Why Eragon (2006) Should be Remade Sooner Rather than Later

Eragon fights

“It’s a pleasant enough fantasy tale for younger teen audiences and even if that’s how it was meant to go, that’s not what comes across on the screen” – Scott Gwin, CinemaBlend.com

When Christopher Paolini’s fantasy phenomenon Eragon hit cinemas in 2006, it created a ripple of anguish worldwide. Book fans and movie goers alike dismissed the film as mediocre, try-hard kiddie trifle. A Metacritic score of thirty eight is just the start of its online booing. Naturally, cries from die-hard fans on message boards demand a remake of the four book fantasy series. Their sadness was backed by the author in December 2011, whom wrote in response to a online-chat interview:

“I gave as much input as I could, but ultimately, the film reflected the filmmaker’s vision of the story, just as the books reflect mine. Hopefully there will be some more movies made from the Inheritance cycle, though. […] I’m glad that the film was made, because it introduced a lot of new readers to the series, which I think is a good thing.”

The existence of an already-rabid fan base is the biggest go-to argument for film production nowadays. The 2013 film version of Stephen King’s first novel Carrie marks the 3rd remake to date. It is therefore fair to guess that no matter how many times you remake something it can still draw in an audience. Even if you watch a movie sequel expecting frustrating disappointment, plenty of viewers simply can’t resist the chance it could be superior to the original. When Eragon came out, it was the 3rd best-selling title of 2003. The last novel in the series, Inheritance, was published in 2011, and sold half a million copies on its first day. 2011 is hardly ancient history in the world of film. Even though the books have been criticized for overly long descriptions, ‘ripping off’ other big-name stories like Lord of the Rings and Star Wars and the deus ex machina ending, The Inheritance Cycle remains incredibly popular and is considered an enjoyable work. Its problems of being ‘too long’ could potentially be improved upon in a TV series format. Besides, Hollywood cares about popularity and dollars, not whether something is of high quality. Our most recent fantasy TV series adapted from a literary work is further evidence that the decision should not be delayed.

With the high ratings and rumble about HBO’s Game of Thrones (2011): an intricate, intensely detailed fantasy series based on A Song of Ice and Fire (1996) by George R. R. Martin, it is a potential indicator that another equally lengthy story such as The Inheritance Cycle could work as a television series. Game of Thrones is a rare case where ratings have risen with each passing season. The first season raked in seventy nine thousand viewers and season three amounted to staggering ninety. How will the ratings read in 2014? While the Inheritance Cycle is different from A Song of Storm and Fire in many ways, it could give viewers means to satisfy their thirst while they wait for the next big instalment and are addicted to dragons and fantastical settings.

The copious amounts of sex and nudity in Game of Thrones has been the focus of much of the criticism of the series, although it has had the bonus of drawing in those whom don’t care for story. Even though Eragon was written when Christopher Paolini was 15, the books contain their fair share of blood, violence and power politics. It is not the same heightened level of Game of Thrones but it is enough to draw in younger audiences as well as older. Eragon does not share its standard of eroticism, but there is a fair share of likable female characters who could fulfil the role of eye candy (like the elf Arya). With its fun battle scenes, dragons, magic and mystery, The Inheritance Cycle may draw in a younger demographic and those who enjoy rich world building, characters and fantasy elements. If Game of Thrones is soda, The Inheritance Cycle is the diet version.

Those who haven’t read the books may be wondering just how horrific the movie adaption was. Unless a book is fairly short like The Hunger Games (2008) or Twilight (2005) it is inevitable that plot points will be skewed in order for the material to stagger the film format. It wasn’t just Harry Potter-esque changes the fans were mad about. The quickest way to display how low they sunk is to look at the films running time. There are four books in the series, around 1000 pages long depending on the font used. That’s 3 times the size of the first three Harry Potter books so it deserves a 2.5 hour time slot as a minimum. The 2006 feature clocked in at an hour and a half, which is throwing itself out in the open for a brutal plot beating. Who knows whether it was the writer Peter Puchman (Jurassic Park II), the producer or the director whom influenced this grave mistake? Was it Christopher Paolini’s fault, for telling the director Stefen Fangmeier that he didn’t care what changes were made so long as “the dragon was done right”? Dare I add that Stefen has only directed Eragon and usually lends his talent to special effect teams, one of which includes Game of Thrones?

