Best Space Films Never Made

TMac3000

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What sci-fi or space movies would you really like to see made?
I'd like to see:

1) A trilogy or saga based on Stephen Baxter's Vacuum Diagrams series of Xeelee stories. If I were directing, I'd start with "Lieserl" (the sun is dying 5 billion years early, and we need to find out why), and end with "The Eighth Room" (human beings haven't seen star light in 4 million years, because the Xeelee got sick of them and imprisoned them in a hypercube...but now the humans have figured out that the Xeelee are not their enemies, and are enlisted to help them build an escape hatch from the universe). But I'm not sure which stories should go in between the two.

2) 2061: Odyssey Three. I'm not sure about this one--I don't think anybody could do justice to Heywood Floyd's character the way Roy Scheider did:( But it would be neat to see them try:)

3) Rendezvous with Rama

4) The Humanoid Touch--Jack Williams's sequel to "The Humanoids" (With Folded Hands): a chilling story about the dangers of both AI and nanny government.

5) The Saga of Cuckoo--a nuke-piston starship with a cloned crew is sent out to investigate a huge Dyson sphere approaching Earth at 1/6 of the speed of light.
 
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Urwumpe

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There are quite many BattleTech novel storylines, that really deserve to be turned into a movie (I'll try to avoid Spoilers for those who are still innocent in the BattleTech universe):

"Blood of Kerensky" ("Lethal Heritage", "Blood Legacy", "Lost Destiny"): Arrival of technologically superior invaders, who after thought to be Aliens, turn out to be genetically engineered humans, whose ancestors left the known space 300 years earlier... very complex Story, epic battles, only Little references to earlier novels of the BT universe, thus pretty accessible.

"Taskforce Serpent" - A large multinational and multicultural Task force of former enemies leaving known space for a year-long mission with complete Radio silence to perform a surprise attack against the homeworld of an invading clan 1000 light years away. With everybody agreeing on the Goals of the Mission, but not always on the means. Ends like a good Greek epic - most are dead. Because of the secrecy of the Mission, there is Little known about the universe around it, reducing the Story from many distractions.
 

Codz

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There are plenty of good potential novels, but I'd have to go with Stephen Baxter's Voyage.
 

Castor

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There are plenty of good potential novels, but I'd have to go with Stephen Baxter's Voyage.

If my memory serves me right, there is an orbiter film of that somewhere on YouTube. It was quite nicely done.

---------- Post added at 12:57 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:52 PM ----------

Found a link:

 
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PhantomCruiser

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The Moon is a Harsh Mistress.

But I'd need to pick the director (NOT MICHAEL BAY!!!, or J.J. lens flare Abrams)
and I need to be the casting director too.
 

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The Moon is a Harsh Mistress.

But I'd need to pick the director (NOT MICHAEL BAY!!!, or J.J. lens flare Abrams)
and I need to be the casting director too.

I would recommend Christopher Nolan for that one.
 

TMac3000

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I'd like to see Cuaron do Rama, and I'd like to see him cast Liam Neeson as the captain of Endeavor--Bill somebody--I can't remember the man's name.

Oh, and I just remembered--The Mote in God's Eye. I always imagined Robert Redford as Blaine when I was a kid, but he's far too ancient now...wait...is he dead? I could see Gary Oldman in that role though:)
 

Andy44

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Rendezvous with Rama

Yup, but only the first book. The sequels were awful IMO.

There are quite many BattleTech novel storylines, that really deserve to be turned into a movie

Oh yes, great choices! And once we've warmed up the audience to the BT universe, we can unleash the Jade Pheonix Trilogy and its follow-on stories. Joanna is one of my favorite book characters EVER.

The Moon is a Harsh Mistress.

But I'd need to pick the director (NOT MICHAEL BAY!!!, or J.J. lens flare Abrams)
and I need to be the casting director too.

YES. And YES. I would want the guy who did the 2000's Battlestar Galactica series, Ronald D. Moore I think it was. Or better yet, Joss Whedon.

