So this week, I was having a blast on Twitter. Well, first, I should explain something. There are two principles at work here that you need to know.The first principle is twofold: I can make an alternate version/ending to any story, and I get about three major story ideas a week.
The second principle is something mxpw and I have talked about a lot, in that Chuck and Sarah's story is timeless. It transcends the modern age, even though Chuck is a computer nerd and Sarah likes her creature comforts. I mean, you only have to go to the section to find that out. Of the many fanfictions, there's a few set in the wild west, a few fantasy settings, so and so forth. The love story transcends all, and the characters are actually extremely malleable.
With that in mind, the other day, I dreamed up a really, really interesting (to me, anyway) AU, and then tweeted about it on the Twitter. A few of my readers joked that I come up with too many stories, and perhaps proving them right, I jotted down a few adaptations. I've listed them here, for your viewing pleasure. Some of them were submitted by others.
Hit the break, and enjoy!
1) The Tourist. Sad from his breakup with Lou, Intersectless Chuck tours Europe thanks to tickets paid for by exasperated Ellie. When he meets CIA agent Sarah on a train, things get tricky.
2) Never Back Down. New girl Jenny Burton has to fight for love in an underground high school fight club. Will she succeed in standing up to the school bully Jill Roberts and protecting her new best friend, Lou?
3) Red. The team gets back together when Casey falls in love with a telemarketer in KC and must prevent VP from killing them all.
4) The Bodyguard. When Chuck’s software firm goes huge, he hires ex-CIA agent Sarah Walker as bodyguard. Chemistry ensues.
5) The Adjustment Bureau. See Fates Impose, What.
6) Ocean’s 11. Charah and crew of lovable misfits must swindle bad guys in a hilarious manner. Done by the fantastic Moonlight Pilot.
7) Fringe. Chuck and Sarah are Olivia Dunham’s unknowing parents, but how the hell did this happen? The words “temporal anomaly” come into play.
9) Bourne Identity. Chuck wakes up in the Mediterranean with no memory, Sarah is a drifting, feckless German looking to avoid her past.
10) Weird Science. Morgan and Chuck create the perfect woman: Sarah Walker.
11) The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes ...and they were Chuck Taylors.
12) Breakfast Club. Nerd Bryce, Prep Sarah, Weird Morgan, Jock Casey, and Angry-at-World-cos-Dad-Left Chuck spend a Saturday in detention. Self-actualization and pot ensue.
13) Stripes. Chuck and Morgan accidentally blow up DI Casey at Basic, win over MPs Sarah and Alex respectively.
14) My Big Fat Greek Wedding. Intersectless Chuck proposes to Sarah Walker, discovers the Spy Life is all Greek to him.
15) Big. Morgan makes wish, grows up, works for toy company, falls for Elizabeth Perkins, and then never has to mature ever.
16) Psych. Chuck uses Intersect/fakes being psychic to drive Detectives Walker and Casey nuts along with sidekick Morgan.
17) Escape from New York. Chuck Plesskin must break John Casey out of prison. Eyepatches are sexy. BDaddyDL
18) Back to the Future. Orion accidentally sends his son back in time/Chuck prevents Frost from leaving.
19) The Sting. After Chuck’s partner Big Mike is killed by somebody they swindled, Jack Burton takes Chuck under his wing.
20) Star Wars. Chuck’s a farmboy setting out to save Princess Ellie from the Evil Fulcrum, along with kickass Sarah Jade. Done by Wepdiggy, with different roles.
21) Charade. When Chuck’s girlfriend is murdered, he has to decide whether or not to trust a mysterious stranger with many names.
22) Misery. Kathy Bates is a fan of Chuck...and she does not like Season Three. Look out, Schwedak.
23) Star Trek. Captain Casey and his continuing adventures with Mr. Carmichael, Lieutenant Walker, and Dr. "Bones" Awesome.
24) The Office. Well-meaning slacker Chuck secretly carries a torch for Secretary Sarah while dealing with their crazy bosses and wooden coworkers, like Shaw. Morgan stars as the Nard Dog.
25) Dirty Dancing. Dance instructor Sarah falls for her nerdy student/savior. “Nobody puts Bartowski in a corner!” catrogue
26) Dick Tracy. Detective Chuck and his sweetheart Sarah discover that No Face just means no expression with Shaw.
27) Spaced. Underemployed Chuck and Sarah fake being a couple in order to move into shared flat. The neighbors are insane. Ayefah
28) The Island. Clones Chuck and Sarah figure out something is off about their utopian society, and flee to find their donors.
29) Italian Job. After Shaw guns down Jack Burton, Jack’s daughter and protege (Chuck) gather a crew for revenge. And yes, the crew for The Italian Job would be Awesome Devon, John "Trigger Finger" Casey, and Morgan "The Real Cheez-Whiz" Grimes.
30) Rear Window. With a broken leg/time on his hands, Chuck discovers that neighbor Sarah may be more mysterious than he thought. PeterO
31) Half Baked. Morgan accidentally kills a police horse, and Chuck, Sarah, and Casey have to sell pot to post his bail. Hijinks ensue. Wepdiggy
32) Teeth. We all knew Sarah had to have some ulterior motive for getting intimate with Shaw. Wepdiggy.
33) Caddyshack. Chuck Bartowski is in a bind. He needs a scholarship to get into Stanford, and now his on-again, off-again love interest, lifeguard Sarah is pregnant. How will he win the caddy tournament to earn that scholarship? Well with the help of Pierce, of course. Wepdiggy
34) Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure. In danger of failing, Chuck and Morgan take a phone booth to the past (and meet gladiator Sarah). It’s all that and a waterpark, too.
