Ender's Game (film) - Misplaced Pages

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Ender's Game
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Gavin Hood
Screenplay by	Gavin Hood
Produced by	Roberto Orci Alex Kurtzman Gigi Pritzker Linda McDonough Robert Chartoff Lynn Hendee Orson Scott Card Ed Ulbrich
Starring	Asa Butterfield Harrison Ford Ben Kingsley Viola Davis Hailee Steinfeld Abigail Breslin
Cinematography	Donald McAlpine
Edited by	Zach Staenberg
Music by	Steve Jablonsky
Production companies	Chartoff Productions Taleswapper OddLot Entertainment K/O Paper Products Digital Domain
Distributed by	Summit 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 time	114 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$110 million
Box office	$9,900,000

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

Asa Butterfield as Andrew "Ender" Wiggin. In a 1999 interview, Orson Scott Card confirmed that Jake Lloyd was under consideration for the role. Card asked fans not to judge Lloyd based on his performance in The Phantom Menace, saying that a better script and direction would result in a better performance. In July 2008, Card stated that he would like to see Nathan Gamble play Ender, and expressed regret that he was "probably too old" for the part.
Harrison Ford as Colonel Graff. Early in the film's development, Card considered changing Graff to a female, and recommended a "dry comic" such as Janeane Garofalo or Rosie O'Donnell for the role.
Hailee Steinfeld as Petra Arkanian
Abigail Breslin as Valentine Wiggin
Ben Kingsley as Mazer Rackham. In a 1998 interview, Card suggested Andre Braugher or Will Smith for the role.
- Kyle Russell Clements as Young Mazer Rackham
Viola Davis as Major Gwen Anderson
Aramis Knight as Bean
Suraj Parthasarathy as Alai
Moisés Arias as Bonzo
Khylin Rhambo as Dink
Jimmy Pinchak as Peter Wiggin
Nonso Anozie as Sergeant Dap
Conor Carroll as Bernard
Caleb J. Thaggard as Stilson. Brendan Meyer was originally cast in the role, but had to leave the production due to a scheduling conflict.
Cameron Gaskins as Pol Slattery (Leopard Army)
Stevie Ray Dallimore as John Paul Wiggin
Andrea Powell as Theresa Wiggin
Brandon Soo Hoo as Fly Molo
Dee Bradley Baker as TBA (voice)
Orson Scott Card as Pilot (voice cameo)

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.

Merchandising

Ender's Game is the first film to offer 3D printed replicas of in-film 3D assets. Working with Sandboxr, Summit Entertainment was able to open a new merchandising platform in the 3D printing industry by offer fans the unique ability to customize and build 3D prints from 3D assets used in production.

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 mixed reviews from critics. The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes give it a 63% positive score based on 126 reviews and a 53% positive score based on the 32 top critics. 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".

