(no subject)

[spatch]

Didn't know they were actually working actual legitimate work on a Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy movie, but there you go. That up there is one of the prototype design ideas from the Jim Henson Creature Shop for ol' Marvin. (It should also be noted that no matter what design is finally chosen, it's going to be around three feet tall since Warwick Davis will be in the actual suit.) I dunno; I always considered Marvin to be a tall junkheap of a robot who schleps around. This looks like Marvin crossed with Gir crossed with an Aibo (sup babs).

The page I found this at (Opera really doesn't want to render the text on that page properly) is also reporting that Martin Freeman, of the British sitcom The Office (don't remake it, American networks, you'll only mess it up something fierce) has been cast in the role of Arthur Dent. Interesting. Here he is in a publicity shot for The Office:



Now just imagine him in a bathrobe, I guess.

Comments

[sarcasma.livejournal.com]

Damn. He's perfect.

[dskasak.livejournal.com]

Arthur Dent, yes.

I'm not sure on Marvin, but that's not a horrid prototype. What you're describing already existed in the form of Bender, who would make a PERFECT Marvin.

[shatteredskins.livejournal.com]

My mental image of Martin was always a fairly tall, gangly type of robot who remained semi-slumped at all times. But the chibi-bot up there works too.

[shatteredskins.livejournal.com]

Marvin! Not Martin! ARGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGH.

Sorry. Fruedian slip. Really.

[elynrae.livejournal.com]

Man, I love Tim from the office. Him as Arthur? Even if I didn't like HHGttG, I would so be there. I think he'll be very good as well, she syas, in a completely unbiased way.

And yeah, I always imagined Marvin as being bigger than the humans, getting towards six plus feet tall and quite wide...but that prototype is too cute for me to complain, plus, Warwick Davis.

I have high hopes for this film now...they'd better not disappoint me.

[maga-dogg.livejournal.com]

Freeman is absolutely perfect for Arthur Dent, but the robot is just silly. I always imagined Marvin as an asymmetrical collection of poorly-matching metal blocks with no distinguishable head. Roughly human height.

[aussie-nyc.livejournal.com]

Does Adams describe Marvin in the books?

[spatch]

As far as I can remember, Marvin is never accurately described in the books, so each reader forms their own interpretation of the paranoid android -- and judging from the comments here, the interpretations can really vary.

I remember reading once though that Douglas Adams didn't care too much for the version of Marvin in the television production, so perhaps they're trying to shy away from that.

[aussie-nyc.livejournal.com]

I must say, I can see this little one perusading the big tank to try out the electron ram on the floor.

Marvin

[mcduff.livejournal.com]

Hmm...

He wasn't described too accurately, but there were certain things you knew about him.

From memory.. he had upside down glowing red triangles for eyes, and had a bearing that made it look as if his brushed-steel joints didn't fit quite right, although in fact they fitted perfectly.

I was never incredibly happy with the TV version either, but at the very least, Marvin has to be human-sized or bigger. Anything else just wouldn't be Krikkit!

[pecosy.livejournal.com]

Martin Freeman - swoon. But that prototype looks like an ewok in a stormtrooper costume.

[cheezdanish.livejournal.com]

Actually, I like that Ur-Marvin. See, the Sirius Cybernetics Corporation goes out of their way to make their robots the "plastic pals who're fun to be with." Hence cute. Hence Marvin's screwed up personality. He's supposed to be cute, and fails miserably at it.

[acsumama.livejournal.com]

I imagined Marvin as much lankier -- like the other droid from Star Wars who was sort of like C3PO.