THEY SAY
Movie directed by Peter Jackson (Lord
of the Rings, King Kong)
based on the Temeraire series of fantasy novels by author Naomi
Novik.
The series is set during an alternate history version
of the Napoleonic Wars, in which dragons not only exist but are used as a
staple of aerial warfare in Asia and Europe. The dragons of the story are
portrayed as sentient and intelligent, capable of logical thought and
human speech.
The series centers primarily on events involving
Temeraire (the titular dragon) and his handler, Will Laurence. The first
book of the series centers on how Laurence, formerly a Captain in the
Royal Navy, becomes Temeraire's handler, and their early training in
preparation for battles against Napoleon's aerial fleet.
The training of Temeraire and Laurence is rushed so
that their unit can assist the navy in preventing a French invasion while
the veteran dragon units are sent to assist in the Battle of Trafalgar.
Accordingly, the British win that engagement, although Horatio Nelson
survives, one of the deviations from our history the series takes. Rather
than a tactical blunder, Trafalgar turns out to be a Napoleonic ploy to
leave Britain vulnerable to the world's first aerial assault . . .
Incidentally, to confuse matters the first book in
the series was published as His Majesty's Dragon in the States and
as Temeraire in the UK. Since the book’s publication four sequels -
Throne of Jade (2006), Black Powder War (2006), Empire of
Ivory (2007) and Victory of Eagles (2008) – followed. The
author divulged at a book signing that the fantasy / alternate history
series will consist of nine books in all. - Source:
Wikipedia
WE SAY
Peter Jackson quietly acquired the movie rights to
all the Temeraire books – both published and unpublished – in 2006
and went on to direct . . . The Lovely Bones!
However now that Lovely Bones has wrapped up
and is set for a December 2009 release date, Internet speculation is rife
again that Temeraire is going to be Jackson’s next project as
director. That is, if his work as producer on the Rings “prequel”
The Hobbit isn’t going to keep him too busy. (The
Hobbit by the way is definitely going ahead now that New Line studio
has settled its legal issues with the Tolkien estate over the profits for
the Lord of the Rings movies.)
Time will tell if Jackson will actually get round to
directing Temeraire. But we can easily picture Jackson
directing a three-hour long epic about dragons in the Napoleonic era, a
sort of Eragon meets Master & Commander.
(Or maybe not . . .)
Temeraire (TBA)