Show and Tour
I should have done a post a while ago, obviously, when the TV show got greenlit. But I didn’t. I was distracted, by among other things the TV show being greenlit. If you post questions in the comments below I’ll try to answer them, but be warned: I will mostly fail, either because I don’t know the answers, or I can’t say.
More news: the paperback of Magician’s Land is out in June, and I’ll be going on tour. Exact details will be posted shortly, but I’ll be coming to Seattle (June 17), Portland (June 16), DC (June 24), San Francisco (June 18), New Haven (June 11), Boston (June 10) and Burlington, VT (June 23). As well as plain old New York (June 9 in Manhattan, June 25 in Brooklyn). (Dates are tentative-ish, but pretty firm.) Also I’ll be in San Diego for Comic-Con in July.
I want to call out the Cambridge event in particular, because it’ll be a conversation with Gregory Maguire, who wrote Wicked, and I’m unspeakably excited about it. It’s at the Brattle Theater, by way of Harvard Bookstore. It’s also a big deal to me because I grew up around there. I hope you’ll come if you can.
How come you never come to chicago?
Yeah. Quite a few fans in Michigan here, too. I think many of us would be happy to drive down to Chicago to see you!
Another vote for chicago…..
how involved are you with the tv show?
will you cameo or write an episode maybe?
What structural changes did they make to the storytelling? It looks like they’re following Julia’s arc from the start, and it looks like they’re telling the Breakbills stuff in flashback from New York. What changes are you most excited about?
Also, are they looking to tell the story of the books, or use the books as a frame for other stories?
Mr. Grossman,
I’m so happy to see that you will be touring! I know there are lots of people in Indianapolis that would love to come out and support you. Please consider coming to Indy or Chicago. Pretty please! With a cherry on top!
Lauren Bickel
Dear Lev:
In the upcoming tv show of the Magicians… ¿Do they “merge” Alice with Julia or something? (like some characters in “Game of Thrones”). I didn’t see Alice in the cast.
Thanks!
Yes please come to Chicago!
I second the question about Alice. I read that she’d be played by Sosie Bacon, but she doesn’t seem to be in the trailer or any of the promotional images. Is Alice being recast?
Also, will Josh be in the show?
re: Chicago, believe it or not I actually have no say in where the tour goes. It’s all a negotiation between the publisher (Plume, in this case, who does my paperbacks) and local bookstores. Then they hand me a bunch of plane tickets. If you mention to your local bookstore in Chicago that you’d be interested in seeing me there, that sometimes gets the ball rolling.
So far, I’m involved in that I talk to the creators a lot — they’ve been really cool about it, very open about the process — but I haven’t written a word of any actual script. We actually talked about my shooting a cameo, but I couldn’t make it to the set that day. But I still want to do it.
re: the show, the major structural change is that they’re telling Julia’s story in parallel with Q’s, instead of waiting to reveal it later. Also they’re a bit older than in the books.
In terms of Alice, it’s a bit confusing. And I probably shouldn’t be the one to clear it up. But Alice is definitely a major character, definitely not merged with Julia.
What bookstore will you be in for the Manhattan and Brooklyn dates?
Congrats on the TV show. Thank you for Magicians. Started the series in March, finished last night.
My question is: how will the TV show affect your ability to write the Asmodeus revenge story? Because that would be a wicked good read.
Kyle
PS I live in LA, but you should probably go to Chicago, it seems like they could use it.
Bookstores: Mcnally Jackson in Manhattan (that’s next Tuesday — w/ Choire Sicha!). Then BookCourt in Brooklyn, I think the 25th. They’ve actually filled in the events page now http://levgrossman.com/events/
re: the Asmodeus Chronicles, I want to read that too. Maybe not ready to write it yet. Someday.
Hi Lev!
Will the show still be set in New England, or will it now take place in New Orleans where the pilot (and the show?) was shot?
– Haley
Actually, for reasons too complicated for me to fully comprehend, the entire production has been shifted to Vancouver. Though I think the show will still be set in New York City, New York State, and, eventually, Fillory.
Bates Motel is supposed to be set on the Oregon Coast but actually is filmed in BC. Tax reasons, I think. Leverage was filmed in LA the first season and then Portland Oregon but was supposed to be set in Boston until the last season when the crew pulls up stakes and the show is set in Portland. The cast just loved Portland. Christian Kane is still here, in the Librarians cast. I miss Beth Riesgraf. She’s only had a few cameos since playing Parker.
Loads and loads of stuff is shot in BC! The weird thing about the place is that we have cities, rainforest, alpine forest, remote lakes, desert (sagebrush/low cactus), snowy mountains, farmlands, etc. A big variety of terrain within close driving distance is a handy feature for filming, especially in the case of a television show that crosses to other worlds. The biggest reason I’d imagine would be the sad state of the Canadian dollar currently — making it a cheap place to show up with US dollars and shoot.
Also, lots of experienced crew around here used to working on sci-fi/fantasy such as X-Files, Fringe, Tomorrowland, Watchman, Elysium, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, X-Men, Battlestar, Supernatural, and so forth.