The changes made to the storyline and characters were so enormous it would be quicker to explain what they did right rather than its shortcomings. So I don’t sound like a fan with obsessive compulsive disorder, let’s get some positives out-of-the-way first. The things they did right are were the technical aspects, which thankfully make up 90% of the crew. Well done, guys! The filming, location choices, acting, costumes, make up, special effects and soundtrack are wonderful… well, except for baby Saphira resembling a chicken. The only thing done right script wise was the scene where Brom explains to Eragon how to use magic. It is both faithful to the book and explains the rules of the Eragon universe accurately so not to cause plot holes. If someone muted the television and watched the film, it is pretty close to what I imagined in my head.

It is a shame something as critical as the screenplay which involved 10% of the crew was butchered beyond belief. Fans complain about minuscule, little or major changes made to a book, not all of which are consequential to the progression of the story. Eragon had lots of little changes – like Ayra’s hair being blonde instead of black, but these were a breath of fresh air compared to the chainsaw destruction that wrecked havoc throughout. Within the first five minutes things go wrong and they continue every minute (I am not exaggerating). Firstly, Katrina a young, attractive woman whom becomes Eragon’s cousin’s fiance does not appear in the movie. One may think a side character does not contribute to the overall narrative but she is the main reason for Roran leaving and her role only expands as the books progress. Removing Katrina erases any chance for a sequel. Scenes are rushed illogically, most famously a single shot which depicts the dragon, Saphira growing magically into an adult. In the book this is done over the time frame of a couple of months, and could so easily been made into a montage. This would strengthen and display the relationship that grows between Eragon and his dragon. Instead there’s an unbelievable, artificial ‘best buddy’ relationship from Mars. What’s more, other characters that were removed also defeat the chance of a sequel. My professional whingeing could go on forever if I tried to list everything, so I will save you the gory details.

The problem with turning the hearty Eragon into an anorexic stick is that it removes any connection the viewers may have to the setting, story or characters. The characters are skimmed over like foam on coffee. In order to shove the story forward, their actions were turned nonsensical, impulsive and mindless. Brom, Eragon’s highly intelligent mentor consistently emphasizes the importance of revealing information in secret. In the film he yells at Eragon one moment for ‘being out in the open’, then in the next exclaim plot points at the top of his lungs… in a public place. Not only is this out-of-character but it makes Brom out to be rash, hypocritical and unsympathetic. Being 15 years old, Eragon is already quick to jump to conclusions and have intense bursts of emotion, but Brom only amplifies this in the film. It is hard to tell whom is more ridiculous, considering Brom is supposed to kept Eragon in line.

The worst choice in terms of storytelling was to jump between the baddies saying cliche, repeditive sentences such as ‘Kill the boy!” and the main character’s journey. In the book the baddies are left in the dark until the mid way point. This keeps the mystery alive and gives us reason to care. Instead, viewers are subdued to cliché torture of screaming villains like something off the Care Bears (1983). Another terrible, suspense-killing decision was to make Arya conscious. In the book, she is unconscious for three-quarters of the story, which gave us a reason to keep reading and find out who she is or what her motives are. Getting it spelled out for us is both unappealing and dull. Character details and back story are left in the dark so much that the narrative becomes incomprehensible, characters know things that haven’t been explained to them, and so on.

Blood, torture and gory points which made the story dark are completely omitted. The film version of Eragon seems like something made for young children, and even the kiddies deserve something more exciting to watch. Even though the book is mostly travelling, like our other fantasy favourite Lord of the Rings, Eragon still had the potential to be something coherent and beautiful. If anything, this gives ample opportunity to show off artistic skills of the crew. Overall, Eragon deserves a remake as it is a very low risk product. The fan base still want to murder the 2006 movie crew seven years later. In film land Eragon receives brownie points because only the first of four books were adapted. What is the harm in giving the green light? A box office flop is very unlikely if the right team comes on board for the production this time.

What do you think? Leave a comment.

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78 Comments

  1. Eragon definitely needs a remake. The books are good and it could have been a great series but they destroyed the whole story by completely writing a new one.

  2. Sandoval
    0

    They should definitly remake this Eragon and move on making the other three movies once the first is done. There are more than millions to be made… If the would make it as epic as Lord Of The Rings with the character lineage and attention to detail, it would be a four film series to die for. For three hour films and then release extended version the following years of each movie release date.

  3. Lionel Graves
    0

    I would be very interested in this if Brom is played by Jeremy Irons or maybe Russel Crowe.

    • Some dude
      0

      Umm it was played bu jeremy irons..

    • Stephen Decker
      1

      DUDE! I’m actually working on writing a screenplay for a reboot and Russell Crowe is my choice for Brom! I’m so glad someone else sees it!

