Its been quite some time (well over a year) since we last heard about the possibility of an Animorphs movie. Previously Michael Grant and K.A. Applegate stated that it was being pitched by a producer to some studios to be considered. This was around the time when the WGA strike was still happening. Since we never heard anything further and were told that the entire thing was a 20 to 1 shot, I assumed that nothing ever became of it.
However, according to Michael Grant’s newest blog post at Stupid Blog Name, it looks as if an Animorphs movie is still in discussion amongst him and some Hollywood producers that he knows. His new series ‘Gone’ was also apparently part of the discussion too. Unfortunately, it seems as if the meeting itself didn’t go too well, but it’s hard to say from the post since it doesn’t exactly go into a whole lot of detail. Here is the direct quote:
“Talked to various Hollywood weasels re: ANIMORPHS and GONE. Results: blah blah blah, we respect your work, blah blah blah.”Michael Grant (Stupid Blog Name)
Think of that what you will from reading that. As for the rest of blog post, it’s a list of highlights for many of the things that Michael Grant has been preoccupied with lately, such as the Crack and Stack Signing Contest in England in which he recently participated in, in order to beat Meg Cabot by signing more than 1000 books in one hour.
Some other highlights in the blog post also include upcoming appearances by him and K.A. Applegate (info coming soon), along with new information for the Gone series — The 3rd book, titled “Lies” is now complete and being edited, with the 4th book now being named as ‘Plague’ (Still a working title).
There’s also 2 new videos of Michael Grant that he filmed while in UK for Wordia. Watch as he describes “Nemesis” and “Bald“. Also, check out the new poster for Gone in the back, featuring Stephen King’s quote from our previous post 
More coming soon regarding appearances by Michael and K.A., so stay tuned!
It would be wonderful to see an Animorphs movie. First of all, as always, I’m appreciative of absolutely anything that might cause a reprint, temporary or otherwise, of the Animorph series (they’re great for schools with lots of ESL students that need to be brought up in fluency).
At first I was afraid that an Animorphs movie would be impossible to please Animorph fans, and may go horribly wrong like the Twilight movies, or my personal opinion of the Harry Potter movies because so much has to get cut out due to length (and sadly, it’s always the funny lines that get cut!). But in retrospect the movies were great regardless, simply due to the opportunity to meet other fans.
Animorphs would officially become a smaller form of Trekkie, and I’m fine with that. I’d be able to wear stalk eyes or something on opening night!
Had I thought in those terms back when Nickelodeon did the show, maybe I wouldn’t have been so bothered by how it was executed. Now I just think it’d be cool to meet other Animorph fans and have that much more than the books alone to talk about after nine years!
Comment by Sarah — May 2, 2009 @ 10:46 pm
I was actually in a meeting around a year ago at Plymouth Rock Studios where some of the upper level suits were asking some of the younger employees about properties worth turning into films. I suggested Animorphs, naturally, as a potential hit, citing other book series inspired films.
I found out a few phone calls got made, but apparently Scholastic wasn’t interested.
Comment by Kevin James — May 11, 2009 @ 10:24 pm
^^ Which doesn’t really make any sense at all. It baffles me as to why Scholastic hasn’t already jumped at a chance to bring Animorphs to the big screen. It beat out Goosebumps in record sales for heaven’s sake! And it was a 5 year long series with a devoted fan base, proving to be quite strong in the end too.
With so many advances in CGI now days, there’s no reason why a reasonable sized budget wouldn’t be able to properly adapt the series. Just look at Golden Compass and Narnia. Also, with the Harry Potter movie series coming near to an end soon, there’s going to be a need for a new franchise to fill that void. The heck with Twilight! Animorphs has the potential to do this if given the right opportunity!
Comment by iS — May 17, 2009 @ 12:41 am
I’mpuzzled and disappointed why Scholastic won’t go for the movie. IT’s totally possibleand there are so many fans still out there, including me, ten years later! IT could be a real hit!
Comment by Jennifer — August 4, 2009 @ 6:17 pm
It could be done… and i think it will be done one day… but how long do we have to wait… It will be great though because it will be us that are the “true followers”
And yes i have to agree that there is no real technical reason why they can’t but the financial risk could be high, and now with everything that’s a big deal i guess…
Comment by Luke M — August 7, 2009 @ 3:39 am
I am actually a young executive at a rising film production company. Now I can’t leaks specifics obviously because we are still working on a basic pitch for what we want to do.
I am a die hard fan, I started reading the books in 5th grade when they came out and to this day in my mid 20’s I have the entire collection on display in my library and lend a select few to people.
I would head up this project and I want to show the companies that this would sell because the fan base is very much alive. Here is my plan.
This will not be a movie, but I would prefer a Mini series on SyFy. I want it to be 6 hours long, consisting of 3 episodes much like Dune and Tin Man were. This would start with a vague narrative of mist swirling on the universe being the voice of The Ellimist setting the stage, showing flash backs here and there in a very dramatic monologue. Once you see the characters it is actually starting at the end. We start at # 50 The Ultimate and show them increas ranks and the struggle between them. We as a fan base have grown up. the cuteness of #16, 17 and such has worn off. Most people in the world these day’s that read these books has seen what war can do to a world or a loved one so I want to stress the changes of the characters and what’s going on. You will see the end, the final battle, the destruction of the Pool, the alliance with Arbron and such. We’ll see Jakes display of mass homicide for the greater good and the years after the war.
