| H.G. Wells' The War of the Worlds | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Timothy Hines |
| Produced by | Susan Goforth |
| Written by | Timothy Hines Susan Goforth |
| Based on | The War of the Worlds by H. G. Wells |
| Starring | Anthony Piana |
| Music by | Jamie Hall |
| Editing by | Timothy Hines |
| Distributed by | Pendragon Pictures |
| Release date(s) | June 14, 2005 |
| Running time | 180 min. |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $25 million (est.)[1] |
H.G. Wells' The War of the Worlds (also known as The Classic War of the Worlds or simply as War of the Worlds) is one of three film adaptations of H. G. Wells' classic novel released in 2005, about a Martian invasion of Earth. This version was produced by the independent film production company Pendragon Pictures and unlike the other film adaptations which were set in current day in the United States, it was the first set in the book's original time period and location, in the Victorian era of the late 1890s in England. The film is shot entirely with colour schemes to resemble the film quality of the early twentieth century, and has been noted for its "extreme faithfulness" to Wells' novel.[2] It received mostly negative reviews by critics and was released on DVD in America. The movie has recently been released through GAGA on DVD in Japan. The film has altogether sold over half a million DVDs in the United States and Canada.
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The film's development dates back to 2000, when Pendragon Pictures approached Paramount with plans for their version, but with no results. Director Timothy Hines had long desired to make his own version of the story since he read the original novel at the age of eight. He had always wanted to tell the tale just as it was in the novel, but he eventually settled on a modern retelling, much like the original 1953 film and the 2005 Spielberg adaptation. Hines' version was to take place in Seattle, with a Martian attack preceded by neutralizing electromagnetic power, so that events could be kept as similar to the novel as possible.
Anticipation for the film began to stir in July 2001, specifically from many anxious Wells fans. In a 2004 interview with Scifidimensions.com,[3] Hines stated that after early Microsoft employees and others in the computer industry saw his desktop film, Bug Wars, a package of $42 million was assembled for the updated modern version. Katie Tomlinson was supposed to lead the cast as the lead character Jody, the foreign correspondent, and Susan Goforth was also set to star. Hines stated that in 2001 he began fantasizing negotiations with Michael Caine, Charlize Theron and Eric Stoltz to be in the film.[4] Hines was also planning to shoot the film in the brand new Sony CineAlta HD system which George Lucas had used to film Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones.[5]
Production began in early September 2001, with plans to move into principal photography by October of that year, and a Halloween 2002 target release date. Businessweek[6] reported that Hines abandoned this approach after the World Trade Center attacks.[3] Two weeks later, with the support of Charles Keller, the director of the H. G. Wells Society, Hines began writing a new script with producer Susan Goforth, while they were filming Chrome. The new direction taken was that this version was to be adapted directly from the Wells novel.
Little information appeared about the film until 2004, when it was revealed that the principal photography had finished under the cover title of The Great Boer War, and the producers planned to release the film on March 30, 2005. That date came and went with no film release; the film never opened in theaters, but was released in North America on DVD in June 2005. In a series of questions presented by audiences,[7] Hines claimed that the film never saw a theatrical release due to exhibitors pulling out, either from being bullied by Paramount, or through fear of reprisal from the studio.
The 2005 book War of the Worlds: From Wells to Spielberg devotes a chapter to the Pendragon film, and states that the budget was "approximately $25 million."[1]
In July 2006, Pendragon Pictures announced in a press release that the Dark Horse Comics H.G. Wells' The War of the Worlds comic possessed visual similarities to Pendragon's film. Pendragon set up a website poll showing image comparisons. In April 2008, the company publicly announced the legal settlement of the matter, stating it "apologizes for any misconception its press release or later internet poll may have caused."[8][9]
Although the film's score by Jamie Hall was well received,[10][11] the film as a whole saw mixed reviews by critics; who, while often praising the good intentions behind the project and its faithfulness to the source material,[2] variously described the result as "unendurable"[12] and "terrible in almost every way a movie can be",[13] with "awful" effects.[14]
Reviewers invoked the work of Ed Wood,[13] and the worst of Mystery Science Theater 3000.[15] But one reviewer suggested the performances were like that in British period melodramas, and likened Hines to Karel Zeman.[16]
Hines himself said of the movie, "I wanted to make War of the Worlds. But what I made was something that has a macabre cult following, like an Ed Wood movie."[17]
To date the film has been re-released twice, available in 17 countries including Japan.
Released: September, 2005
Reviewers complained about the original film's three hour running time,[10][13] and this version cut about forty-five minutes. The version was only available in regions 2 and 4, and thus not available in the United States and Canada.
Released: December 25, 2006
This edition is the special final cut edit of H.G. Wells' The War of the Worlds and is 125 minutes long, fifty-five minutes shorter than the original film. It has added scenes, re-edits, and re-tooled special effects. The director says this is the definitive version. The Classic War of the Worlds replaces the 3 hour rough cut version, H.G. Wells' The War of the Worlds, that was widely distributed and is now discontinued.
The early part of the film follows the early part of the novel's plot in great detail. It follows the experience of a late nineteenth century journalist, known as "the writer", who races through London to be reunited with his wife in Leatherhead as an army of Martians attacks the planet, driving in massive Tripods and taking control of the Earth. The film also shows the adventures of his brother, who accompanies two women to the coast of England in an attempt to escape the aliens.
Much has been omitted during the latter parts of the story. In particular, the scenes of devastated London are largely gone. Use of Black Smoke, so prominent in the novel, is almost entirely absent. The climactic scene of the novel, where the Narrator looks down into the Martians' great pit, their headquarters, is also missing.
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