The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy-- The Movie Is Coming, For Real This Time

Tall Dave told me in a comment that the Hitchhiker's Guide movie was "in the works." Rather condescendingly, I began to instruct him that such a movie has ALWAYS been "in the works," for years and years and years; that doesn't mean it's actually going to be made.

Ever.

But Don't Panic. I jumped to conclusions.

They've got a teaser up on the Internet. They've changed the perfect Hitchhiker logo, for reasons I can't begin to comprehend, but...

Don't Panic.

Because this IMDB entry indicates the film is in post-production -- it's been shot, baby! -- and that means it's coming out. May 6, 2005, they say.

And the cast is perfect. If you watch The Office, you know there's only one possible actor to play Arthur Dent, and they've got him-- Martin Freeman, the hangdog actor who plays the hangdog "Tim" in that brilliant tragicomedy.

And for Zaphod-- Sam Rockwell! ("Guy" from Galaxy Quest.)

Zooey Deschangel (the sister from Almost Famous) will play Trillian. Cute girl; I hope she's good at comedy. Although Trillian was always sort of serious, anyway.

For Ford Perfect they've cast a black actor-- well, why not, I guess; I always envisioned him as white, of course, but I guess the book never said he was white -- named Mos Def, who's a rapper. He played Left Ear in the Italian Job, who I think was the guy obsessed with stereo equipment. Ford always struck me as the "coolest" character -- well, Zaphod was cool, but in an over-the-top asshole way -- so I guess Mos Def can bring that laid-back, laconic, "what's it matter anyway" spirt to Ford.

And...

What an upcoming year at the movies for Ace-- Mos Def will also starring as "Jones" in, get this, the long-overdue film version of A Confederacy of Dunces!

I always knew that Lady Fortuna would turn her Great Wheel to favor me! Now I must scribble into my Big Chief pads and then perhaps go to the local cinema, to see the various abortions they are offering the public.

Update: Just got better. Playing Ignatius J. Reilly will be... Will F'n' Ferrell.

Now, I don't really see Will Ferrel as Ignatius; I would imagine a younger Steven Root or somebody like that. But let's not quibble.

Will Ferrel. Ignatius J. Reilly.

Awesome.

Update: Hobgoblin doesn't like the choice of Ferrell.

Okay. Quick-- name another actor who does explosive anger and crazed obsessiveness better than Ferrell. I mean, besides Jack Nicholson-- I mean a comic actor.

Ferrell does impotent rage very well. And that's half of the Ignatius character. I can't wait to see him dote on that old biddy at his office, whom he calls the "Queen of Commerce" or something like that.

Lady Fortuna's Great Wheel Turns Again, and It Just Sucks Update: Turns out that Will Ferrel confirmed this past July that the project had been abandoned.

Thanks to Yaron of The Daily Lunch.

Don't shoot the messenger; he's a good guy!

Hitchhiker Update: The site that delivered the bad news about Confederacy now posts concept art from Hitchhiker.

I don't know about the way they've done Marvin; saw him more as just as a sluggish C3PO with stooped shoulders and a perpetually-hanging head.

And was the Heart of Gold just one big white sphere? I never got that impression from the books.

posted by Ace at 02:42 PM

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