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==Reception== ==Reception==
Reviews of the film have been mixed. The film holds a 66% positive rating at the ] website ], based on 113 reviews, with an average score of 6 out of 10. The site's consensus states: "If it isn't quite as thought-provoking as the book, Ender's Game still manages to offer a commendable number of well-acted, solidly written sci-fi thrills."<ref name="Rotten Tomatoes">{{cite web|url=http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/enders-game/|title=Ender's Game (2013)|publisher=]|work=]|accessdate=29 October 2013}}</ref> On ], which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 based on reviews from critics, the film has a score of 50 based on 35 reviews, considered to be "mixed or average reviews".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.metacritic.com/movie/enders-game|title=''Ender's Game'' Reviews - Metacritic |publisher=]|accessdate=25 October 2013}}</ref> The film has received generally positive reviews from critics. The film holds a 66% positive rating at the ] website ], based on 113 reviews, with an average score of 6 out of 10. The site's consensus states: "If it isn't quite as thought-provoking as the book, Ender's Game still manages to offer a commendable number of well-acted, solidly written sci-fi thrills."<ref name="Rotten Tomatoes">{{cite web|url=http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/enders-game/|title=Ender's Game (2013)|publisher=]|work=]|accessdate=29 October 2013}}</ref> On ], which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 based on reviews from critics, the film has a score of 50 based on 35 reviews, considered to be "mixed or average reviews".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.metacritic.com/movie/enders-game|title=''Ender's Game'' Reviews - Metacritic |publisher=]|accessdate=25 October 2013}}</ref>


==See also== ==See also==

Revision as of 08:05, 2 November 2013

2013 American film
Ender's Game
Theatrical release poster
Directed byGavin Hood
Screenplay byGavin Hood
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyDonald McAlpine
Edited byZach Staenberg
Music bySteve Jablonsky
Production
companies
Distributed bySummit Entertainment
Lionsgate
Release dates
  • October 24, 2013 (2013-10-24) (Germany, Austria)
  • October 25, 2013 (2013-10-25) (United Kingdom)
  • November 1, 2013 (2013-11-01) (United States)
Running time114 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$110 million
Box office$2,744,146
Asa Butterfield as Ender Wiggin
in a screenshot from film's official trailer

Ender's Game is an American science fiction action film based on the novel of the same name by Orson Scott Card. Directed and written by Gavin Hood, the film stars Asa Butterfield as Andrew "Ender" Wiggin, an unusually gifted child who is sent to an advanced military school in space to prepare for a future alien invasion. The cast also includes Hailee Steinfeld, Ben Kingsley, Viola Davis, Abigail Breslin, and Harrison Ford.

The film was first released in Germany October 24 followed by the United Kingdom and Ireland on October 25. It was released in the United States, Canada and India on November 1 and many other countries from October 30 throughout mid-January of 2014.

Plot

After an alien race called the Formics (also known as the "Buggers" in the book) attacks Earth in 2086, the International Fleet prepares for the next invasion by training the best young children to find the future candidate to lead the International Fleet and fill the shoes of the legendary war hero Mazer Rackham. Ender Wiggin (Asa Butterfield) is pulled out of his Earth school to join the International Fleet and attend the legendary Battle School, located in Earth orbit. He progresses rapidly through a series of increasingly complex war games while simultaneously gaining the respect of his peers. As a result, Ender is soon chosen by Colonel Graff (Harrison Ford) to be the military's next Mazer Rackham. The boy progresses to Command School, where he receives training from Mazer Rackham (Ben Kingsley) himself. After a series of grueling battle simulations, Ender leads his peers into a war that will determine the future of Earth and the human race.

Cast

Further information: Ender's Game characters

Production

Development

Since Ender's Game was published in 1985, author Orson Scott Card had always been protective of the film rights and artistic control. Card explained that he had many opportunities through the 1980s and 1990s to sell the rights of Ender's Game to Hollywood studios, but refused when creative differences became an issue. With the formation of Fresco Pictures in 1996 (which Card co-founded), the author decided to write the screenplay himself.

In a 1998 interview, Orson Scott Card discussed the process of adapting the novel into a screenplay. "The first decision I made was not to pursue the Peter/Valentine subplot with the Internet, because that's just watching people type things into the computer. The second decision I made was to give that information about the surprise at the end from the start. In my script we know who Mazer Rackham really is and we know what is at stake as Ender plays his games. But Ender doesn't know, so I think the suspense is actually increased because the audience knows we're about the business of saving the world and that everything depends on this child not understanding that. We care all the more about whether he wins – and we worry that he might not want to. As we watch the adults struggle to get control of Ender, we pity him because of what's happening to him, but we want the adults to succeed. I think it makes for a much more complex and fascinating film than it would have been if I had tried to keep secrets."

Card submitted a screenplay to Warner Bros. in 2003, at which time David Benioff and D. B. Weiss were hired to collaborate a new script in consulation with the then-designated director Wolfgang Petersen. Four years later, Card wrote a new script not based on any previous ones, including his own. In an interview with Wired, Card admitted two obstacles in writing his scripts were being able to "externalize" Ender's thoughts and making it work, "for people who had never read the book."

Card announced in February 2009 that he had completed a script for Odd Lot Entertainment, and that they had begun assembling a production team. In September 2010, it was announced that Gavin Hood was attached to the project, serving as both screenwriter and director. Card said he had written "about six" different scripts before Hood took over. In November 2010, Card stated that the film's storyline would be a fusion of Ender's Game and its parallel novel, Ender's Shadow, focusing on the important elements of both. However, in October 2013, he explained that this "buddy-movie approach" between Ender and Bean was a proof of concept and once Hood took over he decided to utilize Petra as more of a major character. On January 28, 2011, it was reported that Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman would be producing the work and would begin presenting the script to prospective investors.

