# Timeline (2003)



## Dave (Feb 28, 2002)

*Timeline (film)*

"Timeline" is a new film based on the novel by Michael Crichton ("Jurassic Park", "Terminal Man", "Rising Sun", "Congo", "The Andromeda Strain", "Sphere", "Disclosure").

As I was reading the 'Timeline' book , a few years back, his vivid description if the working â€˜Time Machineâ€™, made me think it was written with a film in mind. It combines all the ingredients that make his books compulsive reading.

It appears I was correct. Richard Donner will direct the film from George Molfi's script, with production slated to start in April.

An old man wearing a brown robe is found wandering disorientated in the Arizona desert. He is miles from any human habitation and has no memory of how he got to be there, or who he is. The only clue to his identity is the plan of a medieval monastery in his pocket. A monastery where an archaeological dig has not yet excavated so much detail. 

The mystery deepens when the puzzle is linked to an International Technology Corporation which spends vast amounts on â€˜historical researchâ€™ projects, and it will catapult a group of young scientists from Yale back to France in the Middle Ages, and into the heart of the Hundred yearsâ€™ war, to rescue their History Professor. I saw Patrick Stewart as the Professor, but it isn't going to be him.

Frances O'Connor, who played the mother in A.I. Artificial Intelligence, has landed the female lead role, Variety has reported. O'Connor would portray one of archaeology grad students who travel back in time with her colleagues to 14th-century France. 

O'Connor joins Paul Walker and Gerard Butler (Dracula 2000) in the movie.


----------



## Dave (Mar 1, 2002)

Timeline location scouting is completed, filming is not now expected to start in March. Filming will start in Montreal in April 2002, and the movie has an $80 million budget, according to IMDB: http://us.imdb.com/Title?0300556

And according to this site: http://disc.server.com/Indices/22893.html

The release will be around May 2003, or maybe Christmas 2003, Andre Marek (Gerard Butler) will likely be an iconic role, and Deckard will be a real "Hannibal Lecter" type character, Paul Walker will play the Chris Hughes character. Filming starts at the end of April 2002 with the big fight scene on May 28th. 

Anyone have anything else to share?


----------



## Dave (Mar 5, 2002)

'Dark Horizons' reports that lovable nice guy Ethan Embry ("Can't Hardly Wait") is in talks to join Gerard Butler and Paul Walker on the adaptation of the Michael Crichton flick.


----------



## Dave (Mar 12, 2002)

Variety reports that Neal McDonough has joined the cast of the Michael Crichton tale turned film. McDonough next appears opposite Tom Cruise and Colin Farrell as a member of an elite police squad in Steven Spielberg's upcoming SF thriller Minority Report, based on a Philip K. Dick short story. McDonough also appeared in Star Trek: First Contact and in a recent episode of The X-Files

According to The Hollywood Reporter, McDonough will play John Gordon, a retired Army general who travels back in time to 14th-century France with a group of archaeology students trying to rescue their professor.

Looks like the whole cast is assembled now.


----------



## markpud (Apr 3, 2002)

i'm enjoying the book ,if I ever finish it 

Looking forward to the film as well!


----------



## Dave (Apr 17, 2002)

This is something the I will certainly see. 

One more cast member to report: NZ actor Martin Csokas ("XXX") has been cast as the villain according to Variety.


----------



## Dave (Apr 24, 2002)

Frances O'Connor revealed a glimpse of things to come when she took a few minutes to discuss Timeline, the SF adventure movie she's currently shooting in Montreal with Paul Walker, Gerard Butler and director Richard Donner. "It's [based] on the Michael Crichton novel, and it's about a group of archaeologists on a dig, who discover evidence that one of their colleagues is trapped back in time," O'Connor said in an interview. "I won't say how they do it, but the group travels back in time to the medieval era. It's kind of about how we romanticize that period and [how] the reality of it is quite different."

O'Connor added, "We're about two weeks into the shoot. Richard Donner is like a kid. He wants to have a good time when he works. That doesn't mean we don't get the work done, but it's about everybody having a good time. He's very self-deprecating, and you don't feel like you're working with a big Hollywood director."


