Independent Film Channel is adapting the books into at least one and possibly more tv movies. I'm kind of surprised that they're describing the project as targeting 18-34 year old males as viewers since the books seem to be read by women 80% of the time, but maybe it's a good sign that they're sticking with early Anita back before the porn trumped the plot.

It would also be nice if they split off from the books at some point if this turns into a regular series. I feel like the real fun in the books has always been in the world-building, and there's so much out there we've never gotten to see because it's all first person narrative through Anita's eyes.

Oh! I loved early Anita Blake! I never did cotton much to BtVS and the "High School is Hell" mentality, but I could relate to early Anita. My favorite character was Edward and I read the books up until Incubus Dreams, then Anita and her SuperSpecial!VampireHealing! Twat made me want to gouge my eyes out. Still, I'm looking forward to this, I heard the Comic book series sucked ass.

I too loved old school Anita. When I say "Old School" I mean before she had sex with either of her two men and became super-power-every-man-wants her Anita. Sigh. But hopefully the show would focus more on the eariler books.

Quick question, what channel is IFC? Is it like USA channel where its included in your basic cable package or is it like an Encore/HBO channel where you have to pay for it? I'm hoping for the former and not the later.

And completely off topic somewhat: For those that are interested in old school Anita, I found another book series that is so much better than the current Anita Blake series, its the Mercy Thompson series. Absolutely a good read.

It's the Independant Film Channel. It's from the Sundance Channel people and I believe that it is not in the basic cable lineup.

I'll put in my hope for early Anita, too. I agree that the later "Anita with the Magical!Cooter" has me skipping whole sections of the books. If I wasn't raised to respect books by my Mom, I'd just rip whole chapters worth of pages out of the books.

My favorite Anita is the one being threatened or being threatening.

MONSTER: Why shouldn't I kill you and eat you right now?
ANITA: Because my pistol draw is faster than the eye can see, and if you try, I'll shoot both your kneecaps off.
MONSTER: Hahahahahaha! Rawr!
ANITA: Bang! Bang!
MONSTER: Auuuuuggghhh! Why did you do that? You're supposed to be scared and roll over and let me kill you!
ANITA: *rolls eyes* Idiot!

MONSTER: Oh, I'll probably kill you later. But you're not going to do anything about it now. After all, I'm unarmed. And I haven't done anything yet.
ANITA: Bang!

VAMPIRESS: You're a funny human. I think I'll bite you and take you as my slave.
ANITA: Try it, and I'll just have to kill you dead.
VAMPIRESS: Hahahahaha!
JEAN-CLAUDE: And I'll let her.
VAMPIRESS: You bastard!
JEAN-CLAUDE: She scares me way more than I'm fond of you.
ANITA: *rolls eyes* Idiot!
JEAN-CLAUDE: Which one?
ANITA: Both of you!
VAMPIRESS: Rawr!
ANITA: Bang!
JEAN-CLAUDE: You're going to let me live, right?
ANITA: For now. And stop trying to look seductive, or I'll shoot you for being an asshole.

Y'know, I think I just did a 5-minute recap of the first book. :-D

Sadly, I don't get this channel. I'll have to wait for the DVDs.

I love Anita Blake and am happy to see a series being made. Hope it does justice. And while some of the books were pretty much pure porn, the last couple have regained the balance.

I tell ya, Laurell K. Hamilton single-handedly killed all interest I once had in urban dark fantasy. Took me years to even peak at the genre again. Too bad it still sucks.

Glen Morgan at the helm -- as opposed to someone like Marti Noxon -- is a positive sign, I guess.

(btw, taylor3698, IFC is one of those "in-between", extended basic channels. It's not premium like HBO, but AFAIK it is usually in the next tier above MtV/USA, etc.)

I liked the Guilty Pleasures adaptation but it was pretty much exactly the novel only with pictures. There was also a sort of prequel, "The First Death", that I thought filled in backstory nicely. Is there another title that isn't related to the books?


BWAH! I've only read the first two (yeah, I know the series, ahem, devolves but I'm enjoying them still for the time being) but this is already perfect.

