Last spring, Karman reported that the internet was abuzz with rumors that Robert Rodriguez would direct Kirsten Dunst, Jack Black and Will Ferrell in a feature film version of Land of the Lost. Well, it’s now official. A 100-million-dollar feature-length Land of the Lost has been green-lighted for release in March. But it seems that the early rumor mill was not particularly accurate. Brad Silberling, not Robert Rodriguez, will direct. (I guess the failure of Grindhouse has its consequences.) There’s also no mention of Kirsten Dunst or Jack Black’s involvement. Will Ferrell, however, is definitely set to star in the movie. But not in the role originally reported. So we’re pretty much starting from scratch here.
Let’s revisit the original for a moment, shall we, to better explore how it’s changing.
The 1970s kids show featured Spencer Milligan, Wesley (he went by just the one name) and Kathleen Coleman
as “Marshall, Will and Holly,” who lost their way during a “routine expedition” and found themselves in the Land of the Lost. You may have seen it before, but here’s the original opening.
Click here to see the Season 3 opening (after dad left and Uncle Jack miraculously found them.)
This land was full of dinosaurs, including Grumpy the T-Rex and Dopey the baby Brontosaurus. The other dinosaurs were not named for dwarfs.
There were also the ape-like Paku. Chaka (who was ranked the 7th most deranged sidekick of all time by Cracked.com) was the young friendly one. Then there were the reptilian Sleestaks. And they all ate giant fruit. So you get the idea.
The movie, however, is changing the premise. The new story is about “a disgraced paleontologist, his assistant and a macho tour guide who find themselves in a strange world inhabited by dinosaurs, monkey people and reptilian Sleestaks.” So the reptiles and humanoids are essentially the same, but the principals have changed.
It seems that Sid & Marty Krofft are involved with the project and are pleased with the screenplay.
“‘If the strike is coming, we got a script and we’re ready,’ said Marty Krofft, who praised the writers for nailing it. ‘What they did is keep the integrity of the show, but they made it very funny for Will. The adventure is all there. There are going to be 50 Sleestaks!'”I wonder how much of the $100,000,000 will go to creating 50 Sleestaks.
The question I keep asking is … Why? It’s like with the Goonies sequel; when a movie or TV show for kids is revisited 20 or 30 years later, who’s it for?
As part of the original Land of the Lostdemographic (it was great when I was seven), I’m a little mystified. I’m a little nostalgic about the show, but watching a few minutes of it cures that pretty quickly. The idea of watching Will Ferrell star in a re-imagined version of this – with CGI dinosaurs, I suspect – is less than inspiring. Of course, Will Ferrell has a built-in audience, and kids love dinosaurs, but why make it Land of the Lost if that brand doesn’t mean anything to the audience? These are the questions I ponder.
I hope, at least, that the original cast members get cameos. I’d like to see Wesley sing again.
Is nostalgia or Will Ferrell enough for you? Would you see this movie?
