 (23:46) Comment!Arthur C. Clarke died at age 90 recently, and accordingly, BBC interviewed Terry Pratchett on Clarke’s contribution to the science fiction/fantasy genre. The audio of the interview can be found on the BBC website. In the two-and-a-half minute clip, Terry Pratchett speaks about the effect of Clarke’s Space Odyssey, his astonishingly accurate predictions, and how he “put some science into science fiction.”
The Colour Of Magic finishes airing; early reviews good
25 March 2008 (8:10) Comment!As you all know, The Colour Of Magic, the TV adaptation of the first two books in the Discworld series, finished airing for the first time March 24 in the U.K. The reaction fans so far has been excellent, and the early reviews so far have been similarly good. To quote a TimesOnline.co.uk article on The Colour Of Magic:
The two-parter was better than Sky’s previous Discworld adaptation, the story more clearly told (I could understand it) and David Jason happier as the hopeless wizard Rincewind than as Albert in The Hogfather [sic]. It also benefited from an excellent villain in Tim Curry. It looked good, in an over-glossy, Hallmark Productions kind of way …
Another article, from The Scotsman, said, “this was a good-looking production that proper fans probably appreciated.” However, criticisms were also evident in both articles:
Every now and again the budget (tight, it was implied, by the accompanying “Making of” documentary) looked stretched. If it could show characters falling off the edge of the world, make a trunk walk and blow up the Broken Drum Inn, why is it impossible for the skeleton Death to open its mouth when it speaks?
And:
The opening instalment, based on Pratchett’s first and possibly worst Discworld book, was far too long, dragging out its attempts at satire with leaden direction and script.
The Guardian.co.uk some preliminary viewing figures for the adaptation:
- The second part concluded with almost 1 million viewers last night, with an average of 967,000 viewers and a multichannel share of 4.7%. The viewer numbers peaked at 1.1 million viewers at 7:15.
- The first part (which aired Sunday March 23) attracted 1.5 million viewers and an 8% multichannel share.
Compare these numbers to Hogfather’s: 2.4 million for the first part (a record-breaking number) and 1.5 million for the second.
Update: Another highly enthusiastic review.
Reminder: The Colour Of Magic aired 6 p.m. on Sky One tonight
23 March 2008 (17:57) Comment!The headline says it all, really. Viewers in the U.K. had the opportunity to see the first part of the much-awaited Colour Of Magic adaptation tonight at 6 p.m. Part two airs tomorrow, also at 6 p.m. Don’t forget to check out the official site, where galleries and videos can help you pass the time until tomorrow! FromRimToHub.com’s Colour Of Magic section will also help pass the time.
David Jason, Sean Astin, Tim Curry, Terry Prachett on Colour Of Magic
22 March 2008 (14:41) Comment!An extensive article from TimesOnline.co.uk includes quotes from David Jason, Sean Astin, Tim Curry, and Terry Pratchett about the coming Colour Of Magic two part adaptation, which will be broadcast this Sunday and Monday at 6 p.m. To quote Sean Astin in the article:
It’s a little weird…. Some guy has a brain fart and I’m wearing big furry feet for two years. Another guy has an acid tablet and I’m in a pond in the back of Pinewood…. Terry obviously loves Tolkien and fantasy but he also loves to … take the piss out of it.
Tim Curry, with some less colorful language, also speaks about the Discworld series:
Terry’s big on satire and drawing conclusions in his worlds that you can take into this one…. I don’t think class has passed him by, or the advancements of technology. Trymon is such a wonderfully double-dealing slimeball–he’d be totally at home in Brussels. I’ve had a lot of extremely uncomfortable pointy shoes to wear, and lots of great hats.
And finally, Terry Pratchett himself also speaks:
Hogfather was more serious; The Colour of Magic is about humour…. It’s a buddy movie except that one of the buddies [Rincewind] doesn’t want to be a buddy. It’s a road movie although roads are probably the last thing they manage to travel on most of the time.
[On signing over the rights to The Colour Of Magic and The Light Fantastic] I tried to conceal the fact that I really wanted them to do it but really would like to be paid a lot of money…. The nice thing is that The Colour of Magic really had no plot. It was a series of episodes and we could, like a smorgasbord, pick what we wanted. So it wasn’t quite the slaughter job that I thought it would have to be.