      • Matthew W.
        0

        How stupid are you??? If you actually read the books you would know that Brom is extremely old, older than the Fall of the Riders. He has a gray beard that’s like 3 feet long, and a hooked nose that it mentions like every 5 sentences. If you think Russell Crowe fits that discription at all you need to get your eyes checked. Brom in the movies looks like 35, 50 at the most, which is horribly wrong. Russell Crowe looks almost just like Brom in the movie, and that’s not how he’s supposed to look. Christopher Paolini probably made him that old to show his wisdom and knowledge. Check yoself b4 you wreck yoself.

        • You need to calm down kid. It was an idea. You don’t have to like it and you sure as hell don’t have to insult someone who does. Grow up.

        • How about Bernard Hill as Brom?

          • Michael Montgomery
            0

            The guy that played in taken I forgot he’s name he is old with a pointy nose and would play perfect as Brom

        • Izzy T.
          0

          Um. In the book it says that Brom only looks to be in his forties out fifties! He sure as hell doesn’t look like an old man! I think Russel Crowe would be a great choice… if he grew his beard out a little. Speaking of the beard, his beard was not the feet long! The book mentions his beard a lot, but it never says it’s that long.

  4. Darnell
    0

    The director of LOTR and The Hobbit should remake this Eragon movie because the first movie was horrible, no cash for making bad performance and great lack of storyline.

    • Heather
      0

      I doubt the studio and franchise can afford Peter Jackson to reboot the the first and/or the rest. It would be way more than awesome if it could happen though. But at the same time the snide remarks would really fly. The entire series has gotten flack for being a “ripoff” of LOTR, so having the same name attached to these movie (s) would be more fuel and fodder for the wannabe critics. Not to mention each series needs to have its own identity without the other being in the shadow.
      Hopefully someone higher up the food chain in the studio sees the potential for this series relaunch. It would be up there with other fantasy genre giants.

  5. Dianna Ort
    0

    YOu know if this was filmed with the budget of LOTR or Harry Potter (visual effects, filmography and so on, it would be a killer in the cinema and a wonderful series to watch!)

  6. Domingo
    0

    The ending of the movie pretty much made it impossible for the story line to continue. When watching it, it did really annoy me. The book is amazing. But the film just spoiled it too much. The should remake the film for fans and also, they would get another 3 films. It is so stupid.

  7. The movie literally outraged me and yeah I walked out. Favourite series ruined.

    • is your name actually hogan? it would be only the second other person ive met with my name

  8. Emily Lighezzolo

    Oh I wanted to throw my popcorn at the movie screen the first time I saw Eragon… a shocking cinematic deterioration of a beautifully written book!

  9. Robyn White
    0

    Eragon 2006 was absolutely terrible. Arya has black hair not blonde. Eragon has brown hair, not blonde. The Ra ‘Zac have beetle-like skin, not beetles crawling on it’s skin and much much more.

    • Jordan

      wow I always thought Eragon’s hair actually was blonde. I must have missed something.

    • The good things about books is that people can interpetate the people and the enviorments differently. It makes the experience of reading it more personal imo. I can’t stand books that give you a freaking blueprint of how someone or something looks

      • That is called imagery Pitn! When an author wants to portray a character a certain way that is what they do. Leave some things for a reader to interpret. For instance, the reasoning why they did this or that. But the description of a character should be found in a book so that the reader can more accurately depict what the author is going for.

  10. Megyption
    0

    If Peter Jackson would be in charge of this remake, it would change everything. He did great with Ring and he could life Eragon out of the dumps and make the films successful. I’m thinking most of the cast from the first movie could return though. They were pretty good, and Roran and Eragon had a good resemblance even though they aren’t related. They only need to replace Arya. She is a good actress but not for the part of Arya.

  11. What we really need is an Eragon movie which follows the book and has transitions for the rest of the cycle (even though if it’s to be dragged on two movies each like last Potter).

  12. Camille
    0

    Was it just me or did any one else find the scene where Saphira goes from a hatchling to a full grown female dragon a little nuts? I understand you cannot show the entire time of her growing in the spine even to book jumped time but that was just crazy. *Flap flap flap* *poof* full grow dragon???

  13. Andrea Vaughn
    0

    Someone who’ve read the literature should be the director, screenwriter, casting director and everything else that is important. The movie wolda been astounding if a fan had done something to help make it or CP had more of an influence in it!

  14. Mette Marie Kowalski

    Oh, bad move Paolini, bad move. Next time, give them some better advice ok?

