...And then there were 3!

AND THEN THERE WERE 3

  The month of May indicates many things for me...the beginning of summer, end of my kids school year and the start of blockbuster movies. Over the past few years, Hollywood has begun to lock into series films...mostly the trilogy. This May will be no different as Iron Man 3 exploded into theaters on the 3rd and Hangover 3 will arrive on the 24th.
  So here's a pop quiz: What was the very first trilogy?

What came to mind? Star Wars? The Godfather? Both are great trilogies, however, the trilogy we are looking for began long before either of these films directors were even making their legendary films. Do a google search and you'll discover an interesting discussions on this topic.

The answer is Frankenstein. In 1931 the original "monster" movie hit screens with Boris Karloff in the lead role. It was followed by Bride of Frankenstein (1935) and Son of Frankenstein (1939). Each Frankenstein film had the essentials for a great trilogy; a consistent story arc, reoccurring characters and actors portraying those characters (everyone would agree that changing actors/actresses for a lead role in a trilogy or series just destroys the arc...ahem BATMAN!)


Trilogies give us the chance to grow with the characters. Take the Hangover trilogy for example; who would have thought that Ken Jeong's depiction of Leslie Chow would become so endearing that he would have appeared in all three films? Chow, the villain in Hangover #1, overdosed on cocaine and was arrested in Hangover #2, yet there he is in the Hangover 3! And you freggin love it!

I personally love trilogies: Lord of the Rings, Matrix, Back to the Future and so many more. Hollywood is obviously locked into the Comic world as of late. Iron Man being the latest trilogy, but Sherlock Holmes will release its 3rd movie next year. Star Trek will obviously do the same in the future, as will Thor, Man of Steel and Captain America. So let's give Hollywood some help....what else could be crafted into a trilogy of movies, whether adapted from print or television.

Here is a list of ideas of movie trilogies that I would love to see.

Quantum Leap
   Remember this amazing television show from the 1989-1993, where scientist Sam Beckett would leap from person to person helping save their lives by changing the outcome of a certain moment?
  This story could be easily updated for a current time arc or pushed into the future or past. It has a wide range of possibilities, but could quickly go astray if the wrong screenwriter got their hands on it.
  In the television series,  Sam Beckett was assisted by a man named Al. During the series, Sam interacted with people from Al's past on a few occasions. It ultimately was a key part of the series final episodes as well, and would be an intricate storyline for a movie adaptation.
  I could see Ryan Gosling playing the lead role of Sam Becket.


Television adaptations are sometimes difficult to pick, streamlines idea and formulate it into a movie...just ask fans of A-Team. I happened to love the movie, but it didn't perform well enough at the box office to score a sequel, let alone a full trilogy.
Novels, however, lend themselves extremely well, mostly because the author has already developed strong characters and a trio of stories that can be easily adapted onto the screen, like The Hunger Games, Bourne Identity & Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.
So here are two, one for adults and another for kids, that I believe would be great movie trilogies.

Mistborn
  Is a dark epic fantasy/fiction Trilogy of novels by author Brandon Sanderson, and one of my personal favorites. It takes the reader to a place called Luthadel, where the world is covered in ash. It follows the exploits of a group of people with amazing abilities called Allomancers, which have the ability to burn metals and transfer it into a physical power. The most powerful of these beings are Mistborn, like the lead character, Vin. I love this story for a multitude of reasons; character development, magical powers and its unparalleled depth in storytelling.