Terry Pratchett also addressed the concerns of many fans on the casting of David Jason as Rincewind, since many consider Rincewind to be younger and skinnier:
It was mainly the book cover illustrations that did that…. I’m very good at not describing characters. David Jason has got three amazingly good attributes. Firstly, he is an excellent actor. Secondly, he’s Sir David Jason, and that name counts for something. And thirdly he’s a Discworld fan and about 15 years ago he declared that he wanted to play Rincewind. I thought, ‘Wonderful!’
The article also has a set-report aspect to it, as it describes the filming of the scene where Rincewind is close to being swept over the edge of the Discworld. To quote the article:
“I don’t want to leave this world!” gurgles David Jason. Britain’s Most Popular Actor [sic] is clinging to a log in the middle of a foaming torrent of water, which swirls through his red robes and greying beard and plasters his hair across his face. “DON’T MIND ME - I’VE GOT A BOOK TO READ,” deadpans a skeletal figure in a deckchair on a nearby rocky outcrop. Slowly, Jason’s grip relaxes on the log and he disappears beneath the surface.
“Cut!” barks a voice through a megaphone. A bedraggled Jason re-emerges, and is shepherded by a squad of frogmen to the edge of Pinewood Studios’ 100-square metre water tank, as the huge compressed air generators that were creating the torrent wind down. It’s an overcast August afternoon near the end of the 11-week shoot for The Colour of Magic, Sky One’s multimillion- pound Easter adaptation of the first two books in Terry Pratchett’s supernaturally successful Discworld series…. In this scene [Rincewind] is attempting to avoid being swept over the Discworld’s oceanic rim and into space, which will be represented on the vast blue screen behind him. His travails are observed by the sardonic Death, whose vocal duties have passed from the late Ian Richardson to Christopher Lee, who voiced him in the Pratchett animations Wyrd Sisters and Soul Music.
The article also informs readers that the fight with Tim Curry has been filmed in addition to the upside-down fight in the Wyrmberg.
For continually updated news, check www.FromRimToHub.com.Dress up and win an iPod and every Discworld audiobook
20 March 2008 (20:16) 1 Comment
TimesOnline.co.uk is offering a contest to celebrate the 25th anniversary of The Colour Of Magic, the first novel in the Discworld series. To win, send a photograph of “yourself dressed as your favourite Pratchett character” to books@timesonline.co.uk and explain why he or she is your favorite character. Things to note about the contest:
- Only residents of the U.K. and Eire aged 16 and over are eligible.
- Each person is allowed only one entry.
- Include “Pratchett” in the subject of your entry.
- The email should include the picture of yourself dressed up, the name of your character, why he or she is your favorite (in less than 50 words), your name, your age, your phone number, and your email address.
- The photograph must be in jpeg format and less than 10 megabytes. Dimension specifications: “a minimum pixel width of 450 for landscape photographs or 450 pixels for portrait photos.”
The deadline is midday May 19, 2008.
The full terms and conditions can also be found on the site.
Colour Of Magic airs 6 p.m. March 23 and 24; more Colour Of Magic trailers
19 March 2008 (21:19) 2 Comments
SkyOne has finally announced the air date in the U.K. for The Colour Of Magic: 6 p.m. March 23 and March 24, on SkyOne and SkyOne HD. In addition, two new trailers have been posted to YouTube.
Trailer 2, length 32 seconds:
Narrator: From the dawn of time, they have always been there: the eight great spells. Now, one of them is missing.
Trymon: Well, that’s rather badly organized.
Narrator: And only one wizard–
Rincewind: I never really completed my training.
Narrator: –can bring it home. David Jason, Sean Astin, and Tim Curry take you to the very edge of the Discworld. Terry Pratchett’s The Colour Of Magic. This Easter. SkyOne and SkyOne HD.
Trailer 3, Theatrical, length 93 seconds:
Narrator: In a distant and secondhand set of dimensions, from the very dawn of time, they have always been there: the eight great spells. Now, one of them is missing. One of the eight spells is missing.
Trymon: Well, that’s rather badly organized.
Narrator: And there is only one wizard–
Rincewind: I’m the worst wizard this side of the Circle Sea!
Narrator: –who can bring it home. From the makers of Hogfather. SkyOne presents a pigment of your imagination.
Twoflower: All my life I’ve wanted to see dragons.
Rincewind: Don’t be ridiculous. Dragons don’t exist.
Rincewind: I won’t. (?)
Rincewind: What are you grinning at?
Death: Oh, I’m sorry. I can’t help it.
Rincewind: He says he’s a tourist.
Broadman: What’s that mean?Twoflower: Smile!
Rincewind: I think it means idiot.
