Berserk Screenplay in the Works

[8GaugeBrett]

Usually these threads get closed right away, but this one fortunately has a reliable source.
ANN -
"California University Offers Class on Manga Publishing
posted on 2007-11-27 12:58 EST
Teacher is behind proposed Battle Angel, Berserk, Trainman remakes

...

"Manga and Anime Explosion" will again be taught by Northrop Davis, a screenwriter and director of commercials whose accomplishments include creating the pitch that made James Camero interested in filming a live-action version of Battle Angel Alita. He is also currently writing the screenplay for an American adaptation of the Berserk manga and executive-producing an English-language take on the Japanese television series Trainman."

http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/20 ... publishing

This is bad news for me who was already in the process of writing a Berserk screenplay, but good news for Berserk!

[The Herald]

Darn, and I was seriously thinking of writing the Berserk screenplay ... I guess I took the screenplay writing course too late. And I'm so negotiative too.

[Aetherfukz]

While nice news, I don't think you can stay true to Berserk while at the same time making the adaptation viewable for 16+ or 18+ in Hellywood... I mean Hollywood.

Sure the graphical violence from the Golden Age Arc was done to an extent in Braveheart and other such movies (although just a few scenes, not half the show like Berserk), but what are they gonna do about the Eclipse? I can't see that happening on the big screen really.

[War Machine]

I don't know, with movies like 300 and Beowolf looking great, they might be able to pull off something good for Berserk.

[Aetherfukz]

IMO 300 and Beowulf had the same problem as Final Fantasy - the spirits within. Awesome visuals, but complete lack of a story, or a story and characters that are just bleh. I wouldn't want to see Berserk as a mindless action movie, that would so not do it justice.

[Starnum]

I know how you feel. I'm very leary of the idea of a live-action Berserk movie, or a DBZ movie, for that matter.

[War Machine]

IMO 300 and Beowulf had the same problem as Final Fantasy - the spirits within. Awesome visuals, but complete lack of a story, or a story and characters that are just bleh. I wouldn't want to see Berserk as a mindless action movie, that would so not do it justice.

True, but they already have a good story, as long as they don't go crazy and start to change whatever they want (Silent Hill anyone?), it should be fine.

I'm being optimistic... or delirious, I'm not sure.

[Starnum]

I'd love to see an amazingly done Berserk movie, I'm just really skeptical of it being possible. It would have to be really amazing, because I'm going to be really strict on something like that, as far as what I expect from it.

[Aetherfukz]

As long as Uwe Boll isn't directing...

[dialdfordesi]

They probably will not do much with the eclipse and that is one of the defining moments of Berserk. If they do put in a form of eclipse that stays faithful to the manga and nicely capture the emotion of the event, then Berserk may be a great movie.

[8GaugeBrett]

Well if they stay at all true to the manga then you wouldn't see the eclipse until the end of a 3rd movie (if you included volumes 1-3) or a 2nd movie if you just started with Volume 4. Anyhow, should the Eclipse ever be shown on the big screen I think that there are many ways that you could do it that would make for something that was very graphically suggestive, while not actually showing a fully nude Caska. Something as complex as having a stream demonic spirits whisk by as the camera pans, obstructing view of the "goods" but not blocking the majority of the shot. To something as simple as having the most graphic (nudity/rape wise) scenes shown in complete silhouette against the burning ring of the eclipse. You've got a LOT of things you can play with that won't ruin the integrity of the scene, but also sterilize it just enough to keep a borderline R movie.


My biggest worry honestly comes in the form of one question "are you planning for one movie or a series of movies?"

but remember this guy just says that he is writing a screenplay, that doesn't mean anything without Miura consent and many many millions of dollars of funding from producers. So we are really jumping the gun here.

[citanuzuki666]

I view this as I do another season of the anime. I think he should focus getting the story done in the manga then do something else. He already takes long enough as it is, let alone to have more berserk distractions slowing the manga down.

