After almost two decades of being trapped in development hell, Walt Disney Pictures has finally given a greenlight for the feature film adaptation of THE HITCHHIKER'S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY. Filming is scheduled to commence next year in England, with city scenes to be shot in London.

What appears to have finally worked in favor of the GUIDE movie was the introduction of music video director Garth Jennings and his producing partner Nick Goldsmith. Karey Kirkpatrick (CHICKEN RUN) wrote the latest draft of the GUIDE movie based on Douglas Adams classic sci-fi comedy novel.


And now the casting begins...

Oooooh ......... am salivating already

want that film now ....... and hopefully better special effects than the 25 year old BBC TV Series!

i saw some of that old TV...I remember Zaphod being entirely un-convincing

It was state of the art in its day !

now it just looks like some 10th year DT project

The TV show ROCKS ..... Zaphod's head is so bad that it's just hypnotising

plus, it's great considering that it was filmed on a budget that wouldn't buy u one pair of Spock ears!

Latest news


Love Actually star Bill Nighy and Martin Freeman (Tim from The Office) are set to topline sci-fi comedy The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy.

Talking exclusively to BBCi FILMS, Nighy says he's been cast as alien planet designer Slartibartfast in the long-gestating adaptation of Douglas Adams' novel. Freeman will play Arthur Dent, the everyday Earthling thrust into an interplanetary adventure.

"I'm a big fan of the book and the people who are making it are very cool people and I think they're going to do a good job," says Nighy. "It's a really good script. It's really, really faithful [to the book]. All the jokes are there and they're big fat jokes. It's wonderful. And with all the technology we have now, it can not only be a big satisfying comedy but I figure it could be quite exciting as well."

Nighy also states that a director isn't set yet, although hotshot music vid team Hammer & Tongs (aka writer-director Garth Jennings and producer Nick Goldsmith) were on board last High Noon heard. Fingers crossed, it sounds like this could finally liftoff.

I heard an interview yesterday with Bill Nighy in which he couldn't pronounce the name of Slartibartfast. He also declared the character to be Arthur's guide around the universe. Unless the plot has changed radically this is Ford Prefect's job isn't it?

Unknown directors...

Douglas Adams' non-involvement...

And finally... "All the jokes are there and they're big fat jokes"

Jokes? When the hell did Hitchhikers have jokes in? This is the problem Douglas Adams had over the years. Ivan Reitman saw it as "Doctor Who with jokes" and Adams ran a mile.

It is philosophical satire. I am very scared about this project based on one of my all time favourite comedies. The radio series kept me company through some tough times in my life and I adore the books. I have a signed first edition of Mostly Harmless.

I think they are about to screw it right up.

I can't believe he said that Slartibartfast was the guide around the universe .... well, he can hardly be a big fan of the books can he? anyone who has read the book or listened to the radio or seen the TV show will know full well he is the architect of planets with a penchant for Fjords (s'cuse spelling)

He isn't a fan of the books, or at least he is a fan in the sense of 'someone I know read it and said it was good ...'

Music Directors? ARRRRGGGHHHH! people who haven't produced anything longer than five minutes and are all into the flashy 2 second shot ....

Doug can't be involved ... which is such a shame since he has created a truly great work and he had the dry wit that could make this a pleasure to watch ..

And yes ... the jokes are NEVER big fat ones ... what they gonna do, stick a canned laughter track over the top? (anyone who has seen the 2 disk DVD for H2G2 TV series will see a short clip with a laff track ... and will have seen just how wrong it is!)

I hereby volunteer to direct H2G2 the movie .... rather someone who has actually read the book and is a fan of it rather than someone trying to get out of directing Rick Waller warblings .....

Alot of the top directors in hollywood where in music videos before, not a reason to hate them.

Maybe he mis-sspoke, or just forgot for a moment. I think its a bit early for such scathing criticism, yet

also



Switch on your truth detector and take this rumor with a pound of salt until it's proven otherwise, but according to this report on the Magrathea fansite (which tracks news about THE HITCHHIKER'S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY film), a prototype costume for Marvin the Paranoid Android has been accidentally made available on the internet (see photo). Magrathea webmaster M.J. Simpson tells readers in today's news report that the photo in question was brought to his attention by a fan "who innocently looked at a site which turned out to be producer Nick Goldsmith's blog!" Apparently the image was shortly removed from the blog thereafter.

Simpson goes on the record as stating that the photo of the costume, alleged to be one of several prototypes manufactured by Jim Henson's Creature Shop, is not a hoax. "A reliable source at Henson's has confirmed that several other prototype Marvin suits have been produced - though they're all about three feet tall! - and a final selection has not been made," writes Simpson on his website.

While it's impossible to independently confirm the Magrathea discovery since the photo on the blog in question is no more, Simpson's credentials as a HITCHHIKER'S expert aren't in doubt. He's the author of two books about Douglas Adams sci-fi comedy series, THE POCKET ESSENTIAL HITCHHIKER'S GUIDE and HITCHHIKER: A BIOGRAPHY OF DOUGLAS ADAMS. He has also updated Neil Gaiman's HITCHHIKER'S book DON'T PANIC.

