Isaac Asimov Collaborated With A Sci-Fi Legend On An Unfilmable I, Robot Script

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Isaac Asimov published his short story collection "I, Robot" in 1950, compiling several robot-themed stories that he had previously submitted to sci-fi magazines like "Astounding Science Fiction" and "Super Science Stories." The book consists of nine stories that all concern the fineries of creating artificial life forms, and the ethics they must abide by. One of the stories, "Runaround," introduced Asimov's well-known Three Laws of Robotics, which the author posited were necessary to ensure that there would never be a proper robot uprising against humans. 

The book became widely known among sci-fi fans, and Asimov's Laws have become openly discussed in all real-world conversations of robotics. In the 1960s, three of the "I, Robot" stories were adapted into episodes of TV anthology shows. Modern audiences might know "I, Robot" best from Alex Proyas' 2004 film starring Will Smith (which may or may not have influenced Elon Musk), a loose adaptation of the story "Little Lost Robot." 

But back in the late 1970s, though, Asimov and celebrated sci-fi author Harlan Ellison collaborated on a potential film version of "I, Robot" that would have done full justice to Asimov's original stories. Both authors wanted to write a proper sci-fi film for adults, something neither of them felt had been done yet. The Ellison screenplay was described in detail in the 2002 biography "Harlan Ellison: The Edge of Forever," and his idea was to stage several stories in "I, Robot" as flashbacks in a "Citizen Kane" like character exploration (which was similar to the flashback structure of the book). Ellison described his experience writing the "I, Robot" screenplay in a 1979 interview with the Comics Journal, and he recalled a lot of toil and frustration with Hollywood. He also recalled that his completed script was nigh unfilmable. 

Ellison told the interviewer, firstly, that working on the "I, Robot" screenplay was an arduous, time-consuming project that ruined both his health and his romances. It seems that Ellison was too deeply "in the zone" while penning this script. As he described the experience: 

"I spent an entire year, from November of the year before last to last November, writing 'I, Robot' for Warner Brothers. It was a full year; it just f***ed up my health, f***ed up all my relationships. The woman I was going with just one day wandered up into my office and said, 'Forget it! I didn't sign on for this!'[ I'd gone days without washing, without brushing my teeth, without shaving. I was like an animal." 

According to both Ellison and his biography, the "I, Robot" screenplay, however, was way too complex to actually realize on the big screen. The kind of special effects required to create what Ellison wanted didn't exist yet. Everyone at Warner Bros. liked Ellison's screenplay, but they suggested that the author listen to a few of their notes. Anyone who knows anything about Harlan Ellison knows that he was notoriously grumpy and saw "studio notes" as the ultimate offense. Look up his experience writing "Star Trek's" best episode. He hated the experience. 

Ellison passed on WB's notes. About the interaction, Ellison said: 

"They said, 'It's a work of genius' — that's a direct quote– 'it's a work of genius, it's brilliant ... we'd like a few changes.' So I passed on that, I wouldn't do the rewrites, so they took me off it and gave it to four other writers in the last 10 months." 

And that wasn't the end of Ellison's saga.

According to Ellison, he was in high demand from Warner Bros. who really, really wanted him to complete this screenplay. By 1979, though, Ellison already had enough with Hollywood, having seen his screenplays altered into TV shows he hated. When Warner came knocking at his door, pleading that Ellison re-write the "I, Robot" screenplay, he threw it back in their faces:

"A week ago, they crawled back on their knees and said, 'Would you go back on the script and do it?' I said, 'If you stay out of my way. Get out of my f***in' face and then I'll do it.' They said, 'Uhh, I was waiting for you to say, "I told you so."' And I said, 'I don't have to tell you "I told you so," a**hole. I was right to begin with." 

Ellison continued: 

"You don't pay me $150,000 to write a goddamn movie that you couldn't get made in 15 years, and I do it, and you tell me I have to change this character for this, and this character for that. I said, we're not going to change Susan Calvin into 'Rocky' just so the a**holes who sit in these four-in-one theaters can applaud. F*** the a**holes, man."

After a brief pause, Ellison reflected by saying, "I'm getting crankier in my old age. Have you noticed that?" Ultimately, the "I, Robot" movie wouldn't be made until 2004. Ellison had nothing to do with that one. But his beef with Hollywood would continue long into the 21st century, like when he sued over the film "In Time," for instance.