[Shiva]

Uwe Boll omg Legacy of Kain movie ahhhhhhhhhh :p

Again Golden Age arc would be boring.... I want to see Guts swinging his u]dragon slayer[/u] (though it alos would be boring...)

[War Machine]

Uwe Boll omg Legacy of Kain movie ahhhhhhhhhh :p

What!!! No, no, no, no, no, no... What is he doing? He's going to ruin any chances of a future (better) director to take upon that job and do justice to the story. Goddammit!

Why must I be punished with this!?

[Shiva]

Why must I be punished with this!?

So do I ... Why?

[Rolos]

I think we all know this Hollywoodisation always destroys the story.

Of course, there are some exceptions, but for god s sake!!! Doom? Silent hill? What the hell were those guys thinking?

Its very difficult to make a great movie out of a game/book/manga, but when it succeeds, the result is extraordinary.

The real question is......Will Miura take his chances with the big screen?

[The Herald]

Well, in the screenplay I was drafting for my class I started the show off with Guts saving Puck, like he does in the manga, then after the incident with the girl and her father and the zombies Guts would break down and see all of the ghosts and basically black out, Puck trying to figure out what was going on. With that first few minutes the movie would introduce Guts as the main character and the whole story being an emotional struggle for him, and introducing Puck would keep Berserk looking like an evil fantasy, whereas the anime made it look like an animated version of the 100 years war. My basic idea for the script would be a cyclical one, not the in medias res that the manga is, because there is too much stuff in there. The whole film would be about Guts and his inner turmoil and his connection to everyone around him. The next scene would be him winning against Bazuso when he's fifteen, get introduced into the Hawks, then one of those timeline pans would go, in the very tasteful american way (not counting Beowulf). Basically the only scenes that would be pivotal in the film would be Zodd, the assassination, Guts and Casca falling into the river, Griffith winning the war, Guts leaving Griffith, Griffith getting imprisoned, Guts and Casca together after a year, breaking Griffith out of jail then the Eclipse. The anti climax would be Guts leaving Godo's house with the Dragonslayer, Godo asking him if it's a good idea to leave Casca. I put the last part in because even though half of that happens in the anime, the anime forgot to mention that Casca was alive after the eclispe. I'll also have to put in the Skull Knight too, to keep up with the fantasy feel. The inner turmoil with Guts and the fantasy are the most important parts.

See how difficult it is to turn this into a movie? But I'd keep the dead bodies and the nudity in the Eclispe because that still wouldn't be as bad as A Clockwork Orange.

[Shiva]

O: that was a screenplay for one movie? Mhm 8 hours long movie? Infidel ...

[8GaugeBrett]

Yeh and even then 8 hours might be "rushing" for that much material in one movie.

[TheDrizzit]

this would only make me mad if they did a straight manga adaption but made the end the eclipse like the damn anime....bah...

[The Prince]

Usually these threads get closed right away, but this one fortunately has a reliable source.
ANN -
"California University Offers Class on Manga Publishing
posted on 2007-11-27 12:58 EST
Teacher is behind proposed Battle Angel, Berserk, Trainman remakes

...

"Manga and Anime Explosion" will again be taught by Northrop Davis, a screenwriter and director of commercials whose accomplishments include creating the pitch that made James Camero interested in filming a live-action version of Battle Angel Alita. He is also currently writing the screenplay for an American adaptation of the Berserk manga and executive-producing an English-language take on the Japanese television series Trainman."

http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/20 ... publishing

This is bad news for me who was already in the process of writing a Berserk screenplay, but good news for Berserk!

They even began casting for it.......

[spoiler]SIKE ![/spoiler]

Damn!

Where were these classes when I went to college?