Inter cut in all this I would like to put in flash backs of memorable books, things that really stuck out and touched us. That’s where I”m running into some gaps. And I’d like to ask help from the fans, what books touched you the most that showed growth and changed your perception while you were young?
I would love input from fans like myself and others that I already have very close contact with.
Also they might not pick up this pitch, because it’s an older series so I have a back up plan my morphing friends. One of the Chronicles. I”m Between Andalite if we get a nice loan of funds and if they wanna be reserved I would go with Visser. What are your thoughts?
As it goes casting wise I have only touched with one person and that is Aaron Ashmore to be Tom. I feel it would add a nice sting to the situation then bringing back any of the original cast. New faces are needed for The Animorphs them selves but I do have my eye on bigger fish for the parents, esp Eva and the Voice of Alloran/Visser One.
So give me feed back and it may not happen tomorrow, but I will make it happen. Trust me.
Comment by Crayak — August 16, 2009 @ 2:21 am
I really wish there was an Animorphs movie, or at least a cartoon series like Avatar:The Last Airbender.
Comment by Zein — November 11, 2009 @ 4:53 pm
After reading everyone’s comments and knowing what kind of series Animorphs is, I think I would actually support an adult oriented anime, or cartoon version of the show. This story would be extremely difficult to tell in movie, or even mini-series format, just because of the budget that would be required to tell the story properly.
This would not only spark interest in the story, but it could potentially grow the fan base and get top talent writers and directors to realize that it should be taken seriously, rather than a crappy movie targeted towards the Disney crowd. If you ever expect to see a large budget for this film (And I truly believe this series could and should be taken as seriously as Avatar) its going to have to grow its already large fan base and be able to appeal to other audiences.
And Oh God, it HAS to have a good script. I’m talking “J.J. Abrams” good. Something that focuses on the characters and the moral and philosophical implications of their actions, non-actions, attitudes, and beliefs; How a secret war can affect the people fighting them, their loved ones, and the average person whom they fight for; the responsibilities of having such an amazing power; living with the consequences of their actions; the stresses on the several adolescents that have to grow up quickly, yet are still trying to figure out who they are; seeing how flawed humans can be, yet still having just enough moments to realize that the battle their fighting is worth it, just barely. I think a sizable focus on the Yeerks would also be a great addition to the story. I think it’s important that they’re not presented as just “evil” parasitic space aliens, but as an empire birthed in envy of the “arrogant” and perceptually “biologically superior” Andalites. I want them to be presented as soldiers, no more good or evil than any other soldier fighting for a cause they believe in, justifying their actions in their respective nation’s propaganda (propaganda used in its neutral connotation). It would be so much sweeter when it turns out that a reasonable solution to the entire war has been available the entire time (the morphing technology) yet the arrogance and mindsets of both parties initially prevents them from seeing it.
While the Ellimist/Crayak part of the story, is actually probably one of my favorites (for its philosophical conjectures and implications), I’m not sure how to fit this into a live-action series or film, but it’s entirely doable for a Cartoon or Anime. If it were to be done in live-action it would have to be told in a way in which his presence is only eluded to yet felt more or less throughout the story’s telling. He would more or less have to be treated like God, lol. Those places where he may have played a large role in the story could then later be filled in with supplemental materials (another show, comic book, etc.).
I’m not going to lie, I kind of want to do it myself because I know it’s going to be SOOOOOOOOOooooooo easy to FRAK it up. But if someone knows where I’m going with this and likes my envisioning, then feel free to take it and run with it!!!
Comment by Ti Jay — February 18, 2010 @ 3:35 am
I WANT THEM TO MAKE A MOVIE!!!!!
Comment by J. Rodriguez — February 24, 2010 @ 9:34 am
Ti Jay, i love your insight and perspective on how to make these books into reality. i must agree with you. its going to be extremely easy to just want to add or subtract something REALLY small, and then the whole thing is screwed….
the good thing with the animated series for the Ellimist or Crayak is that it would be more believable, but i still would have to go with trying to incorporating them in a live-action series. it would be difficult, but as long as the listener is prepared for such a move, it could be done, and very well.
i really hope for a modern-day version of the Animorph series. i see so much potential in the right hands, and movies could even be made from 2,3,4,5 books that go together well and make sense. treading lightly is the main concern, but with the right person, it can be done.
Comment by Derek — July 22, 2010 @ 10:23 am
I really hope you don’t go the cartoon route. I personally liked the face that the supreme powers are shrouded in secrecy.
They would be impossible to show in detail in a live action, true enough. Maybe that’s the way it should be? A cartoon/anime would not be a good way to bring it back imo, and would only make it more likely to get kid-efied in the process. The best approach would be to keep it pg-13 (or the TV equivilent) but have to really deep adult issues within, so it will entertain everyone.
The book about Rachel getting the opportunity with Crayak to murder Visser Three in cold blood and refusing it for instance.
Or tricking David into remaining in morph to live as a rat his entire life, are deep, but have the guise as a ‘children’s story’.
Need to keep that essence, most definately. I also agree that if it was live action, the original actors should not have the same parts! Think about it, do you want a 23 year old jake?
Comment by Illuminati — July 31, 2010 @ 12:57 pm