Lorne elaborates to Edge on why focus on films

[Wil]

Courtesy of OddBlog:

Quote:

Originally published by OddBlog

Lorne Lanning has elaborated on his motives for shutting down Oddworld Inhabitants’ game development team and moving to Berkeley to concentrate on CGI feature films.

Edge Online has published ‘Why Oddworld’s Lorne Lanning gave up games for movies’, taken from the Christmas 2006 issue of Edge, in which Lorne talks further about the potential of games as a medium for storytelling versus its technological drawbacks, its differences from the Hollywood production model, and the roles that customisation, community, and the transfer of ideas have in entertainment’s success in competing for people’s leisure time.

Speaking briefly on the upcoming film Citizen Siege, Lorne says:

I don’t want to get too much into it, as it would just open up speculation—​it would be kinda like all the speculation when we closed the studio—​‘Lorne Lanning quits games!’ again, y’know? And how people say I’m confused because one day I want to make games, the next day films… I’d love the details to only start emerging when you’re watching the trailer.

There’s no new news of either Citizen Siege or an Oddworld film, but this still makes a good read. Although Lorne has spoken about a lot of these ideas before, especially recently, I’ve never seen him elaborate on the subjects quite so much. There’s also a nice photo of Lorne sitting outside what may or may not be his new eco‐friendly house. Thanks be to Xav for spotting it.

[Zerox]

In a sense, the move to films has destroyed his own hypothesis on sticking with games and not films.
Maybe he planned the film move, since starting up a game would be cheaper, and help start them off before moving to films?

[Wil]

It’s always been Lorne’s dream to develop and direct films. I don’t know if he ever saw game making as just a stepping stone to Hollywood, but he still believes in games and their potential, and he’ still sticking with them, just not exclusively. His goal is to produce them and films in tandem.

[Jordan]

Nice interview! Lorne looks so peaceful and different in that picture, he looks like he's having a great time, I wish I was there...
Is Citizen Siege set on Oddworld, or something totally different?

[Wil]

It’s not Oddworld. It’s set on a near‐future version of Earth.

[Jordan]

It sounds pretty cool... I was hoping for an Oddworld movie, but I bet Lorne wants a break from it once in a while, so I don't blame him.

[Bullet Magnet]

Did you see the comments that got? I can't help but think that we're partly responsible.

Can I have my Job back?
Posted by: Abe at January 31, 2007 9:28 PM

I'd like mine back too.
Posted by: Molluk at January 31, 2007 9:32 PM

[panuru]

Forgive me if I missed something, but did Lorne confirm that the OWI film project that they've disappeared into is a Citizen Siege film when I wasn't looking?

Or; is this all traditional Lorne-talk of what-will-some-day-be?

[Nate]

Yes he did.

[Mistress of Oddworld]

No... more.... games...? *sob* i have learned so much from these games... will the movie do the same? Or will it just be a movie that's good.. but souless... This is the first time i've ever doubted lorne..

[Zerox]

It sounds pretty cool... I was hoping for an Oddworld movie, but I bet Lorne wants a break from it once in a while, so I don't blame him.

They're not making an oddorld movie first, but making one that's more likely to interest the general public, and help give them more of a head start than starting straight with Oddworld movies, which would be more obscur to some and perhaps be a bit too risky as a first movie.

[Wil]

No... more.... games...?

Yes, more games. Just not yet.

*sob* i have learned so much from these games... will the movie do the same? Or will it just be a movie that's good.. but souless... This is the first time i've ever doubted lorne..

Lorne makes very clear, in the middle to end of this interview, that he still believes games and films, and all entertainment, can be rich, fulfilling, and informative. When I met Lorne and Sherry, they weren’t any less devoted to the environment, human rights, civil liberties, and the kind of ‘hi‐tech’ shamanism the Oddworld games were/are.

They're not making an oddorld movie first, but making one that's more likely to interest the general public, and help give them more of a head start than starting straight with Oddworld movies, which would be more obscur to some and perhaps be a bit too risky as a first movie.

Absolutely. Starting with a fresh IP will mean audiences aren’t alienated by Oddworld, and gives Lorne directorial experience that will hopefully make executives feel comfortable enough giving him full creative control of an Oddworld film.

[Bullet Magnet]

When the films do come out, there's no doubt that we're going to have two competing canons.

A least it'll be fuel for GD.

[Al the Vykker]

As long as he keeps his vision and we get to see an Oddworld film one day as well, I won't be complaining.