The current scuttlebutt is that actor Warwick Davis (best known for his role as Wicket the Ewok in RETURN OF THE JEDI) has been hired to play Marvin the Paranoid Android in the movie. Warwick stands three-foot-six, which meshes with the Magrathea report that the Marvin costumes are around three feet tall in size.

At least one other website is saying that the image is legitimate. The HITCHHIKER'S website Douglas Adams Continuum is also reporting that it's a prototype manufactured by the Creature Shop and thus may not be the final robot design we'll see in the movie.

Dont get me started on Music video directors and their move to the big screen ..... I have bored many people with my opinions on that!

As far as the costume goes ... cool beans .... I would have thought in this day and age they would have just CGed it ... and they have the TV costume to beat .... altho it looked rubbish ... it's a classic sci-fi costume that H2G2 fans will find hard to forget ...

Oh ... and the voice .... they have to use the original voice from the radio show (and TV series) .... there is no other voice that will do or can do Marvin justice ...

'Here I am .... brain the size of a planet .... Life ..... don't talk to me about life ...'

What peeps have to remember is that Adams wrote the book with the voices he has used in his radio show in mind ... (people like Simon Jones ... who Adams wrote the part of Arthur Dent for) ... u have to have a new Arthur, and Ford ... but please don't change the voice of Marvin! PUH-LEASE!

It looks like an Aibo with a football on it's head.

Again, I never saw Marvin as a midget (do we have a designer who likes R2-D2?) He was always envisioned by Adams as a sleek, humanoid robot, who just held himself all wrong and negated his design with poor posture and negative attitude.

I agree. If anyone else does the voice for Marvin, it will be wrong. It will be the capital city of wrong. It will be a great big gateux of wrong filled with an incorrect filling, topped with with dried, crumbled badness.

sounds like a dodgy joke dont it?? What do u call an Aibo with a football on his head? Marvin!

(Errrrr ...... I don't get it .... )

Well, the impression I got from the book was a robot that looked all chipper and happy (like the smug doors), but as u said there was just something in the body language said otherwise ....

Because you demanded it (well maybe you didn't but i could tell you where thinking it) more news

Yesterday Dark Horizons was the first to publish the news and today it's confirmed by Variety: the actors assigned to the roles of Arthur Dent, Ford Prefect and Trillian have been signed, sealed and delivered for THE HITCHHIKER'S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY film. Martin Freeman (from THE OFFICE) will play Dent; Mos Def will play Prefect and Zooey Deschanel will be Trillian.

While Variety's report made no mention of who's in the running to play the two-headed President of the Galaxy and all-around cool frood Zaphod Beeblebrox, Dark Horizons did say that Robert Downey Jr. had been the filmmakers choice -- until Downey asked for a number of changes to the screenplay and a deal for insurance coverage for the actor couldn't be worked out (allegedly.)

btw Mos Def was in Italian Job (2003), and Monster's Ball among other things
and Zooey Deschanel was in Almost Famous (the guys sister) , and tghe recent Elf among others

soooo, the stage is almost set

It gets worse:

Yahoo news about H2H2 movie

And who on earth is this Karey Kirkpatrick who is rewriting the script?

Sinking feeling continues unabated.

Martin Freeman is the only glimmer of hope in this mess now.

It gets yet weirder:

From the Z-Review:
"Thursday 5th February 2004: The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy Update:
Sam Rockwell has been cast as the two-headed Zaphod Beeblebrox."

Sam Rockwell? I like the guy, I think he's a great actor. But as the coolest dude in the known universe?

It seems like they're just casting anyone who turns up for auditions.

This is baking my noodle.

I'm having a bad feeling about this .....

Sam Rockwell rules all! or maybe justa little bit. Confensions of a Dangerous Mind anyone? par excelleance

Update, update!. read all about it! get ya steaming hot update, direct from the presses!

Actor John Malkovich has joined the cast of THE HITCHHIKER'S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY movie. Unlike the earlier casting announcements, Malkovich is playing a character not seen in Douglas Adams' novel but one created for the film (at the instruction of the novelist himself.) The character's name is Humma Kavula and he is described as being a religious cult leader.

Filming on the long awaited GUIDE starts this month in London, with Martin Freeman, Mos Def, Zooey Deschanel and Sam Rockwell starring as Arthur Dent, Ford Prefect, Trillian and Zaphod Beeblebrox, respectively.

How does one become an extra for a specific film? I'd love to be one of the screaming extras as the Vogon Constructor fleet declares across the planet "For Heaven's sake it's only four light years to Alpha Centauri".

John Malkovich and Martin Freeman together at last? It's a dream come true for the Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon game.

Please let this film be good. Please.

