Ender's Game is a 2013 American military science fiction film written and directed by Gavin Hood, based on the 1985 novel by Orson Scott Card. The film stars Asa Butterfield as Andrew "Ender" Wiggin, a gifted child sent to an advanced military academy in space to prepare for a future alien invasion. The supporting cast includes Harrison Ford, Ben Kingsley, Viola Davis, Hailee Steinfeld, and Abigail Breslin.
Ender's Game was released in the United States on November 1, 2013, by Summit Entertainment. The film received mixed reviews from critics and underperformed at the box-office, grossing $126 million against a $110–115 million budget and posting a projected loss of $68 million for the studio.
Plot
In the future, humanity is preparing to launch an attack on the homeworld of an alien race, called the Formics, that had attacked Earth and killed millions. The Formic invasion was stopped by Mazer Rackham, who crashed his fighter jet into the Formic queenship at the apparent cost of his life. Over the course of 50 years, gifted children are trained by the International Fleet to become commanders of a new fleet for a counterattack.
Cadet Andrew "Ender" Wiggin draws the attention of Colonel Hyrum Graff and Major Gwen Anderson because of his aptitude in simulated space combat so is recruited into Battle School. In the school he is placed with other cadets his age, but Graff treats him as extraordinary, thereby subjecting him to ostracism. The cadets are placed in squads and perform training games in a zero-gravity "Battle Room". Ender quickly adapts to the games, devising new strategies older students had not contemplated. However, Ender is also annoyed that the leaders do not let students read their emails, as they believe it will distract them.
Graff reassigns Ender to Salamander Army, led by Commander Bonzo Madrid. Bonzo, disgusted that the replacement he asked for is an untrained student, forbids Ender from training with the rest of the squad. Cadet Petra Arkanian takes him under her wing and trains him privately, much to Bonzo's chagrin. In the next match, Bonzo forbids Ender from participating in a battle between the Salamander Army and another team. However, seeing the team losing and Petra in trouble, Ender comes to her aid and helps Salamander Army win, regardless of the fact that he has disobeyed orders.
Ender plays a computerized "mind game" set in a fantasy world, which presents difficult choices to the player. In one situation, Ender creates an outside-the-box solution to overcome a seemingly unsolvable problem. Later, he encounters a Formic in the game, and then simulated images involving his psychotic brother, Peter, and compassionate sister, Valentine. Anderson notes these unusual additions to the game are seemingly altered by Ender's interaction with it.
Graff promotes Ender to lead his own squad, which is made up of misfit students. They are put in increasingly difficult battles. In a surprise match against two other teams, including Bonzo's Salamander Army, Ender devises a novel strategy of sacrificing part of his team to achieve a goal, impressing Graff.
After the match, Bonzo attacks Ender out of rage, but Ender fights back, resulting in Bonzo hitting his head and sustaining a serious injury. Bonzo is then briefly seen in the infirmary receiving emergency surgery, leaving his ultimate fate ambiguous. Distraught, Ender quits Battle School, but Graff has Valentine convince him to continue. The group's training is rigorous, and Anderson expresses concern over this, but Graff notes they have run out of time.
Graff takes Ender to humanity's forward base on a former Formic planet near their homeworld to meet with Rackham, who explains that the Formics share a hive-mind mentality and how he exploited it to win the battle. Ender finds that his former squad members are also there to help him train in computerized simulations of large fleet combat; Rackham puts special emphasis on the fleet's Molecular Detachment (MD) Device that is capable of disintegrating matter.In the film, the MD Device stands for Molecular Detachment Device, whereas in the book, it has also been called the Molecular Disruption Device. In both instances, they are nicknamed the Little Doctor.
Ender's final test is monitored by several fleet commanders. As the simulation starts, Ender finds his fleet over the Formic homeworld, vastly outnumbered. He orders most of his fleet to sacrifice themselves to protect the MD long enough to fire on the homeworld. The resulting chain reaction burns the entire planet.
The simulation ends, and Ender believes the test is over. The commanders restart the video screens, showing that Ender's fleet was in a live mission, destroying the Formic homeworld. Despite Graff congratulating him, Ender becomes livid, having been tricked into killing a race that had never re-attacked Earth.
While asleep, Ender is awoken by the Formic Queen and is directed to a Formic structure nearby as being similar to the ruined castle from the game. She acknowledges Ender's role in the genocide and moves to kill him, but when he shows remorse, she spares his life. The dying Queen gives Ender a Queen egg that she has been protecting.
With the war ended, Ender is promoted to Admiral, given a small ship, and left to his own devices. In a letter to Valentine, he confides that he is going into deep space, determined to find a suitable planet to start a new Formic colony with the Queen egg.
Cast
In addition, source author Orson Scott Card has an uncredited voice cameo as the pilot of the shuttle that takes Ender to the battle school space station.