I'm actually rather intrigued by this adaptation. I don't have IFC either so I'll have to wait for DVD.

Any fantasy casting ideas? Hector Elizondo for Manny? Morena Baccarin for Anita?

I hope they concentrate on Anita's job at first, I was always facinated by the re-animator stuff. One of the things I liked the best about the early books was being introduced to the world of Anita Blake, and hey, raising the dead is cool! They could turn it into a crime procedural show with a case from Animators Inc. weekly then a season long arc of taking down the Master of St Louis. Concentrate on the work she did with the St Louis PD before they realize she is more of a Monster then what they're hunting. I'm not spoiler barring anything from the books, we wouldn't be here if we haven't read them, would we?

If the TV movies remain faithful to the books in the zoo of sex department, I might watch.


.... I kid. Or not.

But I am curious whom they will cast as Richard.

I nominate Alex O'Laughlin(not sure if I spelled it right) from Moonlight.

Jean-Claude, how about that cutie-pie vampire from Blood Ties? He looks great in puffy shirts, and Jean-Claude wears a lot of puffy shirts.

it seems like all my favourite books about vampires are made to tv shows or movies lol Blood Ties, True Blood, Twilight and now this

As long as they get someone who can do a believable and consistent accent, otherwise I would have to turn it off to reduce my rage level, no matter how hot the lead actress is.

And since Anita is of Mexican/German heritage, with black hair and pale skin, I'm thinking someone like Alice Braga? (Haven't heard her, don't know if she can do an American accent, but she's got the look, I think.) Or maybe Mayrín Villanueva? But I don't know how tall they are, Anita needs to be tiny.

ETA: Ooh, I just had a brainstorm, Sarah Shahi may be available next year if Life doesn't get renewed!

In terms of secondary roles, it's suddenly a bonanza for any pretty sub- 5'6" male actors in Hollywood who are graceful enough to pass as strippers. Even if you went with taller for the twins, a noticable chunk of both Jason and Micah's identity comes from being short and any number of other characters in the books are described as height-challenged.

I wonder who is going to play Edward, he was always my favorite character, also for Jean-Claude they need an actor who is very beautiful and maybe a bit scary at the same time.

I almost hope they go at least as far as Burnt Offerings. That way we get to meet Nathaniel.

OMG! this is exciting news. I discovered Anita Blake a few years ago and have read them all. I do agree the series has gotten to be more about the sex than anything else, so much so that I've skimmed over most of those scenes. Though titillating at first, now it's just repetative and boring.

I just have basic digital and IFC in included in that package so I'll definitely be watching.

Another good witch/vampire/demon series is Kim Harrison's about Rachel Morgan, a witch, and Ivy, her "living vampire" roommate. I also have enjoyed the Betsy, the Vampire Queen stories and of course all the Sookie Stackhouse books (I even got my 82 year old mother into those. She's just started the first Anita Blake book even though I tried to deter her by telling her it gets pretty raunchy, but I think I only served to pique her curiosity.)

Angelkitty, I find Kelley Armstrong makes a good counterpoint to the later Anita Blake books... But then I have no problem with the set.... Beyond a minor homophobic subtext at times.

xtreme, thanks for the tip. I actually just ordered the first couple of Mercy Thompson books that taylor3698 recommended as well as the newest Harry Dresden book, but I'll definitely check out Armstrong's books.

Did you mean the Anita Blake books have Because I haven't noticed that at all.

Hello all,

I'm another former Anita Blake follower. I can't even remember what book I stopped at, but she had sex with like 5 people at a time (which really could have been any of the last few books I read in the series) and I just decided I was finished. I would be interested to see who they cast in the roles though.

AngelKitty the Mercy Thompson books are awesome, someone earlier also mentioned the Rachel Morgan series by Kim Harrison, those are also a very good read.

Currently I'm trying out the Signs of the Zodiac books by Vicki Pettersson. If anyone else has read them... what do you think?

Read the first Zodiac book, and it wasn't bad, but it didn't grab me enough to keep going.

Also in the well-done urban fantasy fluff category, I'll recommend Carrie Vaughn's Kitty Norville series. Werewolf talk radio- great gun!

