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[verbum]

For those not familiar with the Foundation series:
Wikipedia:

The Foundation series is a science fiction series by Isaac Asimov. There are seven volumes in the Foundation series proper, which in its in-universe chronological order are Prelude to Foundation, Forward the Foundation, Foundation, Foundation and Empire, Second Foundation, Foundation's Edge, and Foundation and Earth.

The premise of the series is that the mathematician Hari Seldon spent his life developing a branch of mathematics known as psychohistory, a concept of mathematical sociology (analogous to mathematical physics). Using the laws of mass action, it can predict the future, but only on a large scale; it is error-prone on a small scale. It works on the principle that the behaviour of a mass of people is predictable if the quantity of this mass is very large (equal to the population of the galaxy, which has a population of quadrillions of humans, inhabiting millions of star systems). The larger the number, the more predictable is the future.

Using these techniques, Seldon foresees the imminent fall of the Galactic Empire, which encompasses the entire Milky Way, and a dark age lasting thirty thousand years before a second great empire arises. Seldon's psychohistory also foresees an alternative where the intermittent period will last only one thousand years. To ensure his vision of a second great empire comes to fruition, Seldon creates two foundations—small, secluded havens of all human knowledge—at "opposite ends of the galaxy".

The focus of the series is on the First Foundation and its attempts to overcome various obstacles during the formation and installation of the Second Empire, all the while being silently guided by the unknown specifics of The Seldon Plan.

The series is best known for the Foundation Trilogy, which comprises the books Foundation, Foundation and Empire, and Second Foundation.

Roland Emmerich the director/producer/writer has the movie rights. The trouble is the books do not translate well to the screen. Also Emmerich directed White House Down which bombed this summer. His new movie Independence Day 2 comes out in 2015.
He also directed 2012 (with John Cusak), Stargate, The Day After Tomorrow, 10,000 BC, Independence Day, and Godzilla.
Back in September Emmerich said,

"We're trying to do it as a big mini-series, but even there you would have to change the story itself and set it in a time when the galaxy has fallen apart -- and then you're pretty much making a TV show with all these characters and playing all the scenes out. You can (do that) and we'll see what happens. We tried so hard (to make it into a movie), honestly, because it's one of my most favorite books. I just love it."

https://www.blastr.com/2013-9-18/roland-emmerich-wants-do-what-now-asimovs-foundation

I'm thinking they should at least do a pilot episode. With a good writer to build up the characters, Emmerich could just worry about any action.
I've read the original trilogy of Foundation 3 times. It is a bit dated in the style but has a great story.
I hope they can figure out something, if not, then pass the rights on to another creative mind.
My dream is watching a Game of Thrones season on HBO and then starting the new Foundation series premiering in spring of 2016.

 

[bobeth]

A series helmed by Ronald D. Moore.

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[Grakl]

One of my favorite series. It just wouldn't work as a movie - a miniseries would be better, but even then I think it wouldn't end up being good. Good luck to him if it works out.

Spoiler

it better be good if it does

 

[Hari Seldon]

Honestly I don't think it would translate well at all to a screen.

 

[ЯAW]

A series helmed by Ronald D. Moore.

boom.gif

Something, something, space jesus was behind everything. High budget television show would be the best way to go. Make this scifi equivalent of GoT. Movie would be just half assing it.

 

[nullref]

Step #1 is to get the rights away from Emmerich.

But yeah, it's a hard series to adapt regardless. It would probably work best as a cable TV series, as I don't see it working as a big-budget movie franchise. Maybe do the first 3 books on TV, and if it takes off, the last 2 books could be a big movie.

Asimov's Elijah Baley novels would be more straightforward to adapt to film, as they're more self-contained sci-fi detective stories. That would be cool to see.

 

[The Technomancer]

Honestly I don't think it would translate well at all to a screen.

I think a really interesting miniseries could be made of the first three books. Like, you'd need a high-budget and a good director but it could be done.

 

[Christine]

More important than this question is where they should stop.

 

[Vulcano's assistant]

Mokcumentary, mini-series.

 

[Animal]

Foundation series is my favoritest.

I don't care what medium they end up with as long as the spirit and writing style of the books are front and center.

My head see's the filmography as a kubrick space odyssey 2001 style. Big slow quiet contemplating shots with no filler.

 

[verbum]

Mokcumentary, mini-series.

Pretend like it was all recorded on a hologram so we would get live action anyway.

 

[AnnTiPa]

Definitely series.

After seeing how well books can work as series (GoT), I'd hate to see anyone waste great books as movies.

 

[David Incorporated Esq.]

I think I got to the third book, left it on a plane by mistake and never cared enough to start reading it again.

The first book was pretty solid but after that felt painfully corny, so I never really got the appeal. Am I missing something cool later in the series?

 

[CitizenVectron]

A series, of course. But even then it wouldn't work well. After all, the first book has no main character and takes place over hundreds of years. They wouldn't allow that, they'd try to compress the timeline somehow and it would defeat the whole purpose of the book's concept: making changes over vast swaths of history.