    Great article Jordan, you’ve slaughtered this movie and ripped apart what there was left to rip. I actually liked some of the performances, especially Jeremy Irons, but the writing was so bad there was not much they could’ve done to make this movie better. And that still pisses me off so many years later. However, like the author said, the movie attracted a new audience for the books – including me! I only started reading the books back in 2006, after watching the movie – which then (I was only 11 years old) seemed fairly ok to me. Anyway, I’m totally in for a remake of Eragon, in whatever format.

  15. Strickland
    0

    Eragon is a good series, it could have made for a great string of movies had it not been so royally screwed up. I don’t think anyone will touch it again. And the book sequels have taken so long to come out that the fandom has kinda died.

    • Russell
      0

      It didn’t die. The last book sold tons in the first week and any fan would be drawn back in with any hope of it being better than that screw up. Can’t get much worse than that.

  16. I’m not so sure we need another Eragon movie. It essentially combined the Lord of the Rings and Star Wars. Not a badly written series, but there’s so many cliches that it becomes unbearable.

  17. kspitzer
    0

    they totally need to redo this movie.. the writing is awesome and It wasnt done justice! I’m only on the second book, but these could be great films..

  18. H. M. Bradford
    H. M. Bradford
    1

    While I agree that the movie was nothing but disappointment, I don’t know if it can be overstated how much Paolini’s books borrowed directly from existing (and much better written) fantasy. It’s by no means enough just to say that he combined LotR and Star Wars; Eragon may have been an impressive achievement for 16 year old Paolini, but nearly all the fundamental features of his fantasy world were taken from other authors. Just to name a few examples: The “true-name” system and all its stakes are taken directly from Ursula K. LeGuin’s A Wizard of Earthsea (1968); the power of “singing” objects out of wood is Robert Jordan’s idea, first featured in The Eye of the World (1990); and the dragon-riding owes immeasurably to Anne McCaffrey and her Dragonriders of Pern (begun 1968). As every post-Tolkienian fantasy author does, he borrows extensively from Middle Earth in populations, themes, and aesthetics without any of the mythopoetic originality to pull it off. That’s not to mention any of the book’s storytelling issues. To put it shortly, almost all the pieces of Eragon are out there in other books that are much more worth putting on-screen.

    • Jordan

      I have not read any of those but you make a very interesting point. Maybe adapting those novels to the screen would be a lot more worthwhile.

    • In this I have to strongly disagree with you! Certainly there are quite a lot of ideas obviously originating in other novels. Yet one cannot just create a whole world on its own, without any references to already existing worlds.
      And I don’t think it makes a book worse if it references or takes over parts of another story. In this I rather keep to the Greco-Roman antiquity, where just that was seen as an act of homage to the original’s author and a proof for the good quality of the original text. Whenever you read a passage of Eragon referencing to a book you liked reading (or even a film you liked watching), weren’t you reminiscent of the scene in the original? And didn’t just this short thought on this book or film you liked cheer you up, just as beeing reminded of something you liked should do?
      Furthermore, if one were about to write a fantasy novel without any such references to any kind of book, a absolutely standalone novel, he would have to invent the very workings of this world anew, resulting in a kind of queer parallel universe the reader would have a hard time to get along with, thus creating a feeling of abstrusity or a fairytale-world.
      It is my understanding of a fantasy world though, that the reader should be able to delve into the storyline quickly, to escape their own world’s worries with the first line. And how could this be done faster, firmer or more efficiently than in a world build together with unwavering logical links? Paolini takes some of the best ideas from earlier works and mingles them into a coherent whole. His Alagaesia is one of the few fantasy worlds where even the least aspect of the world is built up logically, corresponding our real-life understanding of our own world, with just a select set of differences to make for the fantastical part of the story.
      Reading of a logical world might remind you of Tolkien’s dokumentary way to explain the world. And that’s exactly what I’m writing of. Even though Paolini didn’t write an encyclopaedia like Tolkien did, he tracked down every last myth and tracked it down by logical reasoning to be no more than the result of a mere series of events necessarily following each other.
      If instead of taking over good parts from other authors he would have had to invent something different to make up for the same parts of his world it would have been impossible to create such a realistic fantasy world. Just imagine the elves would not be able to sing to plants the way they do. How would they find accomodation and food while they are still so deeply connected to their surroundings? They couldn’t build houses out of logs or stone like other people, for they would share the demolition they caused to their environment. They don’t eat meat for the same reasons, so they would be near to starving in winter, when nature couldn’t provide the needed berries and similar food without their singing. So just taking this single aspect out of this world would leave a mighty race as the elves reduced to a bunch of beggars unable to live on their own.
      Writing of elves I finally come to your criticism of his “borrowing from Middle Earth”, as you place it. All those general points about taking from earlier works I already stated above are of cause valid for Tolkien’s books just as well as others’, yet I want to explain a bit more on this very example, as you already emphasised it yourself.
      First, to the population: The trio of men, elves and dwarves is common enough throughout modern literature, and in most cases their core-features are the same. So they are not “borrowed” from Tolkien, but rather lie about for common usage. Tolkien was just one of the first to establish more detailed traits for them. In Contrast to Tolkien he even refrained from adopting orcs of some kind to his world, but invented his urgals. No doubt, they were based upon the idea of orcs – or rather Tolkiens Uruk Hei – but they grew into a independent race with its own culture and even lost their “born mortal enemy”-status.
      This also settles the Point of Paolini’s “mythopoetic originality”, in my opinion.
      So, all in all, if you take a closer look on Alagaesia you’ll see there aren’t that many overlapping parts as you indicate, and those parts that are indeed taken from others are well chosen and enhance the worlds overall integrity, being most likely the best way to put things.
      And to show this world to even more people is one of the reasons why I’d love to see a worthy remake of the series.
      I’m sorry that you seem to be blended by Paolini’s age (which grew to 28 until the final book was finished) and your believe, that he kind of stole parts of his story from other books.