  #1 The Final Empire - For a thousand years the ash fell and no flowers bloomed. For a thousand years the Skaa slaved in misery and lived in fear. For a thousand years the Lord Ruler, the "Sliver of Infinity," reigned with absolute power and ultimate terror, divinely invincible. Then, when hope was so long lost that not even its memory remained, a terribly scarred, heart-broken half-Skaa rediscovered it in the depths of the Lord Ruler's most hellish prison. Kelsier "snapped" and found in himself the powers of a Mistborn. A brilliant thief and natural leader, he turned his talents to the ultimate caper, with the Lord Ruler himself as the mark.
Kelsier recruited the underworld's elite, the smartest and most trustworthy allomancers, each of whom shares one of his many powers, and all of whom relish a high-stakes challenge. Only then does he reveal his ultimate dream, not just the greatest heist in history, but the downfall of the divine despot.
But even with the best criminal crew ever assembled, Kel's plan looks more like the ultimate long shot, until luck brings a ragged girl named Vin into his life. Like him, she's a half-Skaa orphan, but she's lived a much harsher life. Vin has learned to expect betrayal from everyone she meets, and gotten it. She will have to learn to trust, if Kel is to help her master powers of which she never dreamed. (taken from amazon.com Mistborn book 1 - Description)
  #2 Well of Ascension - Evil has been defeated. The war has just begun.
They did the impossible, deposing the godlike being whose brutal rule had lasted a thousand years. Now Vin, the street urchin who has grown into the most powerful Mistborn in the land, and Elend Venture, the idealistic young nobleman who loves her, must build a healthy new society in the ashes of an empire.
They have barely begun when three separate armies attack. As the siege tightens, an ancient legend seems to offer a glimmer of hope. But even if it really exists, no one knows where to find the Well of Ascension or what manner of power it bestows.
It may just be that killing the Lord Ruler was the easy part. Surviving the aftermath of his fall is going to be the real challenge.(taken from amazon.com Mistborn book 2 - Description)
  #3 Hero of Ages - To end the Final Empire and restore freedom, Vin killed the Lord Ruler. But as a result, the Deepness---the lethal form of the ubiquitous mists---is back, along with increasingly heavy ashfalls and ever more powerful earthquakes. Humanity appears to be doomed.
Having escaped death at the climax of The Well of Ascension only by becoming a Mistborn himself, Emperor Elend Venture hopes to find clues left behind by the Lord Ruler that will allow him to save the world. Vin is consumed with guilt at having been tricked into releasing the mystic force known as Ruin from the Well. Ruin wants to end the world, and its near omniscience and ability to warp reality make stopping it seem impossible. She can’t even discuss it with Elend lest Ruin learn their plans!
The conclusion of the Mistborn trilogy fulfills all the promise of the first two books. Revelations abound, connections rooted in early chapters of the series click into place, and surprises, as satisfying as they are stunning, blossom like fireworks to dazzle and delight. It all leads up to a finale unmatched for originality and audacity that will leave readers rubbing their eyes in wonder, as if awaking from an amazing dream.(taken from amazon.com Mistborn book 3 - Description)
  The movies could be films using CGI, like Transformers, or motion capture, like Tintin, which would be amazing for the battle scenes and action fighting.

Land of Mistasia
 The Land of Mistasia is book #1 in the Phillip & Whizzy Trilogy of young adult fantasy/fiction. It follows two best friends on an adventure the summer before they are to begin High School. Whizzy's twin sister, Rachel, is abducted by a snake and pulled through a portal to the Land of Mistasia. Phillip and Whizzy come to her rescue. In the story, Phillip, Whizzy and Rachel change forms when then enter Mistasia. they also discover that they have special powers and must use them to defeat Cragon Cadieux.
Here are the plots for each movie:
   #1 Land of Mistasia - Phillip Harper and Michael “Whizzy” Whizzenmog have been best friends all their lives. They have just begun summer vacation before what they believe to be the biggest adventure of their lives…High School, but one early morning these boys find themselves swept away into a scary and dangerous place…The Land of Mistasia. Here Phillip and Whizzy must battle their way across Mistasia to Cadieux Castle. There the boys must defeat the evil King Cragon, save Whizzy’s twin sister, Rachel, and free the creatures of Mistasia. Along the way they discover that they have special abilities and meet a elven warrior that must help them save the world…well Mistasia.
   #2 Return to Mistasia -  Phillip Harper and Michael “Whizzy” Whizzenmog have begun their freshmen year at Greenville High School and both were more than ready for the holiday break when an unexpected visitor arrived. Once again Phillip, Whizzy and Rachel Whizzenmog were back in Mistasia where it had been many years since their last visit and things seemed very different from the moment they arrived. Sorcerer LaCroiux was back and trapped Phillip, Whizzy and Rachel in the Deadly Spray Forest. They must escape, find there way back to Cadieux Castle and stop the sorcerer from freeing Cragon Cadieux. They will need to battle new creatures and travel across new lands along the way. If they can’t…Mistasia may once again find itself under the control of the evil King Cragon.
   #3 Last Emerald - Phillip Harper and Michael “Whizzy, Whizzenmog need to return to Mistasia in order to save Grace Tallon and stop King Cragon Cadieux who once again rules Mistasia. In order to return, they must convince, Rachel and Whizzy’s grandfather, Rainer Whizzenmog to help them with the use of a mystical green emerald. Their travels through Mistasia will be more dangerous than ever before, as King Cragon and his heinous sorcerer, Pierre LaCroiux will stop at nothing to keep them from reaching the castle. Unexpected, new friends and foes will force Phillip, Whizzy and Rachel to fight for their lives. Everything hinges on their ability to keep King Cragon from stealing the one item that would allow him to rule Mistasia forever, the Last Emerald.
  This movie would be done both in animation, during scenes in Mistasia and live-action, when in the characters home world of Greenville.

What is your novel, comic or televisions show that would be a killer movie trilogy?

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