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GATSU wrote:

ichido: I don't see how money is being lost, when the film's main market is in Japan. And I'm guessing Optimum had to pay Disney for the rights to the UK version, so it's totally profitable.

FYI Madman and Optimum (or Optimum through Madman, or the other way around), basically deal solely with Ghibli, who in turn provide them with the materials that Disney produce (and sometimes different materials).

It's not uncommon for Australian or UK (or anyone doing English language releases) companies to deal directly with the Japanese. In certian cases, ADV will have international English market rights to a title, so Madman will speak to them, but other times, ADV only have it for the US, so Madman speaks to Japan. I remember when WHR was announced by Madman before it was announced in the US, and this was the first time it happened, so it was kinda confusing.

Remember, the announcement for a license in one country doesn't nessecerally mean it was licensed there first. We still do not know 100% what is happening with Earthsea, because between when the author wrote her views and right now, the situation may have changed but due to contractual obligations, things are kept quiet.

GATSU wrote:

If it's so big here, then how come no one cared about the cable film?

This is straigt from John Clute's definitive Encyclopedia of Science Fiction

Quote:

she has been honoured with 5 Hugos and 4 Nebulas, more attention has been paid to her by the academic community than to any other modern sf writer.

She is without a doubt the strongest SF author when it comes to social science fiction, and her novels Left Hand of Darkness and the Dispossessed both make it onto Easton Press' 100 Greatest Science Fictions lists. Sure I might like authors like Bujold, Brust and Gaiman more, but it goes without saying that LeGuin belongs in the Asimov, Heinlein, Clarke class of authors.