It isn’t often that I report hot news from the movie business, but this one has me hopping up and down with delight. Disney has announced that there will be a new Pirates of the Caribbean movie out in 2011. Johnny Depp fans immediately squee with glee. But even better news may be concealed in the subtitle: On Stranger Tides.
Yes people, that is the title of a Tim Powers novel. And right now the movie world is abuzz with the rumor that the movie is going to be based on Tim’s book. (See here for a sample.)
Now of course I am very happy for Tim, who happens to be one of my all time favorite writers. It is about time he got a movie break. But I’m also very happy because in 2011 one of the Guests of Honor at Worldcon is going to be none other than Tim Powers. So if the movie really is based on his book, Hollywood has just handed Patty Wells and her crew a monumentally huge PR boost.
Tim’s a GoH? I would maybe exert myself to attend that.
For what it’s worth.
How much of OST that they could actually use is left? They already stole the zombie pirates.
I’m ambivalent. I’d love to see a straight adaptation of _On Stranger Tides_, as it’s probably Powers’ most cinematic novel, and I enjoyed the _Pirates of the Carribbean_ films fairly well although the latter two didn’t make a lot of sense, but I’m dubious about how well it’s going to work to tie the mess of loose plot threads from the first three films into whatever plot and character elements they’re taking from the novel.
Jim:
I really don’t care what the film is like. I have never seen a Pirates of the Caribbean movie and I doubt that I ever will. However, if Tim gets a lot of money and a lot more sales for his books, and the Reno Worldcon gets a big membership boost, on the back of this then I shall be very happy.