20th Century Fox Heads To Asimov's The Caves of Steel

[Hunter Rider]

http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=82462

Source: Deadline
September 22, 2011

20th Century Fox is planning to adapt another Isaac Asimov novel. Deadline reports that Henry Hobson will direct The Caves of Steel with a script from John Scott 3.

Published in 1954, the book tells a sci-fi detective story set roughly 3,000 years in the future. In it, a police detective, Elijah Bailey, joins forces with a robot, R. Daneel Olivaw, to solve a murder case of a "Spacer" Ambassador before it becomes an intergalactic incident. In the world of the book, Spacers are those who have chosen to leave the Earth for colonies on new worlds, creating a rift between those who remain on the overpopulated Earth.

Bailey and Olivaw (or elements thereof) reappear in subsequent Asimov stories, including The Naked Sun, The Robots of Dawn and Robots and Empire.

The Caves of Steel was previously adapted as a British telefilm in 1964 and some have criticized Fox's previous Asimov-based hit, I, Robot for borrowing the basic setup, as the human detective/robot pairing was not a story told in the original 1950 I, Robot anthology.

Hobson and Scott, as announced earlier this year, are working on their first theatrical project, Maggie, about a teenage girl's gradual transformation into a zombie.

The cop/humanoid robot pairing premise is like the Total Recall TV show, and the scope of the futuristic story sounds great, but I'd have liked a more seasoned director in the chair.

 

[Silvermoth]

Wha? Where did this come from? Huzzah if it's true. I love Asimov's robots series. It's one of my favourites. I hope they do it justice.

I could see Gerard Butler as Bailey and Hugh Dancy as R Daneel Olivaw

 

[Ultra Lantern]

This looks interesting.When it comes out,I might see it.

 

[:eek:]

Akiva Goldsman will write 20th Century Fox’s long gestating The Caves of Steel movie

It’s been almost five years since it was announced that 20th Century Fox has plans to bring to the big screen Isaac Asimov‘s 1954 novel The Caves of Steel. Today, however, the project seems to be moving forward once again as Variety reports that Akiva Goldsman has come aboard to script the adaptation. Goldsman is no stranger to the work of Asimov. He previously scripted the studio’s I, Robot, which borrowed some plot elements from Caves of Steel.
The Caves of Steel tells a science fiction detective story set roughly 3,000 years in the future. In it, a police detective, Elijah Bailey, joins forces with a robot, R. Daneel Olivaw, to solve a murder case of a “Spacer” Ambassador before it becomes an intergalactic incident. In the world of the book, Spacers are those who have chosen to leave the Earth for colonies on new worlds, creating a rift between those who remain on the overpopulated Earth. Bailey and Olivaw (or elements thereof) reappear in subsequent Asimov stories, including The Naked Sun, The Robots of Dawn and Robots and Empire.


The Caves of Steel was previously adapted as a British telefilm in 1964.
When first announced, The Caves of Steel was to be directed by Maggie helmer Henry Hobson from a script by John Scott 3 and Jamie Vanderbilt. At this time, however, no director is currently attached.
Goldsman, who took home an Academy Award for his work on Ron Howard‘s A Beautiful Mind, recently scripted the alien invasion thriller The 5th Wave. He’s also supplying the screenplay for Sony Pictures‘ upcoming Steven King adaptation, The Dark Tower. Look for it to hit the big screen February 17, 2017.

 

[Silvermoth]

Yay! Actually I'm surprised more people here don't know about the book. It's still one of my faves

 

[Kathemy]

Well, let's hope they do this one better than "'I, Robot' for people who don't like Isaac Asimov (or robots)".

 

[moviefreak]

Nope. Nope. Akiva Goldsman is not someone I would like to pen final treatment to Asimov's classics. I hope that better writer will come onboard later on. As mentioned above --he's that dude who wrote the screenplay for I, Robot which on surface was a fine film but nothing like Asimov's stories.

 

[Kathemy]

Oh Jesus, it's the same guy who wrote I, Robot? Didn't read the first post thoroughly. We're toast.

 

[dude stannis]

They certainly went with the wrong Schwarzenegger collaborators.

 

[KRYPTON INC.]

They certainly went with the wrong Schwarzenegger collaborators.

Imagine if Cameron had decided to take on Asimov?

 

[dude stannis]

'84-'94 Cameron adapting Asimov would've been Godly.

 

[Farren]

I'm intrigued although I'm not familiar with the source material.

 

[moviefreak]

You got to remember that I, Robot was one of most recent decent efforts by Akiva Goldsman. He was also that guy who wrote Batman & Robin and Batman Forever, the originator of most of Mr Freeze's puns lol.

The strange thing to me when I checked his recent activity on IMdB, he got a whopping 7 writing credit in announced upcoming films --

Transformers 7 (2019)
Bumblebee (2018)
M.A.S.K.: Mobile Armored Strike Kommand (2016)
ROM (2016)
Transformers 8 (2016)
Untitled Transformers Spin-off (2016)
Visionaries: Knights of the Magical Light (2016)

Yikees!

in post-proc/filming:
The Dark Tower (2017)
Rings (2016)

He did wrote 12 episodes of Fringe ---that series was very solid but it was mainly down to JH Wyman & Jeff Pinkner.

Out of the few Asimov adaptations, I was most looking forward to Jonathan Nolan's Foundation for HBO. It was announced way back in 2014. It's still on I believe as Nolan himself said so last year. It's probably being pushed back because of the delay in Westworld (another exciting TV series!) --Nolan worked as director, co-writer and exec producer on that series, same deal with Foundation series which would have made it difficult to juggle two projects.

 

[Silvermoth]

I'm intrigued although I'm not familiar with the source material.

It's fantastic, well worth checking out