Saturday, May 22, 2010

Ultramarines at London MCM!

The London MCM Expo is next weekend! Are ya going? Are ya? Here's one good reason why you should - on the Saturday (that's the 29th) at 11am, I’m taking part in a main stage panel about the Ultramarines Movie, where we'll be talking and teasing its sheer awesomeness face to face for the first time. Events details can be found right here.

Preparations are underway at Ultramarines Towers to make this panel as special as possible, and I'll be joined for the Q&A by some very important people.

When I’m not on the panel, or, who knows, manning the Ultramarines stand, you’ll probably find me queueing up for John Noble’s autograph. Asshat fanboy? Moi?

I realise, of course, that not everyone who wants to attend Expo will be able to, so, just for fun, if you could be there, what movie-related questions would you ask me, or the other Ultramarines panellists?

22 comments:

Yohann Delalande said...

Hi Dan,

Well, I won't be able to attend London MCM, but I've got a question for you:

Warhammer 40k being a dystopian universe with violent, xenophobic, religiously integrist and kind of fascist features, how are you managing to find some compromise with those background themes in order to avoid the obvious (at least for me) censorship of producers and distributors, who are usually utterly reluctant to approach such topics?

Thanks.

Y.D

Xhalax said...

Boo!

I'm always at the wrong end of the country.

*pouts*

THE PRO CLUB MANAGER said...

Awesome Dan!

Just done my first feature film, lemme know if you need a voice talent for the next one!!

Jezlad :)

Will Wright said...

Not to worry Xhalax I am always in the wrong Country. :)

Leif said...

Hi Dan!

Will the movie be official canon?

Y.D. mentioned censorship, how "bloody/brutal" can we expect the movie to be?

On an unrelated note, I got several HH books today by mail and noticed that there are more different color stripes on the upper part of the books back. I thought that red stood for "Main Story", green for "side story", but now I got blue and purple as well. Got any claryfication, please? :)

Leif

Anonymous said...

Hey Dan!

Trust me, if I was on the right side of the pond, I'd be there. As it stands though, I live in the US. However, had I been able to attend, I probably would have been qued up for your autograph like a total asshat fanboy.

Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Unknown said...

Dan-

As someone whose style features almost excruciating detail and intense character depth, what's it been like to write for the screen? What are the big concessions you've had to make in order to deliver a script that can be fit into the runtime of a film?

Thanks!
-Sam

James said...

Hi,

I would ask you why is the film going to be animated? 40k would make such a powerful film world but to turn it into a cartoon doesn't seem like a good thing.

Xhalax said...

I think it would highly amusing to be standing egin you in a signing queue Mr. Abnett. I'd feel so much better knowing that even famous people get struck with fan syndrome.

Blitzspear said...

Just how big is the grin on your face when you read the words "screen writer Dan Abnett" and is this the start of a new direction for you? Or put another way will there be any more movies if this makes it's money back for GW. I can't go i'm bug hunting and then moth trapping with my son that day.

McKennsy said...

Name One scene where you were asked to make it "More User Friendly" and one scene where you were asked to make it "More 40K".

Esmebium said...

How are you coping with the concept of a 40K movie about a chapter that is both revered and mocked (I can think of several people I know who call the Ultramarines bloody annoying smurfs among other things), and as such writing a screenplay that will hopefully garner more respect for them as a chapter?

Cheers,
Esme
Also, do you know anything about the likelihood of a New Zealand release?

rikkyB said...

hey dan:),

i've noticed alot of people ask you questions about what you've found hard in writing a screen play, but no one seems to have asked you what you enjoyed most about it?
also when writing the script are you involved in the whole process of storybording (maby similour to designing comics?) and reviewing clips ect, or is you involvment more limited to the writing of lines and storyline.

p.s. i genuinly cried 3 or 4 times throughout gaunts ghosts, and have just orderd triumff. thankyou for managing in a book what so many films have fallen short of..making me FEEEEEEL.:D

Anonymous said...

dan do you pay your clones? do they live off human food or are they tube fed? should we be conserned, is their a humanitarian problem here?
will i have to call the NSPD and report some abused dans in your basement?

Lightbringer said...

Hi Dan!

Who're the Ultramarines going to be righteously smiting in the movie? 'Nids? Orks? Heretics? Some sweaty combination of all the above?

(And if you can't answer that for legal reasons, then just provide some complex red herring that we can all feverishly and inaccurately speculate about, please. :-) )

+++Lightbringer+++

Arthur Saucier said...

Hi Dan,

Wont be able to make the expo just had a question or two.

First, what has been your favorite part of this production.

Second as iconic as the space marines are, is there another faction in the universe you would have liked to write instead?

Boom said...

Hey Dan,

What kind of "easter eggs" can we expect? Will they be obvious or will they be quite subtle? And last part, will they maybe lend a nod to future film possibilities?

Thanks

Unknown said...

I would absolutely kill to be able to attend this, although a trip across the pond is not in the cards at the moment. Very much looking forward to the movie, although I must admit that I'm for more of a Guard fan than I am of any of the Marine chapters. Having said that, the Ghosts series made me a lifelong Abnett fan and I will certainly be first in line, whether it be at the cinema or Best Buy.

Joruus said...

I won't be able to attend, because i live in Hungary and i dont have the money to make the trip :(

My question: Are there any ideas about making movie's from your other WH40k novel's? It would be epic to see a Gaunt movie or even an Eisenstein or Ravenor. (I think the latest two would be more manageable though)

IAmBob said...

If I where there I'd ask:
1. How was the experience of compressing your normal storytelling structure into a screenplay? What couldn't you do or could do that was unique to the format?
2. Where's the love? Most movies are about family/love in some way, shape or form, so how does that fit into this story that sounds like it's going to center on super-human killers?
3. Why Ultramarines? They're the blandest of the Chapters! (Space Wolves for life!). What about the Ultramarines made them the choice Chapter for this story?

Lightbringer said...

Oh and one more question, which you must answer at the MCM using the microphone:

What does a boltgun sound like? Please make the noise of a boltgun without spitting everywhere! :-)

+++Lightbringer+++