Ender’s Game marks the long-awaited adaptation of Orson Scott Card’s original 1985 award-winning novel, and with more than a dozen novels in the series, there stands to be a huge potential for a film franchise for Summit and Lionsgate here.
The first film sees young Asa Butterfield star as the eponymous lead, with Harrison Ford starring opposite as Colonel Graff, and EW have debuted our first look at the duo.
“In the near future, a hostile alien race (called the Formics) have attacked Earth. If not for the legendary heroics of International Fleet Commander, Mazer Rackham (Ben Kingsley), all would have been lost. In preparation for the next attack, the highly esteemed Colonel Graff (Harrison Ford) and the International Military are training only the best young children to find the future Mazer. Ender Wiggin (Asa Butterfield), a shy, but strategically brilliant boy is pulled out of his school to join the elite.
Arriving at Battle School, Ender quickly and easily masters increasingly difficult war games, distinguishing himself and winning respect amongst his peers. Ender is soon ordained by Graff as the military’s next great hope, resulting in his promotion to Command School. Once there, he’s trained by Mazer Rackham, himself, to lead his fellow soldiers into an epic battle that will determine the future of Earth and save the human race.”
Starring alongside Butterfield and Ford is an impressive cast of both rising stars and recognised talent, including Abigail Breslin, Hailee Steinfeld, Ben Kingsley, and Viola Davis.
Gavin Hood (Tsotsi, X-Men Origins: Wolverine) is at the helm, directing from his own script, having adapted the original novel of the same name.
Ender’s Game will be released here in the UK on 25th October, 2013, following shortly after in the US on 1st November. And with so many books that could be adapted in the years to come, it’s going to be very interesting to see how audiences receive it at the box office next year. For now, here’s the first official image from the film, which you can click through to enlarge.
