International bestselling speculative fiction author Tad Williams conducted an Ask Me Anything (AMA) interview with fans on entertainment site Reddit.com on Thursday September 18th. Fans were invited to ask questions, which Williams would later answer.
Many of the questions regarded Williams’ upcoming Fantasy series “The Last King of Osten Ard”, a sequel to his bestselling classic trilogy “Memory, Sorrow and Thorn”. The first volume of the new series, The Witchwood Crown, is expected to be published sometime late in 2015.
Here are some of the answers Williams provided for fans during the AMA interview:
Drojan: On reread I noticed how young the protagonists were, especially Simon and Miriamele. Will the new series focus on young protagonists, or focus more on the (now) older cast?
permalinkTad_Williams: Both. We will see many of the old characters, who will be middle-aged, but there will be a ton of new protagonists (and antagonists) as well.
Jay239: Tad, after the Lord Of The Rings films became huge did Hollywood approach you about making Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn into a film series?
Tad_Williams: Nobody’s actually come to me with a solid idea of making a film about MS&T. I’ve had an option and lots of nibbles for various projects, but no real progress except for the Tailchaser animated film, which is still under construction but I feel sure will happen.
I’m ready to sell out, damn it! Why won’t anyone tempt me?
Tgho: When’s the MS&T film coming out, and who should be in it? Also, how many books will be in the sequel? And is it set immediately after?
Tad_Williams: I never know enough young actors to suggest Simon and Miri, but Tobias Menzies (Outlander) would make either an excellent Elias or a wonderful Josua. I’d also be happy to have Hiddleston. Beyond that, I’m not sure. Probably Mark Strong would be an easy bet for one of the brothers, or else as Pryrates.
There will be three books (don’t laugh). The titles will be:
The Witchwood Crown Sea of Grass The Navigator’s Children
[Editor’s note: in previous discussions, the title of the second book has been called Empire of Grass; it’s unclear if the title has changed, or Williams misspoke during the AMA.]
Gathrin: Is there any specific line or scene in the series, Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn, that you are especially proud of. A line or paragraph that made you step back and shake your head in wonder and pride? I was always on the edge of my seat during Dragonbone Chair, always wondering if things would turn out well for the characters!
Tad_Williams: I think I’ve said it before, but my own favorite parts are ephemeral things, Simon’s journey through the underground and his discovery of the monk’s bible in St. Hoderund’s. That’s the stuff I work hardest to capture, things that can’t quite be put into words, but we try to do it anyway.
Ylvs: Hi Tad, here are some related questions from the TLK-thread on your board: do Sithi have baby teeth and if yes when do they lose them? Do Sithi women have periods or more broadly: how do they reproduce?
Tad_Williams: I haven’t thought too much about Sithi baby teeth, to be absolutely honest. However, Sithi reproduce very much like humans, albeit they conceive much less frequently, and the gestation is probably a bit longer. Now you’ve got me worried about baby teeth…
The full interview is available on Reddit.
I love his casting picks for a hypothetical MST movie. Tobias Menzies totally could play either Josua or Elyas, though Mark Strong is a dead match for Pryates, gleaming scalp, no eyebrows, and all.
I think Juno Temple or Emma Watson could definitely pull off Miriamele, with Nicholas Hoult as Simon.
Looking up Mark Strong, I can definitely see him as Pryrates.
Nicholas Hoult and Juno Temple are far too old to play Simon and Miriamele, unless you mean for movies based on the upcoming books. They were both born in 1989, making them a decade older than they should be.
I agree, but Hollywood tends to age-up teenage characters, for a variety of reasons (primarily, as I understand it, because it’s a whole lot simpler from a legal perspective to employ an adult actor than it is to employ a minor. Different working hours, rules, costs, etc.).
If they make an MST movie, I’d put money on them making a 20-something look younger over hiring an actual 14 year old.
I’d hate to see a 25-year-old portray a 14-year-old. To me, that would take the magic out of an MS&T movie. I wouldn’t mind a few years older, but not a decade older.