Production
Development
Since Ender's Game was published in 1985, author Orson Scott Card had been reluctant to license film rights and artistic control for the novel. Card explained that he had many opportunities through the 1980s and 1990s to sell the rights of Ender's Game to Hollywood studios, but refused when creative differences became an issue. With the formation of Fresco Pictures in 1996 (which Card co-founded), the author decided to write the screenplay himself. In a 1998 interview, Card discussed the process of adapting the novel into a screenplay.
In 2003, Card submitted a screenplay to Warner Bros., at which time David Benioff and D. B. Weiss were hired to collaborate on a new script in consultation with the then-designated director Wolfgang Petersen. Four years later, Card wrote a new script not based on any previous ones, including his own. In an interview with Wired, Card admitted two obstacles in writing his scripts were being able to "externalize" Ender's thoughts and making it work, "for people who had never read the book."
Card announced in February 2009 that he had completed a script for Odd Lot Entertainment, and that they had begun assembling a production team. In September 2010, it was announced that Gavin Hood was attached to the project, serving as both screenwriter and director. Card said he had written "about six" different scripts before Hood took over. In November 2010, Card stated that the film's storyline would be a fusion of Ender's Game and its parallel novel, Ender's Shadow, focusing on the important elements of both. In October 2013, he explained that this "buddy-movie approach" between Ender and Bean was a proof of concept and once Hood took over he decided to use Petra as more of a major character. On January 28, 2011, it was reported that Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci would be producing the work and would begin presenting the script to prospective investors.
On April 28, 2011, it was announced that Summit Entertainment had picked up the film's distribution and Digital Domain joined Odd Lot Entertainment in a co-production role. Gavin Hood was aboard as director and screenwriter, and Donald McAlpine joined as cinematographer. The producers were Gigi Pritzker and Linda McDonough of Odd Lot Entertainment, Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci of K/O Paper Products, Robert Chartoff and Lynn Hendee of Chartoff Productions, who had worked with Card on the development of the film for over 15 years, Card himself, and Ed Ulbrich. Executive producers included Bill Lischak, David Coatsworth, Ivy Zhong and Deborah Del Prete. In an interview with Brigham Young University newspaper The Universe, Card said that his role as producer was in the early stages and that the screenplay is 100% Hood's. Special effects workshop Amalgamated Dynamics provided the special character effects for the film, with founder Tom Woodruff Jr. providing character suit performances.
Casting In a 1999 interview, Orson Scott Card confirmed that Jake Lloyd was under consideration for the role of Ender Wiggin, asking fans not to judge Lloyd based on his performance in The Phantom Menace, saying that a better script and direction would result in a better performance. In July 2008, Card stated that he would like to see Nathan Gamble play Ender, and expressed regret that he was "probably too old" for the part. Early in the film's development, in an interview in 1998, Card considered changing Hyrum Graff to a female character, recommending a "dry comic" such as Janeane Garofalo or Rosie O'Donnell for the role. In the same interview, Card suggested Andre Braugher or Will Smith for the role of Mazer Rackham. Brendan Meyer was originally cast in the role of Stilson, but had to leave the production due to a scheduling conflict.
Filming Production began in New Orleans, Louisiana, on February 27, 2012. The film was released on November 1, 2013, in the United States.
Music
The original soundtrack for Ender's Game was released on October 22, 2013. The film's score was composed by Steve Jablonsky. Originally, James Horner was announced to compose the film's score, but it turned out that Jablonsky would be doing the score.
The end credits song was recorded by The Flaming Lips featuring Tobacco, titled "Peace Sword", which was sold separately as an EP.
Media Books
Ender's Game: Inside the World of an Epic Adventure is a reference book published by Insight Editions. With a foreword by Ender's Game film director Gavin Hood, the book is broken into four parts: Ender's World, Battle School, Inside Zero-G, and Parallel Worlds. The book is filled with behind-the-scenes images of the making of Ender's Game as well as interviews with the producers, artists, directors, and cast. Included with the book are nine Battle School army logo stickers, an ID Badge for Ender, and two removable International Fleet posters.
Board game
Ender's Game Battle School is the official board game based on the film Ender's Game. Published on November 13, 2013, by Cryptozoic Entertainment, the game is designed by Matt Hyra. Played inside the Battle Room, the player takes control of an Army led by either Commander Ender Wiggin or Commander Bonzo Madrid. With different abilities granted to each Commander, the Armies try to either capture each of its opponent's Gates or freeze the opposing Commander while avoiding other frozen players and Stars.
Other merchandise Along with various T-shirts, a 2014 wall calendar, and film inspired covers for both the novel and the Ender's Game Ultimate Collection comic collection, Funko released two Pop! Vinyl figurines of Ender Wiggin and Petra Arkanian. Ender's Game is also the first film to offer 3D printed replicas of in-film 3D assets. Summit Entertainment collaborated with Sandboxr, a 3D printing service, to open a new merchandising platform offering fans the unique ability to customize and build 3D prints from assets used in production.
Marketing