Going back to topic, the one thing that really has me worried about an AB movie/series is that LKH apparently has some sort of executive producer role in the project, and the woman seems to have developed an ego the size of Canada in recent years. I'm actually rather concerned that if the project gets screwed up, Hamilton is going to be the reason.

ITA.

Funny thing I just noticed. Here in France, the Anita Blake were published a few years ago in an horror collection. That's when i started reading those, it was fun Buffy-esque books... and then, we all know the story, it turned into quasi-porn. And i gave up.

But interestingly enough, the french publication of the books stopped abruptly around that same time, for reasons not too hard to understand. And now the first 7 or 8 translated books are worth a little fortune on the back market... which makes me happy, since mine are still somewhere on my bookshelves.

Now, as far as the tv-show goes, i don't have much hope. The only point that i'm interested in so far is the casting of the lead.

I know what you mean Kaoteek. For Jean Claude, actually he's a tricky one you need someone with Jensen Ackles body, and the gentle seductivity of Tom Cruise in Interview with a Vampire. As for Nathaniel... I'm thinking the guy that was in Nip/Tuck and Witchblade. John something or other... I want to say Hershey but that isn't quite right.

Do you mean the guy who played Ian, Eric Etebari? Was he in Nip/Tuck? Oh wait you mean John Hensley.
I'm intrigued at the idea, but I gave up on the books after about six or so. I can't really remember. It just got so weird. It didn't help that I'm one of those people who hated Richard. That self hating bullshit got tired quick and once he became "The Man" he somehow got even more annoying.

Whoever plays Nathaniel, if they get that far in the story, will not have an easy time of it managing hair that's down to his knees. Easier to imagine it billowing beautifully in the wind in one's imagination, I think, than in reality, where it's liable to get caught in any turnstile or revolving door.

You kind of have to go the braid route with Nathaniel when he's not working. A simple ponytail like he seems to go for in the books just isn't practical.

I do have to say that if they get that far, whoever comes up with the good hair extensions for the actor playing Nate probably really will deserve an Emmy for best hairstyling.

They can't possibly go with the long hair, or if they do in the beginning, it won't last long. On SG: Atlantis, Jason Momoa had much shorter hair and still the weight of it was causing him neck injuries after a while. Or at least, not do it as full-bodied hair. If they do it as thin, stringy hair it might work.

No way, I had no idea they were making a tv version of this! I liked the series until it became about sex sex and more sex. Nothing against sex but there should be something more. Wonder if they'll work in the ardeur.

The sex has been brought more into balance the last couple of books. I reccomend giving them a try.

OK so who wants to Dream Cast the rest of them? I'd say either a shorthaired Tom Welling or Jensen Ackles as my ideal Zane with Pauley Perrette as Cherry and I think Cote De Pablo as Elizabeth.

I just finished my first Anita Blake book on Monday. It was recommended by a friend, to whom the series was recommended by the store clerk when she was buying the first Mortal Instruments book. The book I read was The Harlequin and it was nothing but sex and then injury and then sex and then injury...what a waste of time. The actual Harlequin part of the book seemed to only be about 10% of the story. I'm going to give another one a try, but I don't hold out much hope.

As far as the movies/TV show go, I'm in Canada, so I don't get the IFC, but if it's picked up by Showtime or one of the Movie Networks, I might give it a try based on the casting decisions.

The one I'm really waiting for is The Vampire Diaries. Ian Somerhalder as a vampire - there can't be a better casting decision than that.

I haven't read the Mercy Thomson books that were mentioned up-thread, but I did pick up Dragon Bones yesterday by the same author; Patricia Briggs. I've already read half of it and have enjoyed every page. I'll definitely check out the rest of her back catalogue. Funny, the day before yesterday I'd never heard of Patricia Briggs, and a week ago never heard of Anita Blake, and now today I find both in this one thread. Man, the world's getting smaller and smaller every day.

Yeah a lot of the later books are basically straight up porn - you need to start at the beginning (Guilty Pleasures) and work your way through till about...Cerulean Sins. IIRC that is the last one that is still mostly plot.