[Jordan]

Also, if an Oddworld film comes to the cinemas, I'll be able to see who likes Oddworld in Mansfield Woodhouse! ^.^ Knowing me I'll probably walk up to them and start firing rapid questions at them to see if they are real fans. I'm a betch!

[Xavier]

Depends of what's your definition of "real fan".
This interview make me want more, I want to see that CS trailer he is talking about

[skillya_glowi]

Hm. I really don't know what to think about this. Lorne seemed so passionate about games before, certain that they would be the dominant entertainment medium for ages to come. And then....movies.

Movies to me don't seem all bad, although it is disappointing that the entire charisma of being in Oddworld won't be available to us anymore. 'Sides, once in an interview he said he already had all five story layouts. I feel sad that the stories won't be told to us in the form that they were told to us before, or even told at all.
Oddworld isn't just a videogame. It's a concept, a property universe. Only because the games will be mostly obsolete in a few decades, it doesn't mean it won't touch a few people so deeply they'll hold on for the rest of their lives. Transferring it to a different medium is tweaking the way Oddworld is supposed to function, in a sense.

But as long as the movie is well done (the Oddworld movie I mean) and has the same dark, mystical feel AO had, I'm pretty much for it. It’ll alert the world to Oddworld a little more, as long as Oddworld is revealed the right way, the real way like it used to be.

[Bullet Magnet]

But they were originally written as movies. They were tweaked when they were made into games.

[Oddball1000]

...This interview make me want more, I want to see that CS trailer he is talking about

Me too! Yay! !

[Slaveless]

Seems be interesting to me. He feels so strongly against what the game company has brought itself down to.

Now to respond to Skillya, I think Lorne is trying to prove a point, rather than a flopping point of view. He is trying to say that entertainment can be a tool to reach and touch the media more than most. When I saw 'Rwanda Hotel', it was a powerful feeling to see a story that was being told. And a sad and dark one at that. I think I agree to you that Oddworld isn't a mear game, but a world, yet I think that how that world is told, shouldn't be live on your game system. Oddworld and the like are stories that need to be told, to set a little light on some people's minds. I believe that Lorne feels that in order for his stories to be told, he needs to branch out to new audiences. I mean, I practically don't know any friends that feels the same way about Oddworld as I, (except for my grandmother) because the current trend is to find games that you, not to tell you a story! People who see movies are a bit different. A lot of people want to see a nice story. People can see a nice story on a movie. Not really for a video game, because it doesn't have a repution for that. But if you can get people to understand the movie, maybe you can for the game.

So what I'm trying to say is that Lorne still knows about the Oddworld games we love. He just doesn't that want to have to go and make games that will eventually won't be able to make his stories possible. With movies, he can still make games that people had liked in the first place.

[used:)]

Bullshit interview, bullshit interview. I am grateful for Xavier's find though.

[Arxryl]

Oooo... Trailer for CS. This ought to be good!

[Nate]

Let's get a grip people. He's not saying that the trailer is going to be coming any time soon. He's saying that we won't know anything about the film until the trailer is released - probably in several years.

[Andrelvis]

I hope sooner than several years! Maybe one or two years will be enough for the production of the film to finish... and then, still start an Oddworld one =P When will the first Oddworld film be released? 2010, 2015? Oh well I hope it's soon!

[Arxryl]

Let's get a grip people. He's not saying that the trailer is going to be coming any time soon. He's saying that we won't know anything about the film until the trailer is released - probably in several years.

Oh, I don't doubt it. But still, at least we still have a trailer to look forward to. Even if it will take a few years...

[Wil]

It’s a film, of course there’ll be a trailer.

[used:)]

But when? That is the quesiton.

[skillya_glowi]

If they hurry, it'll probably be shittily and haphazardly done. I advise them to take their time. Hopefully I'll still be alive in 10 years....

[panuru]

Yes he did.

Thanks Nate.

The side of me who is intrigued by the odd and the perverse that found a home in the Oddworld universe is slightly disappointed... only that there will be an even longer wait for any Oddworld films. But the much more logic business-side of me has to agree that Lorne's taking a smarter route starting off his film career with the clean slate of CS.

[snuzi]

I don't understand why any of you are disappointed. This gives us all something to anticipate. I myself think that if and when they decide to finally create an Oddworld film, it will give us an entirely new perspective regarding that world. It will allow us to see it from a different angle, to become completely abosrbed into the story as it all transpires before us. What's more is we'll probably form an even stronger emotional connection to the characters, and we'll be able to fully understand their personalities as a result. Don't get me wrong, it does suck that there won't be any games out for awhile, but at the same time, it's exciting to think that we'll be able to view Oddworld in a completely different way someday.