    • excuse me, but,not because an idea looks similar to other it means its a rip off of that idea, are you certain Paolini even knows some of the things you mention? because i haven’t really EVER heard about some of them, it wouldn’t be too surprising if he hasn’t either
      i’ll explain this to you softly..
      NOTHING YOU CREATE CAN BE ORIGINAL ANYMORE!
      it seems to me that your brain works like this:
      you want to make a movie about a wizard?
      harry potter rip off!
      oh you want to make a space movie?
      star wars rip off!
      you want to make a dragon movie?
      a song of ice and fire rip off!
      so, if you were to create something completely original, that has NEVER been done before, it should be something that does not have ANY similarity to anything existing before it so…
      please fuckin’ try!
      i think you’ll agree its a madman’s task..
      just as crazy as you are

  19. First off i would like to say,I watched the movie before reading the book and enjoyed it very much. However, I read the book and then realized the book was so much more than the movie, stand alone not too terrible a movie, I feel sorry for those who read the book first then saw the movie, for the movie takes all your imagination and spits on it, however it doesn’t take away from the the book if you read it after the movie. a remake is needed for the the fans of the book, but the movie itself did make people read the book, so in turn it did its job =)

  20. I watched the movie b4 i read the book, at first i thought the movie was fine,i actually nvr evn knew there was a book written bout it cuz i was still a kid, couple of years later i happen to came across the book and remembered bout the movie and realized why they havnt made a sequel, since i liked the movie i decided to give the book a chance and my god….thts when i realized how horrible the movie was, they change pretty much antyhing tht keeps the story alive for the next 3 books,i feel srr for the fans who read the book 1st and i myself, would very much liek a remake of the movie, although i hav to thank the movie cuz its wht lead me to the books so…yeah 😀

  21. The books were awesome and the movie was really bad compared to it. The movie should definitely be remade.

  22. Villainissa
    0

    JUST DO IT ALREADY!!!!!!!!!

  23. Jacob Brenyo
    0

    I’d love to see a remake of the movie. I think the Inheritance Cycle has a chance to be one the best fantasy film series ever made. If they do it right. I understand they can’t perfectly depict the books in movies, but it hope they break each book into several parts to ensure they cover at least the basic story line.

  24. I was in elementary school when I read the first book. I then watched the movie when it came out in 2006. I was mad that the movie was so far from the book. During the summer of 2013, I reread all four books, and I also watched the movie again. Some of the bad differences that I remember are Roran leaving home, Tierm, Tronjheim, and the battle for Tronjheim. In the movie, Roran leaves home to go fight in Galbatorix’s army. Roran would have never done that; the people in Carvahall hate the king. Tierm is just a disgrace. It looks like they just found an old abandoned dock in the middle of a pond with some small shacks on it. Eragon never meets Jeod, Brom’s old friend. He also never meets the werecat, Solembum. Tronjheim is also a disgrace, considering they used a valley for the city instead of a mountain. Isidar Mithrim, the gigantic ruby that sits near the top of the mountain wasn’t even depicted. The battle for Tronjheim was terrible in that fact that Saphira can’t even breathe fire until she flies Arya down from breaking Isidar Mithrim to allow Eragon to kill Durza. I also don’t like the fact that the showed Arya leaving for Ellesmera in the movie when she never did so. The movie was a disgrace for the fans and it should be remade into a series of movies or a TV show.

