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The Hitchhiker’s Guide movie FAQ
Is the HHGG movie really happening this time?
Yes. Filming began on 19th April 2004 and is scheduled to last 16 weeks.
How long has the movie been in the works?
The feature film version of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy has been in development on and off since 1979. The current production is based on a deal which was agreed in December 1997 and signed in August 1998.
Is it true that it is being made by Disney?
The film is being made by Spyglass, an independent movie company who had – when the contract was signed – a co-production deal with Disney. Although Spyglass’ deal later moved to Dreamworks, the Hitchhiker movie has stayed with Disney. However ‘Disney’ is a vast Hollywood conglomerate which extends far beyond cartoon movies about talking animals. It won’t be ‘Disneyfied’ in any way, just as it wouldn’t be in Japanese if Sony was making it.
Who is the director?
Garth Jennings is a young British director making his feature film debut, who has won many awards for directing pop videos for artists such as Fat Boy Slim and Blur. He is one half of a team called Hammer and Tongs, the other 50% being Nick Goldsmith who is one of the film’s producers. Nick and Garth were recommended by Spike Jonze, director of Being John Malkovich, who was offered the job of directing the HHGG movie but turned it down. Jay Roach (Austin Powers, Meet the Parents) was the attached director from 1998 to 2003 and is now one of the producers. Read an exclusive, detailed interview with Nick and Garth here.
Who has written the screenplay?
Before his death in May 2001, Douglas Adams had written several drafts of the screenplay. One of these has been revised by Karey Kirkpatrick (Chicken Run, James and the Giant Peach) with the assistance of the director. Precisely how Kirkpatrick, Adams and Jennings are credited will be determined when the movie is finished. (Stories claiming that Kirkpatrick’s script has been rewritten by Robert Ben Garant are false; Garant is working on a completely different Spyglass movie.)
Will the film be faithful to the novel?
No – because Douglas Adams did not want it to be. The novel of Hitchhiker’s Guide was very, very loosely adapted from the original radio series. The TV series was also very, very loosely adapted from the radio series, and so were the LPs, the computer game and the stage play. All these versions differ in very significant ways, often contradicting each other. The film will also contradict all these versions. The script being used is all Douglas Adams-created material – Kirkpatrick has merely tidied up the screenplay into a filmable form – but it is not a literal adaptation of the novel and features major new characters and events.
Who is in the cast?
The confirmed cast is as follows:
Arthur Dent: Martin Freeman (The Office, Hardware, Love Actually)
Ford Prefect: Mos Def (The Italian Job)
Zaphod Beeblebrox: Sam Rockwell (Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, Galaxy Quest, The Green Mile)
Trillian: Zooey Deschanel (Almost Famous, Elf)
Slartibartfast: Bill Nighy (Love Actually, Still Crazy, Shaun of the Dead)
Mr Prosser: Steve Pemberton (The League of Gentlemen)
Body of Marvin: Warwick Davis (Return of the Jedi, Leprechaun)
Questular, Vice-President of the Galaxy*: Anna Chancellor (Four Weddings and a Funeral)
Humma Kavula, ‘crazed missionary’ on the planet Viltvodle VI*: John Malkovich (Dangerous Liaisons, Shadow of the Vampire)
A Vogon Guard: Jerome Blake (The Phantom Menace)
role unknown: Simon Jones (Arthur Dent in the radio and TV versions of Hitchhiker’s Guide)
* New characters created for the movie by Douglas Adams
You can see an annotated photo of the movie cast and crew here.
Why have they cast a rapper as Ford Prefect?
They haven’t. They have cast an actor/musician. Yes, he’s a black guy from New York. So what? (Since being cast in Hitchhiker’s Guide, Mos Def has been nominated for an Emmy.)
Who else is in the cast?
Many of the alien characters will be played by suit actors, puppets or CGI and so only voice actors are required, and in some cases these will not be cast until the film is in post-production. This also applies to the voice of Marvin and the narrator or ‘Book’.
What will the characters look like?
The only design available so far is this prototype version of Marvin.
Who is creating the special effects and graphics?
The suits and puppets have been made by the Henson’s; the spaceships and other models have been made by Asylum; the digital effects are being created by Cinesite; and the ‘Guide readout graphics’ have been designed by Shynola.
How can I get to be an extra in the film?
Unless you’re a working actor with an Equity or SAG membership and a good agent, or you know one of the producers personally, forget it. In any case, the film finished shooting in August 2004.
Where is the film being made?
The film was mainly shot at Elstree Studios, with some location work in Wales (not Iceland as originally rumoured), Hertfordshire and Moorgate Underground Station. I was fortunate enough to visit Elstree Studios in June and you can read my set report here.
When will the film be released?
The movie will be released in Summer 2005, simultaneously in the UK and USA. 3rd June was rumoured for the release but 6th May now seems a more likely date. However no official announcement has yet been made and any date listed should be considered tentative at best.
Do Douglas Adams’ family have any connection with the movie?
Douglas Adams’ family and agent have been kept closely informed of all developments and have visited the sets prior to production. They are delighted with everything that has been done and is planned. The interests of the Adams estate are represented by executive producer Robbie Stamp, who was a close friend of Douglas Adams and a partner with him in The Digital Village. You can read a report by James Thrift, Douglas’ half-brother, on the family’s participation in a scene here.
Is there an official website?
Yes, there is a production weblog here. There is also this page on the official Douglas Adams site which is guaranteed authoritative. In addition there are a handful of ‘favoured fan sites’ during production, of which Magrathea is one, through which reliable, accurate information and images will be spread – so for constantly updated, accurate news about the movie, check my news page regularly. You should also keep an eye on Nicolas Botti’s HHGG movie site here, this page on Jenz Kjellberg’s Douglas Adams site, and this page on Martin Freeman’s official site.
What else is there to see at this stage?
The first teaser trailer was unveiled at the San Diego Comic-Con in July 2004. You can view it here (as AVI) or here (as RealPlayer). It does not contain any footage from the movie itself.