 

[SquiddyCracker]

The Foundation might work as some sort of trilogy, but a ton would have to be cut out.
Tbh, I think if they're going to put anything of Asimov's on the screen, they should do the Robot Detective books - which can easily be turned into movies without too big of a hassle.

I, for one, would love to see Daneel on the big screen, and Baley being a grump.

 

[Aureon]

Miniseries, 6x 40min or so, and COULD work.
COULD.
ONE film for the whole foundation books would be terrible.

.. Just adapt the Robot (Elijah Baley) series instead. That'd work as a trilogy.

 

[BorkBork]

A two season miniseries with Prelude and Forward the Foundation could work quite well.

 

[Tucah]

Miniseries but it might be hard to translate to film.

 

[RJT]

It would work amazingly well as a mini-series. It needs a good writer, though.

 

[Draconian]

Roland Emmerich has the rights? This will be an abomination of epic proportions either way. It'll make the Dune film look like a masterpiece, I'm sure.

 

[The Boat]

Series without a doubt. Great books.

 

[bebop242]

Anybody see the special edition that Barnes & Noble put out?

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/bar...ogy-isaac-asimov/1106658785?ean=9780307292063

Not sure if it work very well on screen.

They should do something with the Robot City series of books they did that played around with the Three Laws of Robotics.

 

[[Fugo]]

The original trilogy (my favourite) would be quite troublesome to depict on screen, be it either through a movie or a miniseries - the problem lies in the fact that it's structured somehow like a history book, spanning over centuries with relatively short stories with different characters, no lead characters - and no recurring ones besides Seldon's hologram - so it would require a huge cast with most of it having a so tiny screentime - even characters important to the lore. Only original trilogy story arc that could span over more episodes would be the Mule one, that would actually work as a movie too, losing a lot of references if produced as a standalone thing though.
It's really along the lines of why the Silmarillion wouldn't work despite well done movies on Tolkien's universe existing

The Foundation's Edge - Foundation and Earth bilogy (is that a word?) would work very well in movie form since it's basically one whole story with the same main characters - but again some references and expecially the ending part would miss the point without prequel footage being shot.

The prequel books (Prelude and Forward) would also work extremely well as a full-fledged series, spanning over 2-3 seasons.

Actually I'd totally love to see a good adaptation of the whole "history of the Galaxy" grand arc, starting from The Caves of Steel. All the Robot Cycle and Empire cicle books would actually work wonderfully as movies, expecially the first ones would captivate a big
audience with a good depiction (and casting) of Elijah Bailey and R.Daneel. Speaking of the latter, it would be the tie that binds it all. Fassbender would make a great R.Daneel I think.

Oh, and a Pebble in the Sky movie - in the hands of a GOOD director and writers - could be so awesome.

 

[SquiddyCracker]

Fassbender as Daneel is a perfect fit.

Dunno who to play as Eliah though.

 

[daviyoung]

Nothing, just keep them as text

 

[tokkun]

Something, something, space jesus was behind everything.

So you expect he will stay faithful to the books?

 

[DiscoJer]

Fassbender as Daneel is a perfect fit.

Dunno who to play as Eliah though.

Robert De Niro

 

[Krowley]

I think it would work best as a multi-season TV show that expands on the concept a little bit instead of following the original story exactly.

The books are very sketchy with a lot of the details, and the pacing is very quick, jumping hundreds of years repeatedly. You could easily slow that down some and explore the different time periods more.

 

[sarcastor]

there's no way to properly do a science fiction miniseries that spans hundreds of years. Too many characters, not enough action, people will get bored. And the CGI will be very expensive, or look like crap.

But if they do make one, here's the perfect song for the opening credits. The first line is "When the site was found, we laid the foundation down".

Gus Gus cover of Depeche Mode's Monument.

 

[Parch]

Read the first book and didn't really care for it. Perhaps I should try another book in the series.

 

[Silkworm]

Well Fox's Almost Human kind of does the robot partner and detective (cop) thing so perhaps if that show does well, they'll consider adapting Asimov's Caves of Steel (and the other books in the Elijah Baley series) to the small or big screen, though I hope they'd stick to the source material and not riff on it like I, Robot *shrug*

 

[Haly]

Miniseries. It's too "dull" to be a movie and in all likelihood they'd have to play up the action aspects in order to appease the execs.

No thanks. Let them deal with the budget constraints of television, it'll make for a better movie overall.

there's no way to properly do a science fiction miniseries that spans hundreds of years. Too many characters, not enough action, people will get bored. And the CGI will be very expensive, or look like crap.

???

One or two episodes for each "arc". It's not hard at all.

The Foundation is, for the most part, people talking.

 

[Harlock]

What you think of the books who tried to unify Fundation with the robots universe?

For me was a fanscinant plot the search for a forgotten earth. The end was a little let down.

 

[Silkworm]

Why not focus on Mule from the Foundation Trilogy. He's a pretty interesting character.

Edit: Regarding Foundation and Earth, I liked it. Didn't have a problem with the whole Gaia and R. Daneel Olivaw angle.