Stuart Beattie Shows Up ‘Tomorrow, When the War Began’

Posted by Robert Fure (robert@filmschoolrejects.com) on June 16, 2009

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Stuart Beattie, best known for having his name on the Pirates of the Caribbean posters and soon to be known as the guy who wrote that awful G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra script has set his sights on the popular Australian youth-novel series that begins with Tomorrow, When the War Began. The series, referred to as “The Tomorrow Series” by fans, apparently doesn’t care about proper grammatical tenses and takes place in an Australia that has been besieged by foreign invaders. A young group of teens, lead by the female lead Ellie Linton, become guerrilla fighters and begin an insurgency. Sounds like an Australian Red Dawn! How awesome is that! I am really excited for this property to hit the big screen it will be awesome unless Beattie is an idiot! Oh… Wait. Check this.

“I don’t want to make ‘Red Dawn,’ ” said Beattie, though he admits to liking the movie that MGM is in the process of remaking. “Do you remember when ‘The Full Monty’ and ‘Striptease’ were coming out together? They came out within months as the exact same premise — the parent strips for money so they can see their kid. But completely different. One was all flash and rockin’ body, and the other was completely the opposite, of total insecurity about getting up onstage. We’re more like the ‘Full Monty’ version.”

Damn it, Stuart Beattie! Damn it! Instead of an awesome epic Australian war film we get the tame, character coming of age story of a war film. Well that could be premature. Maybe this will be awesome. The premise is awesome, that’s for sure. Anywho, the series spans seven novels and the plan right now is to make three of them into movies and then finish the story with a TV series. The books, currently unavailable in the US, will see a Scholastic printing closer to the release date of the film. Beattie adapted the screenplay and will make his directorial debut.

What do you want – explosions or character studies?

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Daz

Books were pretty good. Although I read them when I was about 14, 15 so dont hold me to that. The books do focus more on the characters growing up and developing as the war goes on, than the blowing shit up aspect of things though. The movies could be great as theres potential for some epic scenes. But they could also suck big time.

Chloe Hughes

I first read tomorrow when the war began when i was 14 or 15 for school and i couldn't put it down so i then read the second then third, fourth, fifth, sixth and finally seventh book. I'm now 28 and have read the whole series countless times. I've always thought they would make a great films and finally it's happening!!

Digit23

Read the books, very, very boring, not wonder teenagers like it. I personally hope it never sees the light of day as a film, they should direct their energies onto directing something that is worthwhile.

Sarah

I wonder if you have actually read the books? I also agree that a Australian war film (Australian 'Red Dawn') would be awesome but I don't think we have the budget to do it justice. The books focus more on the character development than the war. The emphasis is on how the war changes the different characters and that is what makes the books great. If the movie can capture that then it will be awesome. Of course a few well directed action scenes wouldn't hurt!

Rebecca

Come on guys!!!!!!!!!
The movie will be great . I have read the books and they will make a great movie.But it will be easy to stuff it up and make it perthetic.I hope that dose not happen because i have seen too many good books become bad movies. I hope it dose not happen with this one.

Stuart Beattie Shows Up ‘Tomorrow, When the War Began’

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