References

^ IMDb: Release dates for Ender's Game Linked 2013-05-14
"ENDER'S GAME (12A)". E1 Films. British Board of Film Classification. September 30, 2013. Retrieved September 30, 2013.
A Movie Mogul Rising
http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=endersgame.htm
http://www.screendaily.com/box-office/gravity-stays-top-of-intl-on-38m/5062937.article?blocktitle=LATEST-FILM-NEWS&contentID=40562
^ "'Full movie synopsis released for Ender's Game'".
^ Sneider, Jeff (2011-11-29). "Asa Butterfield locks 'Ender's Game'". Variety.
Card, Orson Scott (1999). "Talk City Chat". Hatrack River. Retrieved July 31, 2012.
Card, Orson Scott (July 20, 2008). "Mamma Mia! and The Dark Knight - Uncle Orson Reviews Everything". Hatrack.com. Retrieved March 21, 2013.
^ Sneider, Jeff (December 21, 2011). "Harrison Ford locked for Ender's Game: OddLot's sci-fi tentpole gains trio of Oscar nominees". Variety.
^ Nichoson, Scott (1998). "Interviews - CARD'S GAME: An Interview With Orson Scott Card". Hatrack.com. Retrieved May 4, 2012.
^ "Harrison Ford & Abigail Breslin round-off stellar Ender's Game cast".
^ Ender's Game is on track
"Viola Davis Joins Cast of Ender's Game Film - Theater News - Feb 2, 2012". Theatermania.com. 2012-02-02. Retrieved 2013-03-06.
^ Schaefer, Sandy (2012-02-21). "'Ender's Game' gains three new cast members". Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved 2013-03-06.
Nede, Jethro (2011-12-16). "'Ender's Game' Casts Canadian Teen Star Brendan Meyer (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter.
Taalcon (March 7, 2012). "CONFIRMED: Stilson Recast in Ender's Game film". Ender's Ansible. Retrieved March 18, 2012.
IMBD - Ender's Game
Oliver, Glen "Merrick" (May 17, 2012). "So Orson Scott Card Visited The Set Of The ENDER'S GAME Movie..." Ain't It Cool News. Retrieved May 18, 2012.
Alicia Lozano (2009-01-05). "Orson Scott Card and his world of Ender". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2009-03-11.
Paul Cannon (2002-05-13). "The Game Is Afoot". IGN. Retrieved 2009-03-11.
"Card Talks Ender's Game Movie". "IGN Entertainment, Inc.". April 18, 2007. Retrieved 2009-01-01.
^ Snow, Shane. "Orson Scott Card Talks Ender's Game in Rare Interview". Wired. Retrieved 1 November 2013.
"Movie production team being assembled". "Taleswapper, Inc". February 25, 2009. Retrieved 2009-03-01.
^ "Gavin Hood Attached to Ender's Game". "comingsoon.net". September 21, 2010. Retrieved 2010-09-21.
^ Zeitchik, Steven (September 20, 2010). "Gavin Hood looks to play 'Ender's Game'". Los Angeles Times.
Card, Orson Scott (November 3, 2010). "Conversations / Live Q&A: Orson Scott Card". Washington Post.
"Kurtzman and Orci Producing 'Ender's Game'". Slashfilm. January 28, 2011. Retrieved 2011-04-05.
Gallagher, Brian. "Ender's Game Lands at Summit Entertainment". MovieWeb.
McNary, Dave (Apr. 28, 2011). "Summit plays 'Ender's Game'". Variety. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
Caranicas, Peter (2011-12-13). "Bookings & signings". Variety.
^ "First Look at Ender's Game starring Harrison Ford and Asa Butterfield!". Movie Jungles Upcoming-Movies.com.
Cieply, Michael (January 14, 2013). "A Movie Mogul Rising". The New York Times. p. B1. Retrieved January 24, 2013.
^ Lawrence, Bryce (July 16, 2013). "Orson Scott Card: Praise for work of 'Ender's Game' director". The Digital Universe. Brigham Young University.
"Kurtzman and Orci Producing 'Ender's Game'". Slashfilm. Retrieved 2011-04-05.
Christine (2012-03-01). "'Ender's Game' begins filming at the Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans". Onlocationvacations.com. Retrieved 2013-03-06.
"Ender's Game Actually Begins Production". I Am Rogue. February 29, 2012. Retrieved March 1, 2012.
Fleming, Mike. "'Ender's Game' Release Pushed Back To November 1, 2013". Deadline.
"Sandboxr and Summit Entertainment team up for unique merchandising venture". John Graber. 2013-10-29. Retrieved 2013-10-29.
^ Blauvelt, Christian (March 4, 2013). "'Enders Game': How Author Orson Scott Card's Anti-Gay Views Could Affect Its Success". Hollywood.com. Retrieved 2013-04-19. Several experts say Ender's Game author Orson Scott Card, also credited as a producer on the film, could pose a major problem for Summit as it begins its publicity campaign.
Child, Ben (July 9, 2013). "Activists call for Ender's Game boycott over author's anti-gay views". The Guardian. Retrieved July 10, 2013. US group Geeks Out launches 'Skip Ender's Game' website, citing novelist Orson Scott Card's opposition to gay marriage {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
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.
Lewis, Andy; Kit, Borys. "'Ender's Game' Author's Anti-Gay Views Pose Risks for Film". Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2013-04-19.
Romano, Aja (May 7, 2013). "Orson Scott Card's long history of homophobia". Salon. Retrieved May 7, 2013.
Smith, Grady (July 8, 2013). "INSIDE MOVIES 'Ender's Game' author Orson Scott Card responds to critics: The gay marriage issue is 'moot' — EXCLUSIVE". Entertainment Weekly.
Edidin, Rachel (July 9, 2013). "Orson Scott Card Responds to Ender's Game Boycott With Ironic Plea for 'Tolerance'". Wired. Retrieved July 10, 2013.
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.
Boucher, Geoff (March 15, 2013). "The 'Ender's Game' controversy". Entertainment Weekly.
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)
Lewis, Andy (July 12, 2013). "Lionsgate Calls 'Ender's Game' Author's Anti-Gay Views 'Completely Irrelevant'". Hollywood Reporter.
Harrison Ford on 'Ender's Game' controversy: 'Not an issue for me'
"Ender's Game (2013)". Rotten Tomatoes. Flixster. Retrieved 29 October 2013.
"Ender's Game Reviews - Metacritic". Metacritic. Retrieved 25 October 2013.