Seth Green for Larry.

As for the books, The early ones in the series up through Obsidian Butterfly are very different than the later ones that devolved into a pornfest. For someone starting the series, I'd go with 'The Laughing Corpse' or 'Circus of the Damned'. Sadly, I though Harlequin was one of the better later books.

Say word! I gave up on this series after Hamilton took it the porn route. But, I will be watching just to see who they get to play Jean-Claude, since he's so beautiful! I think Sarah Shahi would be the perfect Anita. I always thought this series would be perfect for Skinemax. I can't wait to laugh at the effects they use for Anita's ardeur.

Buffy11bnl I agree with that scenario with one exception. Cut it off at Narcissus In Chains. I mean that's really the last one to go anywhere near plot driven.

You got further than I did then. I made it to book 8 and saw the end being nigh.

Dream cast? I want Summer Glau as Anita and Misha Collins as Jean Claude. I'll have to think about Richard. But yeah, Seth Green as Larry

xtreme - good call I haven't read any of the books in awhile I'd forgotten just where that cut off was - interestingly enough the AB Wikipedia page divides the books into 3 categories which are pretty spot on.

Early adventures

Book 1: Guilty Pleasures
Book 2: The Laughing Corpse
Book 3: Circus of the Damned
Book 4: The Lunatic Cafe
Book 5: Bloody Bones

Sleeping with the enemy

Book 6: The Killing Dance
Book 7: Burnt Offerings
Book 8: Blue Moon
Book 9: Obsidian Butterfly
Book 10: Narcissus in Chains

One of the monsters

Book 11: Cerulean Sins
Book 12: Incubus Dreams
Book 13: Micah
Book 14: Danse Macabre
Book 15: The Harlequin
Book 16: Blood Noir

Actually Faran, The Harlequin is the one where I consider her to have started turning down the porn to a reasonable level. Course, I'm a pervert so YMMV.

I have all of the books except Micah and Blood Noir, although I have a fondness for any with Edward in them... Peter is a close second in his two appearences. Excellent casting calls on Summer and Mischa. How would you feel about Wes Ramsey as Jason?

I actually do have all the books and I didn't even realize there are 16! But I get them from the Science Fiction Book Club so the first two books I have are really six. I also like Edward and he's going to be in her next book "Skin Trade" which is on my wishlist.

I did just finish the Mercy Thompson books. Very good. This is not good for my book addiction.

Who'd you want for Edward? He's harder to cast than Richard. I can't think at all who I'd have for him.

A few years ago I had thought Sebastian Spence would have been great as Edward, now I think he's a little too old. How about Justin Hartley?

Woo hoo, I have been waiting a long time for someone to make an Anita Blake TV series, or movie. I too hope that they concentrate on the first couple of books and stay away from the crap that followed.

BTW, it is gratifying to know I am not the only one who grew disgusted with and gave up on the books when they went down the porn trail.

I loved first 6 books and stopped reading after that

Regarding the porn thing; well, it's too much for others, but some of us are coping just fine ;)

How about Peter Outerbridge as Edward? http://www.imdb.com/media/rm682137856/nm0653660
He played David Sandstrom in ReGenesis, among other roles.

In my opinion Summer Glau isn't really a good fit for Anita (it's not that she's entirely too tall, she really isn't, but I cannot see her as Anita). I'm thinking that probably someone reasonably unknown would be a good thing. Tough part to cast -- she has to be kick-ass and tough but still someone who the audience will like.

How did I not notice you here before Silverangelaunt? Oh and if not Justin Hartley... How about Carmine Giovinazzo?

Hi there, xtreme! My, he's cute! Reminds me in this shot of Joshua Jackson.

I agree with the suggestion that Sarah Shahi would make a great Anita.
I'd like to see Kyle Schmid, who played the vampire Henry in Blood Ties, play Philip, the male stripper/vampire-junkie whom Anita befriends in the first book Guilty Pleasures.
And Matt Barr as Edward.

How about him as Asher instead Lesbonaut... That way we can get way more fanservice out of him. Especially if they leave the bisexuality angle untouched.

David Anders as Edward.

All I have to say.