----------



## Dave (May 15, 2002)

*Anna Friel Travels The Timeline. * 

Anna Friel, who portrays a 14th-century lady in the upcoming SF movie Timeline, told SCI FI Wire that she enjoyed learning about the real Middle Ages as research for the movie. "I've got my hotel room filled with books, because I love history," Friel said in an interview. "One of my favorite parts of working is doing all the research, just finding out facts of why they used to wear big platforms on their shoes in order to avoid all the dirt and scum on the road, stuff like that."

Director Richard Donner and Michael Crichton, author of the time-travel novel on which the film is based, promise a realistic look at the time period, without all the glamorous movie trappings sometimes associated with medieval drama. Friel added, "We're not allowed to use the word 'time machine' in it, because then it becomes one of those time movies. [Donner] is making it very realistic. There's lots of gore, and it's a real representation of the time."

As for how the gore and research affect her performance, Friel could not say, since she only recently began work. "To be honest, I've only done two days' shooting, and I don't really want to go into too much detail," she said. "It's going great. I'm really enjoying it. It's the biggest set I've ever been on, the $80 million-budget thing. Lots of jumping into the waterfalls and sword fighting and horse riding. It's great."


----------



## Dave (Jul 13, 2002)

*Donner Talks Timeline* 

Richard Donner, director of the upcoming time-travel movie Timeline, told the Toronto Sun that he's aiming to use real sets to depict 14th-century France, as opposed to computer imagery. "You swear it's real," Donner told the newspaper about the Montreal-area sets created by production designer Daniel Dorrance and his team. "These guys are fabulous. They are geniuses. You're so limited with the CGI. I've never done it, and I don't want to do it."

The Sun reported from one set, which included a medieval village and its ancient manor house at a farm outside the city. In the film, based on Michael Crichton's book of the same name, a group of 21st-century archaeology students journeys back in time to rescue a professor and finds itself in the midst of the Hundred Years War. Donner said he's making more than just an action film.

"This is not an action movie, per se," Donner said. He prefers "mystery and suspense thriller." "There are moments of action, but they come out of real, honest situations. If it was just an action film, I wouldn't want to do it," he said. Timeline is aiming for release in 2003.


----------



## Tabitha (Jul 14, 2002)

Lonely in here Dave?

I have been hearing bits and pieces about this movie - I wonder should I pick up the book first?  WHat do you think?


----------



## Dave (Jul 14, 2002)

I would read the book. If you liked Jurassic Park, and thought that the book was better than the film, then you will love Timeline too.

It's good  that they are researching the historical period carefully for the film, and trying to get the sets just right, but ultimately there are some problems, because it is time travel, which they will never resolve:

These are a bunch of archeological students who go back in time to rescue their professor. They are archaeology post-grads researching this historical period, but does that qualify them to ride horses, dress, eat and act the same way as the locals? They are not language students, yet must speak Old French, or whatever the local lingo is, without any trace of an accent. If they could not do this they would stand out a mile, and the story would fall apart, because they would be executed immediately if it was thought they were foreigners. Without spoiling it:



Spoiler



The same applies to the villain of the story



These things would apply to any time travel story though.


----------



## Tabitha (Jul 14, 2002)

I guess there will almost always be those kind of inconsistencies with time travel back to our past, but it sounds very interesting, I have a stack of books I am trying to get through quickly, but I might pick Timeline up.  I guess I have a fairly long wait before the movie actually hits screens, so no excuse to get it read before then


----------



## Dave (Jan 21, 2003)

Two pictures from the film are here: http://www.empiremovies.com/gallery/timeline_01.shtml

They aren't particularly inspiring.


----------



## markpud (Feb 5, 2003)

Anna Friel's in it? She went to my school.....


----------



## Dave (Mar 2, 2003)

It does feel a little lonely in here. I can't believe only Markpud and I wil see this. Anna Friel is Lady Claire.

http://uk.imdb.com/Title?0300556

I read some chat that the film will bomb because it doesn't have big Hollywood actors, but neither did 'Jurassic Park'.



> _from SciFi Wire_
> 
> *Craven Sets Up Timeline *
> 
> ...



When I read the description of the lab in the book, I thought "this is going to make a great film." When they go back in time to France, it is screamed out "Make a film of me!" 