External links

Official media sites

Movie databases

Other links

Billington, Alex (July 24, 2013). "Interview: 'Ender's Game' Director Gavin Hood & Producer Bob Orci". firstshowing.net.

Works by Orson Scott Card

Ender's Game series

Books

Ender Series	Ender's Game (1985) Speaker for the Dead (1986) Xenocide (1991) Children of the Mind (1996) Ender in Exile (2008)
Shadow Saga	Ender's Shadow (1999) Shadow of the Hegemon (2001) Shadow Puppets (2002) Shadow of the Giant (2005) Shadows in Flight (2012) The Last Shadow (2021)
Formic Wars	Earth Unaware (2012) Earth Afire (2013) Earth Awakens (2014) The Swarm (2016) The Hive (2019) The Queens (TBA)
First Meetings (2002) A War of Gifts: An Ender Story (2007) Children of the Fleet (2017)

Short stories

Other media

Comics
Film

Characters

The Tales of Alvin Maker
Books	Seventh Son (1987) Red Prophet (1988) Prentice Alvin (1989) Alvin Journeyman (1995) Heartfire (1998) The Crystal City (2003)
Other media	"Prentice Alvin and the No-Good Plow" (poem, 1989) Red Prophet: The Tales of Alvin Maker (comic book, 2006)

The Worthing series
Books	Capitol (1979) Hot Sleep (1979) The Worthing Chronicle (1983) The Worthing Saga (1990)

Other works
Homecoming Saga	The Memory of Earth (1992) The Call of Earth (1992) The Ships of Earth (1994) Earthfall (1995) Earthborn (1995)
Women of Genesis	Sarah (2000) Rebekah (2001) Rachel and Leah (2004) The Wives of Israel (TBA)
Mithermages series	Sandmagic (1979) Stonefather (2008) The Lost Gate (2011) The Gate Thief (2013) Gatefather (2015)
Mayflower series	Lovelock (1994) Rasputin (TBA)
The Empire duet	Empire (2006) Hidden Empire (2009)
The Pathfinder series	Pathfinder (2010) Ruins (2012) Visitors (2014)
Standalone novels	A Planet Called Treason (1979) Songmaster (1980) Hart's Hope (1983) Saints (1984) Wyrms (1987) Treason (1988) The Abyss (1989) Lost Boys (1992) Pastwatch: The Redemption of Christopher Columbus (1996) Treasure Box (1996) Stone Tables (1997) Homebody (1998) Enchantment (1999) Magic Street (2005) Invasive Procedures (2007) Bully and the Beast (TBA)
Story collections	Unaccompanied Sonata and Other Stories (1980) Cardography (1987) The Folk of the Fringe (1989) Maps in a Mirror (1990) Keeper of Dreams (2008)
Other works	Listen, Mom and Dad (1977) Ainge (1981) Saintspeak (1981) Eye for Eye (1987) Loom (1990) The Secret of Monkey Island (1990) The Dig (1995) NeoHunter (1996) Magic Mirror (1999) Robota (2003) An Open Book (2004) Ultimate Iron Man (2005) Advent Rising (2005) InterGalactic Medicine Show (2005) Hamlet's Father (2011) Firefall (2014)