Narrator: David Jason, Sean Astin, and Tim Curry–
Trymon: Fantastic.
Narrator: –take you to the very edge of the Discworld.
Twoflower: And I thought everything was going so well!
Rincewind: Well, you thought wrong.
Narrator: Terry Pratchett’s The Colour Of Magic. This Easter. SkyOne and SkyOne HD.
You can find more videos on YouTube (though all are repeats from what can be found on the site) on Sky’s YouTube channel.
Terry Pratchett tributes science fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke
19 March 2008 (17:23Comment!
Arthur C. Clarke’s recent death at the age of 90 recently has prompted tributes from scientists and authors, including Terry Pratcett and Sir Patrick Moore. To quote a Guardian.co.uk article on the subject
The science fiction author Terry Pratchett praised Clarke as a “great man” who “put some science into science fiction”.
“Most notably, I think he was probably the first science fiction writer to break out of the science fiction ghetto,” Pratchett told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme. “He became a national treasure like Patrick Moore.”
The film version of 2001: A Space Odyssey - in which Sir Arthur was closely involved - was “totally, totally new”, Pratchett said.
“What I particularly recall is Arthur complaining that the reason why the apes never won the Oscar for best make-up was that they were so good the judges thought they really were apes.”
Terry Pratchett has previously said, “There is a tradition in the science fiction and fantasy genre of ‘paying forward.’ At the first convention I attended in my youth was Arthur C. Clarke [and other authors] I thought of as gods. They signed books for me and let me into their conversations, even if they thought of me a bothersome little tit. You can never pay back something like that but you can pay your way forward by making your own contribution.” (AdelaideNow, March 2007)
Terry Pratchett opens Winchester planetarium
19 March 2008 (17:11) Comment!
Last month we told you that Terry Pratchett would be opening Britain’s largest planetarium at INTECH’s Science Centre in Winchester. ThisIsWinchester.net reports that Terry Pratchett said at the event, “I thought it was amazing. My imagination got fired by going to the planetarium when I was a child. I think it’s quite important to get kids interested in who we are and why we’re here.”
Sir Patrick Moore also attended the event, saying “The young enthusiasts of today are our researchers of tomorrow. The planetarium is a great thing for the area and the country.”
INTECH Director Phil Winfield said, “Terry Pratchett was inspired by astronomy as a young person and that’s exactly what we want to do at INTECH - inspire young people.”
The 176-seat planetarium will be open to the public starting on March 21, 2008.
Sky begins major advertising for The Colour Of Magic
18 March 2008 (21:06) Comment!
MarketingWeek.co.uk reports that Sky’s multimillion-pound advertising campaign for Terry Pratchett’s The Colour Of Magic is kicking in gear this week, which “includes TV, press, online and outdoor executions as well as the rerelease of Pratchett’s book of the same name, part of the Discworld series.” To quote the article:
Sky is also partnering with online bookseller Amazon, as well as homepage takeovers on MSN, Yahoo! and AOL. Interactive ads will run across sites, such as TVGuide and Yahoo! linking to the sky.com/magic microsite.
National press advertising will run in titles including The Sun, The Guardian, New Statesman and listings sections and TV spots will air across Sky Networks. Sky is also launching a Bluetooth zone at Victoria station, which will give mobile users the opportunity to download video clips, ring and text tones and screen savers.
Sky is also involved in viral and social network promotion for the adaptation.
Terry Pratchett interview from Sky
17 March 2008 (21:17) Comment!
The Sky News blog posted a video interview of Terry Pratchett recently, in which Terry Pratchett talks about his recent half-a-million-pound donation to the Alzheimer’s Research Trust in the U.K. In the minute-long video clip, Pratchett calls the organization “somewhat of a Cinderella charity compared to the cancer charities” and explains a little more about his diagnosis.
The Colour of Magic official site continues to expand. It now includes a gallery, where fans can browse through a film gallery (The Film >> Film Gallery), on set stills (Behind the Scenes >> On Set Stills and Gallery >> On Set Stills), and concept art (Behind the Scenes >> Concept Art and Gallery >> Concept Art). You can see Bethan (looking somewhat upset) being led toward the sacrificial altar, Cohen the Barbarian, Rincewind in the Patrician’s palace, Death’s Domain, Ankh-Morpork, the Forest of Skund, Twoflower, The Librarian (enjoying a banana!), and more (and more and more and more). Terry Pratchett figures largely in the on set stills gallery, as you see him interacting costumed actors and director Vadim Jean.
