If CS Lewis's Cosmic Trilogy was ever made into films

[dms1972]

Just a fun thread;

If you were directing or producing these films, who would you cast in the main parts?

I think Perelandra probably would be a tough one to make into a film, but might be possible as an animation. But the other two could probably work as films.

The main characters (in no particular order) in the Trilogy are:

Elwin Ransom (the hero in all the stories and a kind of Fisher-King figure in the last part)

Weston (materialist scientist who later turns to the New Age, and finally is possessed by the Devil)

Dick Devine (Lord Feverstone) (Weston's materialistic and opportunistic buddy)

John Wither (The bureaucratic head of the NICE - National Institute of Co-ordinated Experiments)

Augustus Frost (scientific head of NICE (along with Wither and Straik forms the innermost circle at Belbury) - perhaps based on Sigmund Freud?)

Jules (official head of the NICE - based on HG Wells)

Rev. Straik (A former parson who has cast his lot in with the scientific planners at NICE)

MacPhee (Friend of Ransom. Ulsterman and old-school skeptic)

Cecil Dimble (Professor with a keen interest in discovering the truth behind the King Arthur Legend)

Margaret 'Mother' Dimble (wife of Cecil)

Mark Studdock (Ambitious new recruit to the Progressive Element and wannabe initiate to Belbury's inner circle)

Jane Studdock (Mark's wife, friend of the Dimbles, very (1950s) modern)

'Fairy' Hardcastle - (Head of Institutional Police at NICE, smokes a cheroot and given to using it when interrogating suspects)

I think that's all the major characters.

I have a few ideas for some of them unfortunately some of the actors/actresses I had in mind are now too old, or have passed away

For Dick Devine I thought of Leslie Phillips, or maybe Terry Thomas

For Fairy Hardcastle, Diana Dors keeps coming to mind!

For Mark Studdock, perhaps Clive Owen

And for Ransom, maybe an old Orson Wells

What do you think , who would you cast?

 

[dms1972]

Here's a few ideas I found online.

If I Were Casting That Hideous Strength

 

[Pádraigín Ní Saorlaith]

Glad I'm not the only one who's thought about this!
I've always imagined Devine as looking a lot like Benedict Cumberbatch, honestly. I have no idea who should play Ransom or Weston, though. Every actor who comes close to how they look in my mind never quite looks right.

 

[dms1972]

Glad I'm not the only one who's thought about this!
I've always imagined Devine as looking a lot like Benedict Cumberbatch, honestly. I have no idea who should play Ransom or Weston, though. Every actor who comes close to how they look in my mind never quite looks right.

Hadn't thought of Cumberbatch, so thanks for mentioning, i haven't seen much of his films, is there a role you have seen him which is a bit like Devine?

What about Jane, any thoughts there?

 

[Pádraigín Ní Saorlaith]

Hadn't thought of Cumberbatch, so thanks for mentioning, i haven't seen much of his films, is there a role you have seen him which is a bit like Devine?

What about Jane, any thoughts there?

Cumberbatch's portrayal of Khan in Star Trek Into Darkness made me think of Devine, particularly the line where Devine says to Weston, "You're not losing your nerve, are you?" Khan and Devine are very different characters in some ways, but that line shows just how calculating and cruel this fairly charismatic guy can be. Also, Cumberbatch is a pretty versatile actor (although a lot of his roles post-Sherlock tend to fit in the same archetype, which is a crying shame).

As for Jane... I haven't finished That Hideous Strength yet, but maybe Felicity Jones? I always imagined Jane as having mid-to-dark brown hair.

 

[dms1972]

I'll not spoil it for you except to say the second half is much better than the first.

Like you I cannot find someone I feel fits any of the roles perfectly. Terry Thomas was a comedy actor, but in many roles an archetypally English upper crust bounder, so I think Devine has a hint of that about him. Really cannot think of anyone else like Terry Thomas alive today. Cumberbach would probably pass in the role, I'd need to see him laughing as that's a big part of Devine's character, his contemptuous guffaw.

 

[dms1972]

As for Jane... I haven't finished That Hideous Strength yet, but maybe Felicity Jones? I always imagined Jane as having mid-to-dark brown hair.

Yeah I hadn't recognised the name at first, but I recognise now who you are refering to. I think I have only seen her in her role as Vesper Lynd in Casino Royale, though she has also done period drama - but yes I think she could pass quite well in the the role of Jane Studdock. Did you ever finished reading it - its a slow burn for the first half I thought.

 

[LizaMarie]

I've always wished someone would make the C.S. Lewis space trilogy into a movie. Of course maybe Mars and Venus in " Out of the silent Planet" and "Perelandra" would have to be changed to a different solar system as we now know these planets are probably uninhabitable? Or maybe a movie could just be made of "That hideous Strength?" I think C.S. Lewis' stepson who inherited his estate would have to approve the project?

 

[hedrick]

There is actually an opera version of Perelandra. My college performed it in e 1970s.

 

[Ceallaigh]

It's been so long since I read those I couldn't say.

 

[dms1972]

I've always wished someone would make the C.S. Lewis space trilogy into a movie. Of course maybe Mars and Venus in " Out of the silent Planet" and "Perelandra" would have to changed to a different solar system as we now know these planets are probably uninhabitable? Or maybe a movie could just be made of "That hideous Strength?" I think C.S. Lewis' stepson who inherited his estate would have to approve the project?

Maybe something based on or inspired by the Cosmic Trilogy?

