One of the most revered science fiction novels of all time, Ender's Game has had a long road to finally hitting the silver screen. Orson Scott Card has always kept a close watch on the property, and in 2003 wrote a screenplay for a film adaptation which Wolfgang Peterson would've directed. Gavin Hood(X-men Origins: Wolverine) eventually took over, and with a release date still a year away, we're getting our first official look at the anticipated blockbuster.
The image(courtesy of EW) shows Harrison Ford as Colonel Graff, staring down the all-powerful recruit Ender Wiggin, played by Asa Butterfield. The story takes place in a not-too distant future where the Earth has come under attack by a bug-like alien race, and so to bolster the military's ranks the brightest and most powerful children are taken to attend Battle School. There they train to become the fearless warriors and leaders humanity needs to survive. Ben Kinsley stars as the legendary Commander Mazer Rackham, with Viola Davis, Hailee Steinfeld, Abigail Breslin, and Viola Davis joining the action.
This shot is interesting for a number of reasons. First, the cold and sterile "barracks", along with the in-your-face stance by Ford reminds me of Full Metal Jacket. We see the other new recruits, known as "launchies" standing at attention nearby. It also clues us in to the testy relationship between Graff and Ender, with this particular beef over whether Ender's emails are being blocked so he can't communicate with his family. I suspect we'll see many more scenes play out just like this.
Ender's Game opens November 1st 2013.
