Have a question about something fantasy-related? Ask the Oracle! (Be sure to include your first name and the city, state, and/or country you are writing from.)
Q: Oh Wise and Wondrous Oracle, what can you tell me about the apparently stalled film adaptation of Mary Doria Russell’s fabulous novel, The Sparrow? Last I heard Brad Pitt and/or Antonio Banderas were attached to it, but it seems to have stalled completely. — Ralph, New Zealand
A: The Oracle can reveal that the movie remains in development at Warner Brothers, with Brad Pitt attached; the option on the project was renewed in February 2009. But as Russell herself says, “Many are optioned, but few are filmed.”
The Sparrow is the story of a priest who is the only survivor of a disastrous “first contact” mission with an alien race. In its review, Library Journal basically said it was too smart and philosophical to be considered “science fiction” — which just goes to show how little Library Journal know about science fiction. It’s totally in keeping with the genre’s greatest traditions.
Anyway, Russell is now cautiously optimistic that the movie might get made. “Mr. Pitt is indeed serious about the movie,” she says.
Q: So … the upcoming remake of V. Does she … eat the rat? — Marcy, Billings, MT
A: Not in the pilot episode, which is the only one the Oracle has seen. But … come on! She has to eventually, right? That’s the most famous scene in the original series!
For those of you who don’t know what we’re talking about, just ignore us.
Diana “eats the rat” [Spoiler alert!]
Q: Last week, your site alluded to the rivalry between Universal Studios and Disney. But what does it mean for Universal Studios that Disney recently purchased Marvel Comics (and the rights to all their characters)? Marvel characters are featured prominently in Universal Studio’s Islands of Adventure amusement park. — Trevor, Los Angeles, CA
A: In the short term, Disney’s purchase of Marvel does not affect Universal; they have long-term leases on the characters that are featured on the park’s Marvel Superhero Island.
But long-term? The Oracle thinks it’s not so good for Universal. Disney can, and will, start adding Marvel characters to their own theme parks. Marvel’s lease with Universal is a “Florida-exclusive” one, which means Disney can’t add those characters to Disney World — but they can still gradually dilute Universal’s cache by adding them elsewhere.
According to the New York Times, this is part of the reason why Universal has invested so heavily in their Wizarding World of Harry Potter attraction, opening next spring. It allows them to gradually move away from their reliance on the Marvel characters, and also on the movies of Steven Spielberg (like Jurassic Park), since his association with the park may also soon be renegotiated.
Q: Your webcomic got me thinking: what the hell did happen to the entwives? – Brad, Newark, NJ
A: As you may recall, the Ents and the Entwives had a falling out over … agriculture, of all things (the male Ents felt that everything should take its natural course, but the Entwives were interested in agriculture).
Don’t laugh. We human genders are at each others’ throats over whether the toilet seat gets left up or down.
So what happened to the Entwives? In The Fellowship of the Ring, Sam tells the story of a cousin who saw something Ent-like in the Shire, and later, Treebeard says to Merry and Pippin that Ents would have liked it there. So is that where the Entwives disappeared to?
Alas, no, the Oracle is sad to reveal. For a time, Tolkien maintained he didn’t know what happened to the Entwives (!!!!), but he later fessed up, writing: “I think that in fact the Entwives have disappeared for good, being destroyed with their gardens in the War of the Last Alliance.”
Have a question about something fantasy-related? Ask the Oracle! (Be sure to include your first name and the city, state, and/or country you are writing from.)
Talk about stepping on Disney’s toes!