IMHO Michael Crichton must write his books with films in mind anyway, they all have been subsequently filmed. But, I heard that when the novel 'Timeline' was released, it was expected (from the title) to be a 'Jurassic Park' sequel, and that he actually found it hard to get it filmed.

It has taken a long time to get it to the screen, and it probably isn't going to appeal to everyone. It's more historical drama than scifi, just as his other books are more action/adventure, medical  and political thrillers than scifi. They all have scifi ideas, but those aren't important to the main story. It is however, exactly what I like. I love the concept of time-travel to the past, and the paradoxes and problems that might arise, and the mixing of low-tech and hi-tech.


----------



## markpud (Mar 3, 2003)

You know, I've still not finished the book, and I've not even picked it up for a long long time. I may have to take it on holiday with me and get it read on the plane 

I think you may be right about this not appealing to everyone, but it depends how well made it is, the quality of the acting etc (I guess that's obvious!). If it done really well then it should be an excellent film, but there is also a big chance of it being extremely pants!


----------



## Krystal (May 26, 2003)

I finish reading the book and I'm glad to hear there is a movie about it.  But also I'm glad to read the book first.  Is there a  more specific time for when it will be release? 

Krystal


----------



## Tabitha (Sep 6, 2003)

I wish this film would come out already!

I read the book - scratch that, I _listened_ to the audiobook a few months ago and really enjoyed it, looking over the cast list I think this could be a really great film.  Can't wait to see how they do the special effect of the time machines.


----------



## Dave (Sep 6, 2003)

Is there any date for it? 2003 is almost over! I read 'Prey' during the Summer, I expect that a movie of that will be made next.


----------



## Tabitha (Sep 7, 2003)

I think I read it should be out in the UK in October or November.  Empire gives it a brief mention in their new issue.


----------



## markpud (Oct 10, 2003)

I should check in here to say that I finished the book a while back, and I've seen a trailer for Timeline, it looks pretty good. (http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0300556/trailers if you've not seen it).

However some of the talk on the IMDB message boards isn't too glowing... 

Potential Spoilers, comparing the film to the book, nicked from IMDB post: 



Spoiler



I've heard no Joust or tourney 
no green night 
it doesn't look like they have individual machines 
it's 6 hrs instead of 37 
no earpieces 
no marker, some kinda of flimsy necklace 
Johnson is chris' dad!!



Has it been released in the US yet? Anyone seen it?


----------



## Krystal (Oct 12, 2003)

What! 



Spoiler



No Torney!



That is one of the best part in the book and definitely in the story.   

I haven't see nothing about it, anyone knows is there are new information.  Or did I already miss it? 

Krystal


----------



## markpud (Oct 12, 2003)

> _Originally posted by Krystal _
> *What!
> 
> 
> ...



Re the spoiler, I agree!

THe movie has been released in the US, not yet in the UK as far as I've noticed, but shouldn't be far off....


----------



## Krystal (Oct 13, 2003)

Well, in that case I already miss it. Not a surprise I always late. Well, I will search for it to see it and let you know.  

Krystal


----------



## Dave (Nov 30, 2003)

They are now advertising 'Timeline' on the radio, so it looks like it is finally coming to the screen in the UK at Christmas. It has been a very long time in the making.

I've read a lot of negative comments from US film go-ers about what has been cut from the book, so I'm not as keen to go now as I was. I was very disappointed with the film 'Jurassic Park'. I thought that the book was far better, and this looks like it will be the same. It's a real shame.


----------



## markpud (Dec 4, 2003)

Thanks for the heads-up Dave, I will def try and catch it while it's on.. And hopefully it will approach the quality of the book! The trailers look good from an action POV, it's how the rest of the story fits in that counts though...


----------



## KatDonovan (Feb 16, 2004)

I went to see this movie with Bee and we both loved it.  If you look at it strictly from the context of the book, then you'll be dissapointed, but if you just let it stand on it's own then it's really good.

Kat


----------



## Dave (May 12, 2004)

Well I missed the cinema screening at Christmas, it must have only been on for a week, so I just rented the DVD.

I agree with KatDonovan's comments about the film. If you put the book aside it is a very good action/adventure film. Obviously, when making a film of a book something must be left out, but there was little of the science fiction left.