OK peoples. The first teaser trailer for the film is now out (kinda), shown at the recent Comic Con convention in San Diego.

http://hitchhikermovie.free.fr/pages/trailerdownload.html

I've seen it and it looks good. There's no actual footage, but it oozes atmosphere and style

No one here like H2g2?

I love H2G2. I went straight from your link to check it out but it was at home with my dial-up connection. It took ages to load and then I watched it. By that time I'd forgotten that I hadn't posted to say thanks for the link (and I've been away all weekend building Ikea furniture).

It seems good, but doesn't really give away anything about the film.

I still have my sinking feelings about this film. I think they will try to make it a comedy rather than a subtle satire that gets better the more you think about it. Like wot it should be.

yeah, will probably be a out and out comedy but then theres the old line between art and some bling bling.
Looks good to meso far, the teaser has a nice atmoshpere to it, the don't panic and the 42, nice touches

Although apparently the music they iuse in the trailer is "The Hunt" from Tim Burton's "Planet of the Apes" - is that a good omen...?

Have you ever known anything to do with Tim Burton's Planet of the Apes to be a good omen?

I have that sickly feeling in the pit of my stomach .... or maybe that was that meat pie I had earler ...

there's just no arguing with nay sayers....

shouldn't it be hg2g, not h2g2?

pS trailer rocks

don't know, just the way its refered to

It is called h2g2 because it is Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy ....

Two Hs followed by two Gs

Another useless fact from the Chris Brain

Well yeah, thats obvious. But hitchhiker's is one word

Opinion is divided on the subject .....

some spell it all as one word .... some hyphen it.

hmmm, it took me a few looks, but finally noticed the 42 there at the end of the trailer...pretty spiffy.

I for one say abreviations be let's just tell all our friends, reatives, acquaintances and total strangers to see Hitchhikers guide to the Galaxy (and the 5.5 inevitable sequels) when they appear.

Well the Hitch Hiker's guide is referred to as variously Hitch Hiker's, Hitch-hiker's, Hitchhikers, etc. throughout all the material referring to the Guide. Basically every cobination of apostrophies, hyphens, capitalisations and word divisions you can imagine. And if you're anything like me then you'll spend much of your waking hours imagining such things.

I believe there is even a little section devoted to the multiple spellings in Don't Panic (an excellent Guide to the er Guide).

I want everyone to go and see this so please let it be good. It want it to be more packed full of tiny detailed extras than a can of sardines is filled with sardines and oily stuff. And nicer smelling.

SEE IT NOW! (well not now, cause they havn't made it yet, but later. After some tea perhaps....)

I must admit .... my fave part of H2G2 is the concept that the ultimate answer is 42 ... which is meaningless if you dont know the ultimate question ...

And the ultimate question is 'What is six multiplied by nine' ...

Which brings the ultimate quote from Arthur Dent .... 'I always thought there was something fundamentally wrong with the universe ....'

There are also many "in-jokes" in hitchhiker's that Douglas Adams, to be fair, never intended.

For example one group of students worked out a really good relationship between 42 and the structure of DNA.

Also, Arthur Dent was an obscure writer known to have been read by Jonathan Swift - the 18th century satirist who Adams is often compared to. So the name was seen as an extremely cklever literary pun.

Of course it wasn't - just concidence, but fun all the same.


I also like the fact that when comparing body counts in films and TV programmes, they all pale next to Hitchhiker's end of the entire universe sequence. Beat that Riddick!


The earth a giant supercomputer with life as the operating matrix... the quest for the ultimate question... mice running everything... damn I need to get my old radio series tapes out again.



"There is a theory that if anyone discovers who created the universe and what it is for it will instantly disappear to be replaced by something even more bizarrely inexplicable.

There is another theory that this has already happened."

Total Recall .... 243
Commando .... 319

Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy .... COUNTLESS BILLIONS!

Now that's Action!!

The concept of flying is one of the funniest bits. You have to fall on the ground, but miss.

Okay .... lets give that a go ...

I'M FLY ... [BANG!] OWWW! ....... I'M FLY ...[BANG!] OWWW! .....

Harder than it looks ....

I've fallen up stairs times beyond messure but i've never fallen off the ground.... yet

I had this one time with iced vodka...

Own the ultimate answer on a T-Shirt!
http://www.thinkgeek.com/tshirts/generic/68e2/

(plus a billion other cool things at that site)

lol

Awesome Shirt

My Favourite is this one ....

There's no place like ...



I wants it ....

The first picture of the film was in the new Empire magazine. Shows Auther and Ford standing together. Looks good, Auther is in his dressing gown and Pj's and holding a towel. Not sure but it looks though it may be on Earth just before it blows up

And there's me thinking he got his towel on the Vogon Spaceship

like, whatever, dude

if memory serves, you can't fly near london.
maybe you are too close, or the london influence has expanded over time...

ah, you see. could be. Don't remember that little fact myself, but then again I consider it good fortune I remember reading the book at all

TRAILER IS OUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Also picture of thing....Heart of Gold ship