  25. James Leigh
    0

    I think i understand that why the CP let the movie turn out badly because maybe the producers would not make it if they stood by the book, and to get the chance of making a movie out of a book is very rare and would be taken up by anyone. But still He should reconsider a remake and this time try to make it as close to the book as posible even if it has “Eragon part 1” then “Eragon part 2” because if all the fans are dying for a remake it would not be disregarded(There were half half a million copys of Inheritance sold in the first day!) so that would mean that there would be at least more then a million fans wanting to see a remake of the movie and that is not including the non-readers who would watch it. So over all there would be a greater out come to the remake of the ‘one’ movie even if it has 6-8 movies to fit it all in. Just look at Peter Jackson after he has finished the Hobbit. It was the smallest out of the 4 LOTR and made 3 3h movies, so no shame can come if you do it.

    • i strongly agree with him. I mean why not try

    • Shelby Matthews
      0

      Same here the remake of the movie will be like or better then LOTR if done with care. 😀

  26. Dear god it needs a re-make. There were so many errors all I did was point them out. And the short amount of time for the movie was the worst. One of the things that bugged me most was they not only altered Arya’s hair color, but Eragon’s too!! In the book series, he was a brunette! *Angry arm movement*

    This series was amazing, even with its Star Wars and LOTR-esqe parts. It is a great novel and series which deserves far more than the sad attempt it received in 2006. I do hope they remake it.

    • Thank you for bringing this up it says in the book eragon is dark brown haired, and has brown eyes. Obviously the crew either didn’t read the book or skimmed it, or simply didn’t care. And both are infuriating. This story deserves another chance at the box office. With a crew that will actually RESPECT the beauty of the story by not altering it so much.

  27. Frank Lombardo
    0

    One of my favorite films, would like to see a more of same.

  28. They should definitely remake Eragon, I think Tim Burton would make a great director for it.

  29. I think they could make this into a series on STARZ or NETFLIX based on the fact that game of thrones and vikings and cartoon how to train your dragon are a huge hit on t.v and this would be a hit as well.

  30. homeless elf
    0

    Whilst a remake of the film is much needed, I disagree with the view that it should be done by peter Jackson, since the inheritance series is largely derivative of the lord of the rings anyway (not Christopher Paolinis’ fault, all fantasy is, but particularly Paolinis’ work) the films would seem too much like a parody of the lotr trilogy. Better that some other director has a crack at it so that it can avoid being compared to films it will not be able to live up to.

    • Dave Taggart
      0

      I really enjoyed the 2006 movie I think they should do the sequel and maybe adding new characters,and if not that be fine too but I enjoyed The movie bring on a 2nd and I would pay to see it.

  31. Russell
    0

    I would love a remake! This time I hope they stick to the plot though and don’t change the story COMPLETELY. Get some blood and Gore PLEASE this was a young adult book but it still had a darker side and without it is automatically a fail with the fans. Also don’t have Eragon look the same throughout the movie and at the end have him say “i don’t even recognize myself”….. That was pretty pathetic. And the fight with that lame ass Durza ugh don’t get me started lol

    • They butchered Saphira’s image. She is not dull gray- as mentioned in the book so many times she is a radiant, refractive deep blue. They also made her incredibly ugly and she looks like a giant eagle. Her wings are not feathered, in the books it’s just skin. Her head is way too small and the proportions are ridiculous. If I just looked at photos of her I would think she’s a giant bird or some ugly lumbering dinosaur.

  32. There needs to be a remake. However, the only think I liked about the original film, was Saphira. She was undeniably the best part of the movie.

  33. Darlena
    0

    I definitely think that they need to remake this movie. Like the idea of a TV series probably even better. At least that way you aren’t loosing chunks of the book because of the time limit for the movie. There is so much detail in each book and even cutting out a forth of any of them you are loosing something major. I felt when Eragon originally was released as a movie that there was so much cut from the book, there was no way they could make a 2nd movie. And although I somewhat liked the movie, I hated the fact that we would miss the rest of the books on screen because of the way the first movie was made…

  34. Get Peter Jackson on board and remake. This could easily be 4 movies and a windfall for all involved. The books are fantastic and deserve another chance in theaters.

