Film
In the early 2000s, actor Morgan Freeman expressed his desire to produce a film based on Rendezvous with Rama. The film has been stuck in “development hell” for many years. In 2003, after initial problems procuring funding, it appeared the project would go into production.[12] The film was to be produced by Freeman’s production company, Revelations Entertainment. David Fincher, touted on Revelations’ Rama web page as far back as 2001,[13] stated in a late 2007 interview that he was still attached to helm.[14]
By late 2008, David Fincher stated the movie was unlikely to be made. “It looks like it’s not going to happen. There’s no script and as you know, Morgan Freeman’s not in the best of health right now. We’ve been trying to do it but it’s probably not going to happen.”[15]
In 2010, Freeman stated in an interview that he was still planning to make the project but that it has been difficult to find the right script. He also stated that it should be made in 3D.[16] In January 2011, Fincher stated in an interview with MTV that he was still planning to make the film after he had completed work on his planned remake of Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas (which was scheduled to begin production in 2012 but has since been scrapped[17]). He also reiterated Freeman’s concerns about the difficulty of finding the right script.[18]
In an interview with Neil deGrasse Tyson in February 2012, Freeman indicated an interest in playing the role of Commander Norton for the film, stating that “my fantasy of commanding a starship is commanding Endeavour”. Tyson then asked, “So is this a pitch to be … that person if they ever make that movie?” to which Freeman reaffirmed, “We are going to make that movie.” In response to a plea to “make that come out sooner rather than later”, Freeman reiterated that difficulty in authoring a high quality script is the primary barrier for the film, stating “… the only task you have that’s really really hard in making movies, harder than getting money, is getting a script … a good script”.[19]
In December 2021, it was announced that the film was in development at Alcon Entertainment with Denis Villeneuve set to direct. Morgan Freeman and Lori McCreary are on the production team because their Revelations Entertainment previously owned the rights.[20] Alcon co-CEOs Broderick Johnson and Andrew Kosove will produce.[21] As of February 2024, Villeneuve was in the process of writing the script.[22]
I read it years ago and liked it. It borrows themes from Lovecraft, especially his At the Mountains of Madness.