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You know what I really want?

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Mirikon

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« on: <03-23-21/2319:55> »
You know what I really want? I want a Shadowrun movie. An actual, licensed, Shadowrun movie. Can you imagine seeing the Secrets of Power trilogy on the silver screen? Or the Renraku Arcology shutdown? Bug City? Don't you dare tell me you wouldn't LOVE to see Burning Bright as a movie!
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Tecumseh

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« Reply #1 on: <03-24-21/1453:22> »
I haven't read Burning Bright so I'm going to submit a plea of nolo contendere there.

That said, if there were a Shadowrun movie I wouldn't want Renraku Shutdown or Bug City. Those are horror stories and I wouldn't want that to be a general audience's first introduction to the setting.

I suppose it comes down to what you feel the quintessential Shadowrun experience is, or the one that you would use to sell an outsider to the setting, but for me it's a heist. Get hired, talk to your contacts, do some legwork, make a plan, have the plan go sideways, navigate some twists along the way, then resolution. Even though they're not cyberpunk, Ronin and Sneakers are the examples I use the most when it comes to films that mirror a typical shadowrun.

I wouldn't want a over-convoluted or insular plot because you're trying to introduce a lot of world-building concepts to an audience that probably hasn't seen them combined like this before: magic, the Matrix, metahumans, megacorporations, etc. In that regard I suppose a mini-series (or a not-so-mini series) would be an even better fit. Trying to shoehorn 30+ years of setting into a 2-hour movie is probably not a surefire recipe for success. You have to pick and choose your elements without overloading your script.

As a powerfan, I would love almost any novel to make it to the screen (big or little), especially the Dirk Montgomery series, but a wiser approach might be to plant the seeds with some stories that have broad appeal before the sequels dive deeper into all of the nooks and crannies and splatbooks that we've created over the decades.

Edit: Welcome back, Mirikon. It's been a year since you were last around.

Sphinx

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« Reply #2 on: <03-24-21/1620:17> »
I'd go with Preying for Keeps as my first choice for a Shadowrun movie, if we have to choose from existing novels.

Reaver

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« Reply #3 on: <03-24-21/1647:05> »
I haven't read Burning Bright so I'm going to submit a plea of nolo contendere there.

That said, if there were a Shadowrun movie I wouldn't want Renraku Shutdown or Bug City. Those are horror stories and I wouldn't want that to be a general audience's first introduction to the setting.

I suppose it comes down to what you feel the quintessential Shadowrun experience is, or the one that you would use to sell an outsider to the setting, but for me it's a heist. Get hired, talk to your contacts, do some legwork, make a plan, have the plan go sideways, navigate some twists along the way, then resolution. Even though they're not cyberpunk, Ronin and Sneakers are the examples I use the most when it comes to films that mirror a typical shadowrun.

I wouldn't want a over-convoluted or insular plot because you're trying to introduce a lot of world-building concepts to an audience that probably hasn't seen them combined like this before: magic, the Matrix, metahumans, megacorporations, etc. In that regard I suppose a mini-series (or a not-so-mini series) would be an even better fit. Trying to shoehorn 30+ years of setting into a 2-hour movie is probably not a surefire recipe for success. You have to pick and choose your elements without overloading your script.

As a powerfan, I would love almost any novel to make it to the screen (big or little), especially the Dirk Montgomery series, but a wiser approach might be to plant the seeds with some stories that have broad appeal before the sequels dive deeper into all of the nooks and crannies and splatbooks that we've created over the decades.

Edit: Welcome back, Mirikon. It's been a year since you were last around.

Burning Bright is the lead in to Bug City...
It explains just what and how Bug City happened. (And a good read)
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Stainless Steel Devil Rat

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« Reply #4 on: <03-24-21/2310:53> »
RPG mechanics exist to give structure and consistency to the game world, true, but at the end of the day, you’re fighting dragons with algebra and random number generators.

Hobbes

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« Reply #5 on: <03-25-21/1202:36> »
You don't want a movie.  You want a series on (HBO, Netflix or whatever) that runs for a few seasons with spin-offs and such.  Live action or animated, or, some of each.

A 2 hour movie would be a single heist.  A 4 season run would be dozens.  Write your pitch.  Take it to the guys who did Bright for Netflix.  Best of luck!!   

CanRay

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« Reply #6 on: <03-25-21/1414:01> »
Leverage:  Sixth World.

Tell me that wouldn't be five kinds of awesome!!!
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Reaver

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« Reply #7 on: <03-25-21/1419:55> »
You don't want a movie.  You want a series on (HBO, Netflix or whatever) that runs for a few seasons with spin-offs and such.  Live action or animated, or, some of each.

A 2 hour movie would be a single heist.  A 4 season run would be dozens.  Write your pitch.  Take it to the guys who did Bright for Netflix.  Best of luck!!   


You are forgetting the Rights holder.... they have first say to anything. And that is not CGL.

If i had to guess, i would say Bright was someone's attempt to bring SR to the screen, and avoid copyright and license agreements. (Too many similiarites, but different enough to avoid lawsuits)...
Where am I going? And why am I in a hand basket ???

Remember: You can't fix Stupid. But you can beat on it with a 2x4 until it smartens up! Or dies.

cantrip

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« Reply #8 on: <04-08-21/1800:23> »
It would be very cool to have a SR movie, but I think a tv/streaming series would be best for laying the groundwork.  8)
I would even dig animated.... ;)