Boycotts of the film adaptation of Ender’s Game due to the frequent and virulently antigay musings of its author Orson Scott Card may be misguided, it seems. The writer won’t make a dime off the sci-fi epic, according to TheWrap. Card, who may or may not currently be on the board of the heinous National Organization for Marriage, received his entire fee for the rights to his novel in a deal made a decade ago and it doesn’t include any backend profit.
So do you plan to see Harrison Ford’s latest (in theaters Friday) with a clear conscious? If so, just tell your friends to stop purchasing the movie-tie in of his book, which is currently at the top of the New York Times bestseller list.
MikeE
I’m sorry, I simply don’t believe that.
Card is listed as a producer in the credits. It’s difficult to accept that he would be a “producer” of the film, and yet make not a penny?
This is just trickery to try and dispel the boycott.
DarkZephyr
I agree with Mike, and besides, even if its true, I don’t want those who desire to make money off of Card to make money. Plus if Card’s name becomes box office poison, he will stop making money from his other works. Money that he would have donated to anti-gay causes if he did make it. So either way, I am boycotting.
Alan down in Florida
I agree with the previous 2 commenters. Does anyone believe that Mr. Card allowed them to make a movie of his book pro bono? No way! He received money from the producers up front when he sold the movie rights to the book and doubtlessly received/will receive additional monies now that the film has actually been made. And those rights would not have come cheaply.
Tim
Some have argued that the upcoming âEnderâs Gameâ movie is not about homophobiaâso âwho cares?ââŚor that Orson Scott Cardâs profits from the âEnderâs Gameâ movie would have ended with his sale of the rights to the film to Lionâs Gate Pictures.
I would argue, however, that we should all care because Mr. Card has made it his mission to vilify the GLBT community, and beyond that, the money-making potential is absolutely phenomenal for this film to underwrite Orson Scott Cardâs message of hate.
The âEnderâs Gameâ movie is based on the first of a series of books by Orson Scott Card, all of which could conceivably be made into movies (ala Harry Potter, Star Wars, Twilight, Indiana Jones, etc.). I have read many of the ‘Ender” books, and they are well written and are well regarded within the field of Science-Fiction literature. It is well within the realm of probability that, should this first ‘Ender’ movie prove successful, there would indeed be follow-up films based on any number of the other books (13 in all, so far…)
It is also conceivable that, with the success of the movie, an extensive line of ‘Ender’s Game’-franchised collateral items will be launched, i.e., action figures, playsets, games, toys. Before the reader doubts the likelihood of that, I will point out that as of today, October 31, 2013, a number of toy and game companies are already taking âpreordersâ for ‘Ender’s Game” brand products, including an Ender’s Game board game and a number of âbobbleheadâ dolls. Even despite Lions Gate Pictures’ distancing themselves from Card, and the fact that Mister Card has already sold some rights over to the production company–Mister Card stands to make millions of dollars off of future ‘Ender’ movies and franchised products.
I have a great deal of difficulty with the thought of using my resourcesâmoneyâto empower a man who has positioned himself against civil rights for GLBT persons. Although Mister Cardâs literary work should perhaps be considered separate from his personal views, he himself brought his personal views about GLBT rights to the forefront. His bigotry against GLBT person is best typified by his serving on the board of the fiercely homophobic National Organization for Marriage (NOM) since 2009 until recently.
Mister Card is not an author who simply casually holds a specific opinion about GLBT rights; he has engaged in a battle against GLBT rights. In the past, he has continually expressed his opposition to same-sex marriage, at one point saying, “I will act to destroy that government and bring it down, so it can be replaced with a government that will respect and support marriage, and help me raise my children in a society where they will expect to marry in their turn.â (http://www.deseretnews.com/article/700245157/State-job-is-not-to-redefine-marriage.html?pg=all)
Yes, Orson Scott Card has actually said that he would work to âdestroy [the] governmentâ in order to see that GLBT persons would be stripped of their civil rights. Let that sink in for just a momentâŚ
I believe that the ‘Ender’s Game’ movie stands to become even more successful than the books. Those familiar with movie-making and book publishing can tell you that a successful movieâalong with the resultant re-broadcast and syndication rights, along with merchandising and franchising dealsâcan make many millions upon millions more dollars than the book upon which it is based.
Based on the aforementioned, I think one might fairly reasonably conclude that the success of the ‘Ender’s Game’ movie could lead to a massive enterprise which Orson Scott Card would use to fund the propagation of his message of hate; as such, I think a boycott of the movie is not only reasonable, but necessary. #SkipEndersGame
DarkZephyr
@Tim: AMEN. You said it marvelously. I believe that it is the duty of LGBT people and their allies to turn Card’s name into box office and comic book poison to discourage his future financial success, which he would most certainly use to try to destroy our rights.
Lawerence
I don’t care or believe that this demonic soulless zombie Rethuglican sheeple says he’s not making any money off this film! Like others have stated here, he needs to be box office Santorum! That way no one will want to work with him!
He looks like a child molester! So far I’ve never been wrong about those types of premonitions!