  35. Jennifer Low
    0

    I wonder if filmmakers intentionally changed the story so it wouldn’t resemble Star Wars too much. The plot points of the first Eragon novel match the plot points of Star Wars.

  36. I completely and utterly agree. As a rabid reader of the series and a huge fan myself I could not agree more that the 2006 eragon was absolutely butchered and I could barely watch it because of how much they screwed up. It left me wanting to murder the crew much like all of the other fans. But honestly, I really really want to see a film crew study and read the inheritance cycle and realize how amazing of a story it truly is and do it justice by making a amazing movie that follows the plot and leaves no characters out. I would like C.P. to be more of an influence on the movie but he’s busy writing other books which is to be respected. But honestly all it takes is a talented crew, director, and a willingness to study the book and give it the proper respect it deserves. The entire fan base hates the movie because we feel it has been DISRESPECTED with the lack of care put into it.

  37. Charmonix
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    I agree completely. I am a HUGE fan of the Inheritance Cycle! When I saw the movie I was shocked and disgusted. They murdered the whole story, making the story look rediculous. It was a low-budget disaster! 1 and a half hours? Are you kidding me? Amateur flaw! And how could you not even get the character’s hair colour right? Comon?! And Arya is way to soft and already inlove.. Out of character! If the directors of “The Lord of the Rings” could do the remake It would be one of the greatest Novel films ever! How can we convince them to do it? PS: the only people who liked the movie are the people who didn’t read the books.

  38. Stijn boonen
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    I disagree on the part were the author says it’s hard to make a decent movie out of long books. Lord of the Rings wants to have a word with you…

    I do agree about all the rest. The movie should be remade rather than having a sequal. They missed a number of key-fragments and imho it’s simply too screwed up to make a sequal. This is what they should do:
    – Erase all data from the first movie. Nothing, I repeat NOTHING in there is worth salvaging. Not the way Saphire looks, not the story, not the way the Ra’zac look, nothing at all! Ok, the decor and visuals were ok, but if you are going to start over, it’s not something you can salvage so to bad: trash bin –> that way.
    – Hire either Peter Jackson or Devid Benioff and D.B. Weiss.
    – Get a DECENT actor for Eragon himself (a least) or rather get a decent, veteran cast this time.
    – Make it as long as needed rather than slicing (and mutilating) it.
    – Do not release it when another major fantasy movie is about the be released. In Belgium it got released simultaniously with Lord of the Rings. I mean really? What kind of idiot is trying to compete with a film that already has a huge fan-base?! It’s like me creating a new brand of Cola and expecting to compete with Coca Cola’s X-mas campaign!

    If they just make a sequal in which they attempt to “fix” the first movie, it will be an abomination once again.

    “Fans want to murder the 2006-crew” Hell yes! They are lucky the made Brom kill them or I’d hire them as assasins to go after them!

  39. Eragon along with the The Last Airbender are two of Hollywood’s film adaptations that completely and astronomically disgusted/ disappointed me. Eragon is actually a better movie than TLA was and it was still terrible. It looked like a cheap, short TV movie.

    Both movies need to be remade ASAP because when they’re churning out Batman and Spiderman remakes every few years no reason for us to sit in the dark on a popular serious that have the potential to be blockbusters. I’d like to see Peter Jackson but doubt he will hop on board.

  40. Julie Lehman
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    I couldn’t agree more. Many rumors have been about a remake, however I am afraid they are just that. Action must be taken and perhaps some risks. Fox 2000 (the owners of the rights) need to take into consideration the finding of a new team to remake this film. I am a screenwriter myself and having read the books several times and seeing the film, unfortunately many times as well to further my scrutinizing and knit picking, I have been able to fine point the areas in the film that need correction. And there are many, as it has been clearly stated. Not only the defining of the characters with a lack of backstory, or the scenery (mainly the village and Saphira), but also the narration in the film. There are many plot points crucial to the series that were left out of the film, and the only way for redemption is to obliterate this first film, get a complete new cast and crew, and remake this movie. I know Christopher Paolini said you must make peace with the fact that their will be changes, but I do not believe that peace entitles one work of art to have to accept defeat and humiliation from another simply because it has the ability, when clearly the main work has more to it than what was allotted. Another minor point I must get out there. Did Peter Punchman even read the books?

  41. The books are amazing and definitely deserve a equally outstanding translating to the movies!

  42. PapaGinge
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    I have read the Eragon cycle of books roughly 4, going onto the fifth time now. It is one of the best cycles I have ever read, and probably ever will read. To see what Gleadr or Thorn or Murtagh or even Shruikan looks like would be emmense, not to mention Du Weldenvarden and Elesmíra. The only issue with the remake would be buying the rights to it, which aren’t expensive but I sincerely hope someone would be able to remake this within the next few years-.. The cycle and Paolini deserves it..

