ShadowDance

The director appears to have started a blog. Here's a rough translation of the first entry:

My father, Hayao Miyazaki, did not want me to direct "A Wizard of
Earthsea". While it may seem abrupt to begin in this manner, I wish
to make this clear from the start.

Furthermore, to tell the truth, it was never my desire to start a
journal on the net and appear before the world in this fashion. If
there is anything I wish to say for myself, it is simply, "I want to
you to see this movie." That is all.

Speaking as a director, I only wish to say, "I want you to see this
movie without preconceptions and free from distraction." That is all.

However, it is plain to see that whether I like it or not, as we
commence promotion of "A Wizard of Earthsea", I will be described as
"Miyazaki Hayao's son". Producer Suzuki Toshio tells me, "Let the
work stand for itself", which goes without saying. He also says, "For
this movie to compete, you must be seen not as 'Miyazaki Hayao's son',
but simply as the man 'Miyazaki Gorou'."

After much doubt, I came to agree with this stance. In other words,
though this seems backwards, I will begin this diary to convey my
thoughts as director, and thereby attempt to allow people to view "A
Wizard of Earthsea" without preconceptions.

We chose to adopt the Internet as our method of implementing this plan
as it is an extremely direct means of connecting people to one
another. Naturally, we considered more traditional approaches such as
press conferences and interviews. However, we felt that to conduct
the afore-mentioned experiment, an approach that did not pass through
the filter of the media might better convey my thoughts in a frank
fashion.

I will not hastily rush in to describe the reason for my father's
aforementioned opposition to my taking the role of director. I think
that I should make this clear as I describe the particulars of how I
came to be appointed director and the daily affairs of production.

Finally, there are two reasons why I agreed to direct "A Wizard of
Earthsea". The first is that I felt a fascination with the tale of "A
Wizard of Earthsea". The second is that I came to realize that I can
no longer deny my great love for animation, which I have long failed
to acknowledge due to my relation with my father. I don't want to
give away the details of the movie, but the theme that I wish to
present is clear:

"What does it mean to live truly?"

This is also the manner in which I wish to live. And it is also the
theme of this diary.

And here's the first entry in the production diary:

We are currently in the process of creating "A Wizard of Earthsea".
This movie is based on an existing work.

If you go to any reasonably large bookstore, you will probably find it
on the shelves in the children's, SF, or fantasy section. Many of you
may have already seen it there.

"A Wizard of Earthsea", written by the American author Ursula K. Le
Guin, is one of the masterpieces of fantasy literature. Set in the
fictitious archipelago of Earthsea, this magnificent story recounts
the youth, adulthood, and last years of the magician Ged.

The first book of "A Wizard of Earthsea", "Battle With the Shadow",
was published in the late 1960s.

The most singular characteristic of "A Wizard of Earthsea" is that
one's enemy is contained within oneself. The inner discord of human
beings is directly expressed in this fantasy world.

Broadly speaking, the majority of SF and fantasy prior to "A Wizard of
Earthsea" consisted of stories of protagonists overcoming enemies and
discriminatory circumstances.

However, in "Battle With the Shadow", there is no great enemy that
must be defeated.

The boy Ged, who dreams of becoming a magician, through arrogance and
hubris calls up the "shadow" from his own inner darkness and is
attacked by it. As it pursues him, the shadow grows and torments Ged.
The boy comes to realize that he must not run from his shadow, but
face it. He turns and embraces it, and becomes one with this shadow,
and in this way takes his first step to becoming an adult. This is
broad outline of "Battle With the Shadow".

The story of "Battle With the Shadow", in which one's enemy is
"another you", born from your inner conflicts, cast a great influence
on the world of SF and fantasy literature. Since then, the theme of
struggle with oneself has come to play a central role in SF/F novels
and movies.

The subsequent books of "A Wizard of Earthsea" cover Ged's rise to
become the preeminent magician, and eventually his final years as his
power fades. The stories are keenly concerned with many of the issues
of modern society, and the path that must be followed to overcome them.

So, what kind of movie are we making?

We can't tell you that right now. (laugh)

We still have a long way to go before it is released. Perhaps we'll
reveal more in time in this "production diary" and the "director's
diary".

Including the side stories, there are six books in "A Wizard of
Earthsea".

If you read every day while commuting to work or school, or in bed,
and complete one a month, you can read them all in half a year. They
are well worth reading.

Please, read them by next summer. We think they'll give you a much
deeper appreciation of the world of the film.

They're the perfect books to set your spirit soaring as you lie in
bed, anticipating the new year.

Anime News Network wrote:According to Asahi, Gedo Senki will be based on the third book in Ursula K. Le Guin's Earthsea Cycle, The Farthest Shore, however Nikkei reports that the movie will be based on the third and fourth (Tehanu) books.

Although Tehanu was originally to be the final book in the Earthsea Cycle, however Le Guin eventually wrote two more books for the series, bringing it to six books.

Nikkei also states that Le Guin wanted Hayao Miyazaki to direct the movie, but he was not able to because he was committed to Howl's Moving Castle.

Alexis wrote:Защото това е превод? Ами може този, който е превеждал да е ненаясно с нещата, да не доразбрал, да е превеждал с Babelfish (както правят много) и след това да е 'дообработил' 'превода', за да придобие четим вид или знам ли и аз.
Не е като да съм си го изсмукала от пръстите, от сравнително известен сайт съм взела инфото. А, дали те са прави, аз не отговарям, нали?

Aliendreamer wrote:землемория е отвратителна... историята е стандартна героите са скучни... въобще няма какво да коментирам.. но пък анимето може да си заслужава. А мнението ми за книгата няма как да се промени прекалено много шаблони има в книгата през цялото време знаех какво ще стане докато я четах...

Alexis wrote:Не го приемам като заяждане, но пък ти мислиш ли че мога да бживея в близост до близнаците (Дем в частност) и да не съм чела Землемория. Това беше едно от първите неща, кото прочетох.
Но вторият довод е разумен.