The official site can be found at thebrokendrum.net, www1.sky.com/colourofmagic/index.html, and www.sky.com/magic.
Jeremy Irons plays the Patrician in the adaptation in a guest appearance.
Plans are to air The Colour of Magic in two parts over Easter in the U.K. and sometime this summer in the U.S. More specific dates and times have yet to be announced.
For the trailer transcripts, pictures, and continuously updated news, visit www.FromRimToHub.com.
Colin Smythe, Terry Pratchett’s agent, posted more casting information for the Color of Magic TV adaptation this August on his site. Several actors are returning from Hogfather, including Nigel Planer (previously Mr. Sideney) as the Arch-Astronomer, Marnix Van Den Broeke again as Death (the guy in the costume), Nicholas Tennant (previously Nobby Nobbs) as the pre-orangutan Librarian, and of course Terry Pratchett, again in a cameo. New cast members include David Bradley (Argus Filch in the Harry Potter movies) as Cohen, Laura Haddock as Bethan, and Liz May Brice as Herrena.
The people at Black Phoenix Alchemical Laboratory (“purveyors of fine esoteric goods perfumes and potions”) have released a Good Omens collection of perfumes, “based on the characters, locations, and concepts squished within the pages of Good Omens, an apocalyptic comedy by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman.” Such perfumes as “Agnes Nutter” (with gunpowder, charred wood, smoke, and rusty nails) and “Crowley” (musk, patchouli, lilac cologne, lemon rind, and so on) are included in the line.
Also, in case perfume is not in your line, maybe acting is:
The Mob Film Company is looking for costumed Discworld fans to become extras in the coming Discworld TV adaptation, based on the first two novels in the series. In a letter to various Discworld-related sites, the company says:
When we were planning the movie of Hogfather we met a lot of Discworld fans and admired their enthusiasm for costuming. That led to us inviting fans to join the extras in some of the scenes of that movie.
Boy, was that a high speed learning process. We had not realised that the history of fan involvement with movies was so chequered.
Since then we have learned more about fandom. We went along to the Discworld Convention and had a great time. We made certain that fans got more than half the tickets for the Hogfather premiere. And now, with the Colour of Magic / Light Fantastic movie in production we are going to extend the offer of (minor) participation again - and this time you know who we are. Many of you have already met us.
On August 1st and 2nd the magic of the movies will be strained to its utmost to turn part of Guildford into Ankh-Morpork (no jokes, please). We need Ankh-Morpork citizens. We would very much like to have citizens on both days to a maximum of 50 people. Ideally we would like the same faces on both days, because that helps with the continuity of the filming. We can accommodate some one day only visitors, but two days is really what we are looking for.
Regrettably, we don’t need wizards. We have nothing against wizards. We like wizards. However, since the crowd will be demonstrating against the wizards of Unseen University, having wizards taking part in the demonstration as well would be silly. Apart from that, anyone who could be legitimately part of of an Ankh-Morpork crowd would be acceptable. We know there are some wonderful Discworld costumes out there and we can help out somewhat from the wardrobe department on the day, perhaps in order to enforce the fact that Discworld as yet does not have trainers or lurex or much in the way of bright colours. You will find styles from late Tudor to early Victorian to generic Fantasy, but you won’t find much glitter. And remember: most citizens in Ankh-Morpork probably think soap is bad for you.
This is not a way of doing without extras. We will have lots of extras. God help us, we have reason to believe that fans would actually enjoy taking part.
The fine detail: We could accomodate around 50 of you. We will pay you £25 a day towards your expenses, we will feed you, you will get priority tickets to the premiere, a very limited edition cast & crew T-shirt and an Ankh-Morpork Access All Areas laminated pass. We will also give an additional award for the best costume.
To get the ball rolling, e-mail a photo of yourself in costume to
extras@colourofmagicthemovie.com
as soon as possible, remembering to include your name and contact details. We understand that you will have to make plans and so we will get back to you as soon as we can.
Letter courtesy pjsmprints.com.
Several news sources are reporting this week that David Jason (who played Albert in Terry Pratchett’s Hogfather) is going to be in the new Discworld adaptation (purportedly The Colour of Magic) as none other than Rincewind. According to Digital Spy, David Jason prefers Colour of Magic over Hogfather, TheStage.co.uk reports a tentative release (“sometime next year”), and The Sun Online claims Jason will be “an executive producer” of the new adaptation. Be warned, though: many of these claims seem unlikely, and should be considered A Big Rumor for now.