The Mote in God's Eye. I always imagined Robert Redford as Blaine when I was a kid, but he's far too ancient now...wait...is he dead?

No, Redford is certainly not dead, he just recently made that epic movie about the sailor trying to survive at sea on his yacht alone.

And yes, Mote in God's Eye would be awesome. Only problem is that, like the BattleTech universe, the CoDominium 'verse is a huge backstory.

And while we're talking Niven and Pournelle, I would suggest Footfall. The most awesome alien invasion story I've ever read.

---------- Post added at 09:06 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:56 PM ----------

I forgot to add Neuromancer by William Gibson. The beginning of cyperpunk.

Also, how about a do-over of Starship Troopers, this time like the book, complete with orbital skydiving soldiers dressed in powered armor suits and shoulder-fired atomic rockets.
 

DanM

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There are plenty of good potential novels, but I'd have to go with Stephen Baxter's Voyage.

That book is what gave me a good idea of what the necessary steps to become an astronaut are really like, and that's a (very far fetched) goal which I'm aiming for even this day.

If I were to suggest a space movie, I'd really like to see an alt history about a Soviet Moon Program.
 

MaverickSawyer

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Also, how about a do-over of Starship Troopers, this time like the book, complete with orbital skydiving soldiers dressed in powered armor suits and shoulder-fired atomic rockets.

oh HECK yeah. Sign me up now!
 

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Oh yes, great choices! And once we've warmed up the audience to the BT universe, we can unleash the Jade Pheonix Trilogy and its follow-on stories. Joanna is one of my favorite book characters EVER.

Of course! Or the Gray Death Legion trilogy :)
 

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"The Night's Dawn Trilogy" and "Commonwealth Saga" by Peter F. Hamilton.
 

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3) Rendezvous with Rama

When I saw the thread title, I was going to mention this and that Morgan Freeman has been wanting to make a Rendezvous with Rama movie for some time.


It's my favorite Arthur C. Clarke novel too, with Childhood's End in second.
 

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3) Rendezvous with Rama

Yes, very much this. There is so much potential there for a really awesome film, but it's also a story that could easily be mangled beyond recognition. And as Andy44 said, please avoid the sequels...

Oh yes, great choices! And once we've warmed up the audience to the BT universe, we can unleash the Jade Pheonix Trilogy and its follow-on stories. Joanna is one of my favorite book characters EVER.

Funny, I remember despising Joanna. It has been years, though; I'll have to dig out the book again. I did really like Horse, though.
 

Urwumpe

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Funny, I remember despising Joanna. It has been years, though; I'll have to dig out the book again. I did really like Horse, though.

Well, she is pretty much the Dirty Harry of the Battletech Universe.

Though I really think, that Vlad Ward is much more fun to see in a movie.
 

Andy44

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Joanna was certainly not a nice person. But she is a brutal tough guy in a world of brutal tough guys, and she is loyal and trustworthy. And if you're in a fight you want her in your star or lance.
 

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Joanna was certainly not a nice person. But she is a brutal tough guy in a world of brutal tough guys, and she is loyal and trustworthy. And if you're in a fight you want her in your star or lance.

I would rather describe her as an avatar of anger. :rofl:
 

BruceJohnJennerLawso

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Orbiter: The Movie :lol:

Not too sure about the plot, but many UMmus are likely harmed in the making of. ;)

On a serious note, I would love to see Apollo 11 and/or Apollo 8 done on the scale of Apollo 13/Gravity. They're such great stories.

:hailprobe:
 

Andy44

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On a serious note, I would love to see Apollo 11 and/or Apollo 8 done on the scale of Apollo 13/Gravity. They're such great stories.

:hailprobe:

Actually, From the Earth to the Moon, the HBO miniseries, did a pretty good job of covering the whole Apollo program up to the last moon landing. The episode about Apollo 11 was very good, Aldrin's character was fascinating, and Armstrong's two near-death experiences in Gemini and on the Flying Bedstead were portrayed very well.
 
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