Well, in the screenplay I was drafting for my class I started the show off with Guts saving Puck, like he does in the manga, then after the incident with the girl and her father and the zombies Guts would break down and see all of the ghosts and basically black out, Puck trying to figure out what was going on. With that first few minutes the movie would introduce Guts as the main character and the whole story being an emotional struggle for him, and introducing Puck would keep Berserk looking like an evil fantasy, whereas the anime made it look like an animated version of the 100 years war. My basic idea for the script would be a cyclical one, not the in medias res that the manga is, because there is too much stuff in there. The whole film would be about Guts and his inner turmoil and his connection to everyone around him. The next scene would be him winning against Bazuso when he's fifteen, get introduced into the Hawks, then one of those timeline pans would go, in the very tasteful american way (not counting Beowulf). Basically the only scenes that would be pivotal in the film would be Zodd, the assassination, Guts and Casca falling into the river, Griffith winning the war, Guts leaving Griffith, Griffith getting imprisoned, Guts and Casca together after a year, breaking Griffith out of jail then the Eclipse. The anti climax would be Guts leaving Godo's house with the Dragonslayer, Godo asking him if it's a good idea to leave Casca. I put the last part in because even though half of that happens in the anime, the anime forgot to mention that Casca was alive after the eclispe. I'll also have to put in the Skull Knight too, to keep up with the fantasy feel. The inner turmoil with Guts and the fantasy are the most important parts.

See how difficult it is to turn this into a movie? But I'd keep the dead bodies and the nudity in the Eclispe because that still wouldn't be as bad as A Clockwork Orange.

I think you have the right idea.

Seems as though you put a lot of thought into this.

Though it still seems a lot to fit into a 90-180min timeframe, especially if you want to make each of these scenes poignant.

Personally I'd like to have the whole movie revolve around Caska's recount of her childhood, regarding that flashback scene from the cave.

[Starnum]

Anyway, I doubt we're going to see a Berserk movie (even less chance of a good one at that). I mean, just because they're offering classes on manga publishing? I wouldn't get your hopes up.

[Fuji Nagase]

uh, one of my friends is a student/friend of the teacher i think you are talking before. knows yukito kishiro(got him to agree to the battle angel movie) i believe that Miura is very involved with the process of the screen writing and it is very possible to become a real movie. i have not the time to remember everything my friend told me ( it was a while ago) but basically i dont think that they can make a 2 hour movie that..does it justice. i dunno, i just dont have much hope for manga to hollywood movies. 300 reminded me a lot of berserk, but i doubt this will have the same quality though i hope for it. sorry i cant properly research and get the best info, but i am really busy. ill try to get my friend to post because he actually knows whats up.

[Dominion]

Silent Hill was a good movie... i thought it did a good job of portraying the atmosphere of the games though i should i point out ive never actually played the game so my opinion can stand as a thumbs up to the movie

in any case... i always thought that the japanese would be the first to do the berserk movie... while they may not have the acting talent of todays hollywood stars (i cant imagine who hollywood would cast as Gatts unless its some no-name actor) they do usually stay true to the blood and gore, which berserk has a lot of in spades... im just afraid if berserk is done in hollywood theyd make the Dragonslayer some sort of gimmicky magic sword that gives the user "immense berserker powers" or make the killing as an excuse to show off slow-motion action sequences that take 5 minutes to finish, making the whole point of it less poignant and pretentious... something hollywood is good at
meh... if this movie (should it come out) bombs i know i wont pay to see it

[Messatsu]

you know.... i use to cry out injustice each time hollywood would churn out movies based on licenses. But in time i realised that it wont stop the movies from being made, even if you where to boicot this movie or the next or the one after that, the crap factory would keep on churning mediocraty. I dont even make it a point anymore NOT to see thsese movies, i just make fun of em at best and completely ignore them at worst.

So a screenplay for Berserk is in the works? Does it mean a movie? not realy. But if they do the concensus on whether or not a movie would be made still comes down to Mr.Miura. After all isnt he the sole propriator of the Berserk license?( honestly im not to sure)

Or perhaps its an animated movie and not live action?