On April 28, 2011, it was announced that Summit Entertainment picked up the film's distribution and Digital Domain joined Odd Lot Entertainment in a co-production role. Gavin Hood joined as director, using Hood's script adaptation, and Donald McAlpine joined as cinematographer. The Producers include creative producers Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman of K/O Paper Products, producers Gigi Pritzker and Linda McDonough of Odd Lot Entertainment, and producer John Textor of Digital Domain Executive producers include David Coatsworth, Bill Lischak, Cliff Plumer and Ed Ulbrich. The film is also being produced by Lynn Hendee of Chartoff Productions, who has worked with Card on the development of the film for over 15 years, and Robert Chartoff. In an interview with Brigham Young University newspaper The Universe, Card said that his role as co-producer was in the early stages and that the screenplay is 100% Hood's.

Filming

Production began in New Orleans on February 27, 2012. The film is slated for a November 1, 2013, release date in the United States.

Controversy

Orson Scott Card's criticism of homosexuality and same-sex marriage prompted the organization GLAAD (Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation) to issue a critical statement suggesting that the buying public may not "support his creative endeavors".

In July 2013, the group Geeks Out launched a website campaign to boycott the film. Mark Umbach, a public relations expert not associated with the film, commented "there is a huge LGBT audience for science fiction, and it's going to be hard for those fans to separate Card’s comments from his work." Andy Lewis and Borys Kit of The Hollywood Reporter wrote: "The new scrutiny of Card’s views could be a problem for the $110 million 'Ender’s Game' movie".

In response to the boycott, Card released a statement in July to Entertainment Weekly: "Ender’s Game is set more than a century in the future and has nothing to do with political issues that did not exist when the book was written in 1984. With the recent Supreme Court ruling, the gay marriage issue becomes moot. The Full Faith and Credit clause of the Constitution will, sooner or later, give legal force in every state to any marriage contract recognized by any other state. Now it will be interesting to see whether the victorious proponents of gay marriage will show tolerance toward those who disagreed with them when the issue was still in dispute."

Producer Roberto Orci responded in Entertainment Weekly in March that he wasn't aware of Card's views when he took on the film adaptation: "It didn't occur to me to do background checks on anybody." He said that "the movie should be judged on its message, not the personal beliefs of the original author," who had minimal involvement in the film. He also said that "If it's on the screen, then I think it's fair game." Lionsgate Entertainment released a statement distancing themselves from Card, writing "As proud longtime supporters of the LGBT community we obviously do not agree with the personal views of Orson Scott Card and those of the National Organization for Marriage", and that Card's views are "completely irrelevant" to the film adaptation.

Actor Harrison Ford does not consider Card's view an issue: "I am aware of his statements admitting that the question of gay marriage is a battle that he lost and he admits that he lost it. I think we all know that we’ve all won. That humanity has won. And I think that’s the end of the story."

Reception

The film has received generally positive reviews from critics. The film holds a 66% positive rating at the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, based on 113 reviews, with an average score of 6 out of 10. The site's consensus states: "If it isn't quite as thought-provoking as the book, Ender's Game still manages to offer a commendable number of well-acted, solidly written sci-fi thrills." On Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 based on reviews from critics, the film has a score of 50 based on 35 reviews, considered to be "mixed or average reviews".

See also

References

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  41. Quinn, Annalisa (July 10, 2013). "Book News: 'Ender's Game' Author Responds To Boycott Threats". NPR. Retrieved July 10, 2013. The queer geek group Geeks OUT is organizing boycotts and "Skip Ender's Game" events in several U.S. cities because of Card's views on homosexuality.
  42. Lewis, Andy; Kit, Borys. "'Ender's Game' Author's Anti-Gay Views Pose Risks for Film". Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2013-04-19.
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  45. Edidin, Rachel (July 9, 2013). "Orson Scott Card Responds to Ender's Game Boycott With Ironic Plea for 'Tolerance'". Wired. Retrieved July 10, 2013.
  46. Sacks, Ethan (July 9, 2013). "'Ender's Game' author Orson Scott Card, longtime opponent of same-sex marriage, says issue is now 'moot'". New York Daily News. Retrieved July 10, 2013.
  47. Boucher, Geoff (March 15, 2013). "The 'Ender's Game' controversy". Entertainment Weekly.
  48. Deutsch, Lindsay (July 12, 2013). "Lionsgate responds to calls for 'Ender's Game' boycott". USA Today. Retrieved July 13, 2013. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  49. Lewis, Andy (July 12, 2013). "Lionsgate Calls 'Ender's Game' Author's Anti-Gay Views 'Completely Irrelevant'". Hollywood Reporter.
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  51. "Ender's Game (2013)". Rotten Tomatoes. Flixster. Retrieved 29 October 2013.
  52. "Ender's Game Reviews - Metacritic". Metacritic. Retrieved 25 October 2013.

External links

Official media sites
Movie databases
Other links
Works by Orson Scott Card
Ender's Game series
Books
Ender Series
Shadow Saga
Formic Wars
Short stories
Other media
Characters
The Tales of Alvin Maker
Books
Other media
The Worthing series
Books
Other works
Homecoming Saga
Women of Genesis
Mithermages series
Mayflower series
The Empire duet
The Pathfinder series
Standalone novels
Story collections
Other works
Works by Orson Scott Card
Ender's Game series
Books
Ender Series
Shadow Saga
Formic Wars
Short stories
Other media
Characters
The Tales of Alvin Maker
Books
Other media
The Worthing series
Books
Other works
Homecoming Saga
Women of Genesis
Mithermages series
Mayflower series
The Empire duet
The Pathfinder series
Standalone novels
Story collections
Other works
Films directed by Gavin Hood

Template:Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci

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