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Friday, July 19, 2013

SDCC '13: "Ender's Game" & The Elephant In The Room

Lionsgate and Summit Entertainment had their panel for Gavin Hood's sci-fi epic "Ender's Game" at Comic-Con


Based upon author Orson Scott Card's book the tale follows Andrew 'Ender' Wiggin, (Hugo Cabret star Asa Butterfield) a bullied young boy who turns out to be a master military strategist.
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The film has engendered controversy because of Card's anti-gay views over the years, prompting boycott talk even as the studio had began distancing the film from them (Card penned a response to his critics)

Naturally the controversy came up--Producer Roberto Orci responded with this:

"Our first reaction was you never want to invite controversy but we decided to use the attention that’s on this no matter how it got here to completely and unequivocally support Lionsgate’s statement in support of LGBT rights and human rights. A lot of people worked on this movie. I would hate to see the efforts of all the people who made this movie thwarted for the less than 1% of the people behind the movie, particularly because the message of the book and the movie is tolerance, compassion and empathy."

Co-star Harrison Ford who plays Colonel Hyrum Graff, the commander of training at elite boys' military academy added: "I think we all know that we've won. That humanity has won and that's the end of the story."

Orci and Hood introduced the first footage peek from the movie which went over very well with the audience.  Most of the rest of the Q&A was taken up with questions to Ford.

Abigail Breslin will play the older sister of Wiggin "True Grit" actress Hailee Steinfeld is set to play the lone female in the child army who develops a relationship with Wiggin. Ben Kingsley is gonna play a legendary war hero presumed to be long dead. Canadian actor Brendan Meyer will play Stilson, Ender’s classmate who taunted him during ground school. Oscar-nominated "The Help" actress Viola Davis will play a military psychologist who oversees the emotional welfare of young trainees. She also helps design the games that test their skills and resilience. Nonso Anozie will play Sergeant Dap while Stevie Ray Dallimore and Andrea Powell will play Ender's parents.

Hood wrote the adapted script and will helm.

Orci Alex Kurtzman Lynn Hendee Gigi Pritzker and Linda McDonough are producing the pic

The film hits theaters on November 1, 2013

Meantime-Ford told Hitfix in a post-panel interview he'd be up to doing Indiana Jones 5 "if they "came up with a good script".

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