Geoff B
While I have no intention of seeing this movie (my partner, the sci fi geek of our household is passing as well), hopefully I can give you all some optimism. From what I’ve seen on several websites, while Enders Game will be the nimber one movie this weekend, the box office predictions are in the $25 million range. While that’s a lot of money, keep in mind this movie cost about $100M to make and given promotion and distribution will have to double that amount to turn a profit. To provide context, a $25M opening weekend would put it behind 4 of the “Saw” movies none of which cost over $20M. Adding the fact that early reviews while positive are hardly glowing, this movie will need to do HUGE overseas business to make it worth turning Enders Game intoa franchise. I hope I’m right. There’s nothing I would like more than to see this movie flop on the strength of the vitriol directed at Card.
litper
This is anti-gay propaganda!
2eo
I wonder if there’d be this backlash is Card had funded resegragation and apartheid?, or funded initiatives to tax synagogues.
MikeE
@2eo: Are you trolling? or serious?
If you’re serious then dude you also got a serious problem.
The likelihood of a backlash would have been considerably higher had Card targeted blacks or Jews.
I’m already amazed at the momentum that was achieved with this boycott, allowing people to learn about Card’s views, and the horrific things he supports and the terrible organizations he works with.
ncman
Jesus, Queerty Editors, who PAID you to write this article? Just what is the going rate now for selling your soul?
Cam
Wow Queerty,
I get that you try to carry for the Mormon church as much as the posters here will let you get away with it but…
1. You are trying to claim that Card makes no money because the rights were sold a while ago. Funny though that you leave out the fact that he is a CURRENT PRODUCER of the film. So sure the money from his deal was a decade ago, but as a CURRENT PRODUCER he DOES get funds from the profit.
2. I can’t believe you were actually ballsy enough to try to minimize his position as a board member of NOM. Trying to soft peddle it by saying he may or may not be a board member. He IS a current board member and the Mormon church’s rep on the board. But lets just pretend that your lie was right. Even if he left the board now, why would you try to minimize the fact that he was a Main Board Member who actively participated in all of NOM’s anti-gay legislative pushes and was a guiding force for years?
I get that you have gotten some money from the LDS church but how do you justify trying to minimize CARD’s anti-gay legislative activities? How much DOES it take for you to sell out the gay community?
Cam
Oh also Queerty, you conveniently left out the part that if this movie is a hit, then it makes the Rest of Card’s books attractive to buy the rights to for future movies which could be a windfall of millions for him and NOM.
Again, in your quest to sell out the gay community you left that part out.
Sparkyu1
Even if I believed this (which I have my doubts) – the film is making the books more popular AND if the film becomes a success then the path is open for a sequel – and more money in the bigot’s pockets
I wouldn’t watch this film if you paid me to do it
And I’m equally unwilling to support Lionsgate, the producers et al who decided that Card was such a great person to work with – they’re all homophobes in my eyes
Ottoman
Just like when queerty claimed its partner, stoli vodka, isn’t Russian eventhough the company admits all its ingredients are sourced in homophobic Russia.
Cam
There is a gigantic push by the studio in the last day. Hundreds of articles with the same vague fake claims that Card won’t make any money have gone out to hundreds of news sources. Looks like the boycott has the studio worried as well as Card’s becoming more and more unhinged in his responses.
CharlotteGonzalez
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Caliban
That article is straight up BULLSHIT.
It makes two claims which are probably true, but avoids the actual truth that yes OSC WILL make money from being a Producer of the film.
1. Card sold the rights to Ender’s Game years ago and the contract didn’t guarantee him a piece of the profits.
Assuming it’s true, fine.
2. As part of his role as Producer of this film, OSC had no creative control of the finished product.
Again, perhaps that’s true. It probably IS true.
BUT. Nowhere in that self-serving POS article does it say that he won’t be getting part of the PROFITS based on his role as PRODUCER. They very conveniently left that part out! Believe me, Card WILL be getting royalty checks based on that role, whether or not he actually had creative input beyond selling the rights to his novel.
They are very slyly hiding that fact.
Stache1
Wow. After reading the comments here and going back and reading this article it sounds like very clever marketing. It makes it sound like.. “hey, were on your side but go see the film and don’t worry your little minds about the details”
I think I liked their Stoli approach better. Show your real colors and just silence the opposition.
QJ201
Well I read three reviews in NYC papers today. Two absolutely trashed the film as a bore. The third was a solid “meh.”
Big criticism seems to be the “vision” of the future presented…is dated…and the film was not updated to include current tech uses and more importantly, users.
MikeE
@QJ201: I like that “solid meh” đ
Sadly, there have been a number of very positive reviews as well, some from sci-fi fan websites.
Ned_Flaherty
Queerty Editors: There is no such thing as a “clear conscious” (your words, paragraph 2, sentence 1).
You meant “clear conscience”.
Kangol
Boycott homâ˘ophobe Orson Scott Card’s books and this movie. As a current producer of the film *Enders Game* he will profit off any success the movie has, and it’ll also help sell his books and maybe even other movie deals. So just say no thanks!
SeanRESU
I am going to go see it because it looks like a good movie. I could careless what the guy who wrote the book thinks.
DarkZephyr
@SeanRESU: Its not just about what he “thinks”. Its about what he DOES with the money he makes. He actively works against the rights of LGBT people and he funds groups like NOM. Is that ok with you? Do you want to put into his pocket money that he uses against you?
dougmc92
even if he doesn’t get a cut of the film- if it’s successful, sales of his book will rise and he DEFINITLEY gets money from that!