Some of the science fiction ideas in it, even at the time, were not that original, but Lewis was never terribly bothered about seeking to be original. For him "originality" wasn't a first thing but a second thing, the first thing was to present a vision of truth, it didn't really matter how original it was, to set out to be original would destroy the vision, so he didn't feel any shame in borrowing from other science fiction he had read, even while he worked some of these motifs into his vision of truth which was heavily influenced by his classicism and medievalism. There are christian themes in the trilogy, but it also has universal themes just as in Lewis's intellectual counterpart to the novel The Abolition of Man where Lewis draws on many traditions to demonstrate the Tao.

It's not all that clear what if any religious beliefs some of the characters have are of each of the company at St. Anne's. Ransom is a christian, and Cecil Dimble and "Mother" Dimble also seem to be, but not sure about the others eg. the Denniston couple, and Grace Ironwood?


Some distinctions of note:

There is a difference in That Hideous Strength between Pagan and Gnostic. Some commentators have characterised the whole Belbury organisation as involved with scientism, rather than science, and clarified that Lewis was not against science in his trilogy. Prof. Filostrato expresses gnostic ideas when he talks to Mark, amongst his crazy notions he would like to get rid of real trees and replace them with metal trees.

However Filostrato is not interested in the "macrobes" (dark eldila) - and its only Wither and Frost who seem to have formulated this understanding of "macrobes" (not to be confused with microbes) for dark supra-natural intelligences. Filostrato is not a full initiate it would seem. I am not sure how the character of Rev. Straik looks upon the "macrobes", but he has cast his lot in with the new planners, and espouses a sort of power ideology even though he cloaks it in christian terms and speaks of "Lord Jesus".

The sci-fi trope of the Bodiless Heads has appeared in science fiction numerous times and appears in That Hideous Strength.

Another interesting notion that is mentioned only briefly is that of "neutrals" - or spiritual beings that are supposed to be neutral towards us. When Merlin suggests that he could "renew old acquaintances" he seems to be suggesting some commerce with spirits of nature, Ransom however tells him "not that way" and that it would be utterly unlawful in the present age to use such means and that his "weapon" would break in his hands.

One minor issue I have with Lewis's Cosmic trilogy is that though its not supposed to provide an angelology as such, it for the purposes of the plot suggests Earth is blockaded from receiving outside heavenly help, and only for Weston and Devine's travelling to Mars and Venus and thus disturbing the guardian Eldila of those worlds the Powers of Heaven would not have come down to Earth until the end of the world. I understand this is a more of a plot device, rather than a theological statement.

I think also as regards That Hideous Strength it doesn't really address the challenges for christians and other older-school scientists working within secular science institutions with colleagues who lean towards scientism, and who cannot rely on Ransom and Merlin coming to their rescue! That said it does illustrate the temptations and perils of the Inner Ring, that he wrote about in his essay of the same title. As a dystopia-averted type of story though its a good read.

While christian themes are present, they are quite enmeshed with Lewis's medievalism and classicism.

 

[dms1972]

There is actually an opera version of Perelandra. My college performed it in e 1970s.

That sounds like it would be interesting, do you have any more info about it Hedrick?

 

[hedrick]

That sounds like it would be interesting, do you have any more info about it Hedrick?

Ask google about Perelandra opera swann. You’ll,see several articles and apparently even a CD of it. From Oxford, unfortunately, not the actual stage production at Haverford.

 

[dms1972]

Ask google about Perelandra opera swann. You’ll,see several articles and apparently even a CD of it. From Oxford, unfortunately, not the actual stage production at Haverford.

Thanks Hedrick. This must have been in the works before Lewis passed away as I read he had some input into it. A musical / dramatic production such as this, seems to me much better suited to Perelandra.

 

[dms1972]

I still think as far as a cinematic production the last two parts of the trilogy might not lend themselves to that as well as the first part Out of the Silent Planet. So much about Perelandra that works in the form of a novel would be very difficult to represent on film - eg. Ransom's inner wrestling with his calling and purpose on Perelandra. But OOTSP was less of a novel of ideas and more action based - there is the initial kidnapping of Ransom, then the journey to Malacandra - and then his escape from Weston and Devine once there, and his introduction to the Hrossa community, his gradual becoming able to perceive the Eldila, then the Hnakra hunt, and the trial of Weston and Devine, and finally the race back to Earth before their space ship "unbodies". Its got so many elements that to me would make it a better option for a film than either of the last two parts of the Trilogy.

 

[hedrick]

Thanks Hedrick. This must have been in the works before Lewis passed away as I read he had some input into it. A musical / dramatic production such as this, seems to me much better suited to Perelandra.

I believe that recording is misleading. It sounded a lot better than than that. Aside from the chorale, this sounds like a recording Swann made with him singing through the whole score. It was a resource for people doing the production. With real singers and and orchestra it sounded very different.

One challenge was costuming the Adam and Eve figures. They were supposed to be naked and innocent. Having the actors naked would not give the right effect for normal audiences. They were actually in flesh colored body stockings. Not sure what you’d do in a movie.u

 

[dms1972]

I found a couple of other links with some more info on Perelandra the Opera, and some sound clips.

C.S. Lewis on the Theological Nature of Science Fiction » Transpositions

Perelandra: The Opera (by Donald Swann) | The Lion's Call (thelionscall.com)

 

[hedrick]

I found a couple of other links with some more info on Perelandra the Opera, and some sound clips.

C.S. Lewis on the Theological Nature of Science Fiction » Transpositions

Perelandra: The Opera (by Donald Swann) | The Lion's Call (thelionscall.com)

Those clips are better, though the middle one has a soprano who seems a bit too Wagnerian for this opera. Unfortunately I lost my copy of the 1969 production when I moved from tape to CDs at home.