Some things worked better in the film:

1) I had a much better sense of the geography of the area -- the relative positions of the village, castle, monastry and river.

2) The language problem -- the French spoke French with English subtitles and they got away with the strange English accents by saying (truthfully) that they were Scottish. 

I still thought that Billy Conolly was a strange choice for the Professor, and his acting wasn't always convincing.

Anyway, this obviously didn't make much money at the box office, but I would say that it is a much better film than that would indicate.

Does anyone know whether 'Prey' is going to be filmed?


----------



## ray gower (Jun 14, 2004)

In fairness Billy Connolly's performance was just right- Confused.

Otherwise I would agree, he is not and never will be an actor


----------



## dwndrgn (Jul 6, 2004)

*Timeline*

Has anyone seen this?  It is about a modern-day archeologist that gets stuck in France in 1357 and a group of his crew and his son go and try to get him out.  With some really horrible acting, a really good story, and a bit of good acting, it wasn't too bad.  It is a shame that the actors who played the son and his 'lady-love' did a pitiful job.  I think the girl was the worst.  It was such a good story, and very well shot (with one glaring exception where the director must have been taking a nap...) so it could have been a great movie.


----------



## Jayaprakash Satyamurthy (Jul 6, 2004)

*Re: Timeline*

It was a Michael Crichton novel, so I am not surprised that the acting wasn't great - Crichton never pays much attention to characters anyway, if you ask me. The story was pretty exciting though, and also referenced the legend of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight - was that included in the movie too?


----------



## Brian G Turner (Jul 6, 2004)

*Re: Timeline*

I normally like anything that touches on the mediaeval - but this seemed too close to being a big cheeseburger that I was rather put off from watching it. Too influenced and should make my own mind up?


----------



## dwndrgn (Jul 6, 2004)

*Re: Timeline*

No mention of Sir Gawain (that I noticed) but I did wish they went into more detail about the actual battle - what, where, and when were just the basics they covered, they didn't get too much into the how.  I'll have to see if I can get a copy of the book as it sounds like it might be something I'd like.  Probably quite a few surprises too since I usually read the book before seeing the movie.


----------



## Sirathiel (Jul 6, 2004)

*Re: Timeline*

I own the book by Michael Crichton. It's been on my shelves for a while now... I have even read half of it...

While I enjoyed the Jurassic Park books immensely, this one just didn't do it for me. I don't know why though. It had everything I love about a book: medieval times, time travel, etc. If I remember correctly, I didn't manage to get over one lengthy passage... and the book wasn't even very thick (for my standards...)

Maybe I'll give it another try this summer. Even if just to find out why I didn't get hooked on it. 

Well, that's why I didn't go into the film. And what I thought about the book...


----------



## mzarynn (Jul 6, 2004)

*Re: Timeline*

I also have Timeline on my shelf.  I've read it twice and absolutely love the book.  It could possibly be my favorite.  I wouldn't mind reading it again at this very moment.  The movie was very disappointing for me.  I agree with dwndrgn that the main actress was not good.  What really blew it for me was when Lady Claire, a women from 1357, used modern slang to tease another character.  I would definitely recommend reading the book, but don't bother with the movie.


----------



## benbert (Jul 6, 2004)

*Re: Timeline*

I have also read the book and thought it was very good. My friend watched the film and has told me about it and from what he said there are a lot of differences between the two and many bit's appeared left out. Although it is very hard to judge as i haven't seen it i guess when it comes on tv here i may watch it or if someone in my family decides to rent it.


----------



## Ivo (Jul 7, 2004)

*Re: Timeline*

The book is OK for Crichton but the movie is lame.


----------



## Devillishgirl (Jul 12, 2004)

*Re: Timeline*

I loved Gerard Butler but was pretty disappointed in the movie.  Certainly wouldn't watch it again


----------



## Krystal (Oct 2, 2004)

I love the movie, it definitely was great. But after read the book so many things I visualize differently. But it definitely maintain some level of the story I love in the book. As my sister in law tell me they have time limit with the movie.  I was a little dissapointed with the scene in the roof, because in the book was so exciting especially the part when she have to do it crossing over the banquet and all the people down there.  

But it was very entertaining and as I say I think it maintains the feeling of the story.

Krystal


----------

