Now this one is a definite loss, to both the filmmakers and audiences. Besides Stanley Kubrick's lyrical 2001: A Space Odyssey, not many have dared try and adapt the philosophical sci-fi of Arthur C Clarke to the big screen. Because we don't talk about 2010: The Year We Make Contact, capiche? And not just because that prediction never came true. Modern cinema is starved for science fiction of that sort of level of prestige and intelligence, which is why audiences have welcomed Interstellar with open arms. Fincher could've beaten Nolan to the punch by several years if Rendezvous With Rama had actually been made. Adapted from Clarke's 1973 novel of the same name, Rendezvous With Rama would've seen a group of astronauts intercepting a cylindrical alien starship that enters Earth's solar system during the year 2130, attempting to unlock its myriad mysteries. The book is an odd, experimental one, taking in both the latest advances in science and a lot of hippy-dippy speculation from Clarke. As far back as 2001 Fincher was attached as director, with no less than Morgan Freeman having been trying to get the film made for even longer. In 2007 the director was still on board, and it could still be made: according to Freeman and Fincher, it's a matter of finding the right script.
Tom Baker is the Comics Editor at WhatCulture! He's heard all the Doctor Who jokes, but not many about Randall and Hopkirk. He also blogs at http://communibearsilostate.wordpress.com/