  43. Please just remake the movie already

  44. Awesome Person
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    Honestly, is there some kind of petition we can sign to get them to remake it? The books were awesome the movie could have been so much better! I feel like maybe if the directors use the opinions of fans it’ll make the move more successful because hello WE ARE THE ONES WHO HAVE TO WATCH IT!!!

  45. I completely agree with everyone. I read this series from the very beginning and saw the film. Boy was I disapointed!I understand a director wanting to put their own spin on the film theyre directing but come on!, everyone knows when you stick to the plotline and details of the book you will most likely engage a LOT more positive feedback from the fans and viewers AND have the opportunity to create more films! Look at all the book series that have been interpreted into films for example like LOTR, Harry Potter, Twilight, Hunger Games, etc. they knew sticking to the books was the way to go even when they omitted or added a little of their own flavor to the mix it still didnt disrupt the general asthetic that everyone was already accustomed to.They should remake the film Eragon and continue on with the rest of the series not to mention get better actors (the only person I recognized from previous films was Brom). I think if they could stop and listen to what the fans want they will be MUCH more successful.

  46. Was anyone else as pissed off as I was that the Ra’zac looked all wrong, that the dwarves weren’t dwarf-sized but the same height as men, and that the Urgals were just a bunch of dirty guys with tattoos? Seriously did anyone on that crew actually read the books at all?! Definitely a series that deserves some sort of remake!

  47. There is a petition actually, here is the link if anyone is interested:
    https://www.change.org/p/fox-2000-consider-rebooting-the-eragon-inheritance-cycle-film-franchise

  48. Michelle Jacobs
    0

    I agree 110% I think a well done redue is in order!!! Soon I hope I am a huge fan of the books I am also a big fan of trilogy and saga films so long as they are done right I loved the lord of the rings,the hobbit, and Harry potter if done right the dragon series could be just as epic as those other films maybe even better! they shouldn’t make one without the intent to do all 4 there is nothing worse than only getting to see a third of the story! To tell you the truth I hadn’t read the books until after I watched eragon, I actually enjoyed it until I picked up the books curious to know what happened next and realized after reading the first book how bad the movie actually was!! I am eagerly awaiting for them to redue eragon the way it was meant to be done and then make the other 3 books into films I will keep waiting please redue the film I’m such a fan and really want to see them on screen maybe the director of the hobbit or lord of the rings would be willing to take on these films!!!

  49. Dis Lexic
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    As a huge fan of the Books, I can safely say that the movie makes me feel sick to this day. I also completely agree that it would, perhaps, make a better TV sires than movie, especially the later books.
    While I wont say I completely hated the film and would have perhaps quite enjoyed it if it hadnt carried the name of one of my teenaged faverates and the book I personally thank for sparking my own writing dreams, it is still an insult to an extremely enjoyable work.
    My biggest beef with it has to be the Ra’zac as they are one of the most inventive fanticy creatures I have ever seen. while I doubt that they are entirely original, they remain one of the coolest critters I can think of and to see them reduced to…whatever the film turned them into makes me cry.

  50. Tashina
    0

    Can you plz remake the eragon movie I have read all the eragon book series and seen the movie I really would like and appreciate it if you could redo the eragon movie so you can make the next three movies it’s been 10 years since you made the movie eragon so please try again in order for you to fix the movie you need to fix your mistakes

  51. Annette Dietz
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    I demand the eragon movie be remade but not by the same director because he’s an idiot he ruined the whole series of possible movies to come for the rest of the books. Did he even read the book? He left out the cat and took the boys that would help (strong hammer) Roran to get townsfolk to the Vardon.

  52. William donovan
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    I really think there should be a remake an sequels to follow it is a very intense an good read an story line that keeps you wanting more an if I had the money to remake this film I wouldn’t think twice

  53. Emmanuel
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    I agree that Dragon should be remade. For the book itself is so amazing and mesmerizing but then the movie came along and his ruined eveything. Which is why it should absolutely be remade and the directors should details and ideas from the book to the best of the abilities. Oh and it should be made anime like instead of realistic because it would be easier that way.

  54. Emmanuel
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    Sorry eragon stupid auto correct

  55. A movie remake for qualitative reasons is definitely not without precedent: The Maltese Falcon with Humphrey Bogart in the 1940s was the second remake, and it is remembered as a classic.

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