35) The Wiz. Chuck, Michael Jackson, and Diana Ross dance down the Yellow Brick Road.
36) Friends. Chuck and Sarah love each other. No, they hate each other. No they love each other. Nope, hate each other. Oh, and everyone else drinks coffee and does little else.
37) West Side Story. It’s the Buy More and the Large Mart against each other, and yes, there will be snapping of fingers and the merriest of dancing.
38) Chuck McGuire. Sports agent Chuck Bartowski has a near mental break, then tries to piece his life back together with love interest Sarah, and his one client: star tight end Devon Woodcomb. "Show me the money, bro." Wepdiggy
39) Shrek. Ogre Chuck and Donkey Morgan must go save Princess Sarah from the Dragon (Casey) to get Chuck’s land back, and then they have to save her from the evil Prince Shaw.
40) The Whole Nine Yards. Chuck is a clean-cut dentist, who never dreamed of doing something illegal. That is, until his wife Jill tries to have him killed. Then Chuck hooks up with hitman John "Angel of Death" Casey, Casey’s former partner in crime Sarah Walker, and his crazy dental assistant Anna Wu to try to save everyone. Except the baddies. Wepdiggy
41) Super Troopers. Chuck, Morgan, Jeffster, Big Mike, and Skip Johnson solve murders, and eventually win over local police officer, Sarah, when they uncover a conspiracy.
42) Forgetting Sarah Marshall. See Greater, That Which Is.
43) My Super Ex-Girlfriend. Chuck breaks up with AP. Things do not go well. Wepdiggy
44) Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. EVERYONE GOES TO LACUNA TO GET SHAW ERASED FROM THEIR HEAD> Chris
So yeah, that's just a few plots that could be Chuckified. Anybody willing to throw out any other ideas? Your brilliant plot may strike another writer's sweet spot and inspire a whole story, you know!
:)
Frea
21 Chuck in the Jim Sturgess role as the card counting genius, Sarah in Kate Bosworth's role and Casey in Kevin Spacey's, Morgan as that wacky asian kid and Shaw as the jealous former team captain.
ReplyDeleteKiss Kiss Bang Gang: Chuck in the RDJ role, Casey as Gay Perry (seriously how much would you pay to see that?) and of course Sarah in the Michelle Monaghan role.
Diehard 4: Casey as John Mclaine, Chuck in the Justin Long role, Sarah as McLaine's daughter I guess?
Lucky Number Slevin: Chuck in Hartnett's role, Case in Willis' role and Sarah as the unknowing neighbor (Lucy Lu)role
Sherlock Holmes: Chuck as Holmes, Morgan as Watson, Sarah as Irene Adler and Casey/Shaw as Moriarty
Superbad: who'd play what should be pretty obvious in that one. Only real question is who would be McLovin?
Wanted: Chuck in McAvoy's role Sarah in Jolies and Casey/Shaw in Freeman's
Awww, thank you for including mine, despite the fact that I cheated and put them in an IM where I had no character limit, teehee. You're the best, Frea! Oh, and these are just delicious. And this didn't even bring into account the ones I've actually intended to write, such as Private Burton.
ReplyDeleteThe legend of the historical Agent 355: Chuck as Robert Townsend and Sarah as Agent 355 (but with a happier ending that doesn't involve Sarah getting captured and dying or Chuck sliding into depression and alcoholism)
ReplyDeleteI can't believe that with the wallpaper in this place, Scott Pilgrim never came up. There's even a ready-made precedent for visiting violence on a character played by Brandon Routh! (And Routh was actually enjoyable in that movie, which was a nice change.)
ReplyDeleteHaha, you know, I thought it was too easy, given the wallpaper here, Ayefah. But hey, how about Mass Effect? Sarah spends two years working tirelessly to bring Chuck Shepard back to life, just so they can shag in the engine room.
ReplyDeleteI was thinking of doing a Scott Pilgrim one, but as my Eternal Sunshine one was The Best with intentional capital letters, I didn't want to sully my perfect record.
ReplyDeleteHahahahaha. And to think I actually had an Eternal Sunshine adaptation in the works for the longest time before converting it into Kill Bryce. I like Chris's idea better. :D
ReplyDeleteFrea this was a lot of fun. If I was to do a fic like this I still want to show how Chuck becomes the Kwisatz Haderach (Dune)Although, I cant seem to find the time to write my own fics, so that's way down the back burner.
ReplyDeletePrison Break
ReplyDeleteWhen older brother John Casey is put on death row for a murder he didn't commit, brilliant younger brother Chuck Bartowski devises an extravagant plan to break him out. But being outside the walls won't help him – he's got to get in first. With his remarkable eidetic memory, an unlikely crew of convicts, and his burgeoning, yet forbidden romance with prison doctor Sarah Walker – will Chuck and Casey make it out?
Casey: "You've seen the blueprints?"
Chuck: "Better than that. I've got them in me." [points to head]
Yes, I slightly altered that quote. Oh, well. I can't picture him with a full body tattoo.
Top Gun
Chuck "Carmichael" Bartowski is the son of deceased aviator Stephen "Orion" Bartowski. A reckless but talented pilot in his own right, Chuck is sent to the Top Gun Program with his pal Morgan "Cobra" Grimes. The night before he begins school, he charmingly, yet unsuccessfully attempts to pick up a beautiful blonde he sees in a bar. What happens when she turns out to be his instructor? Romance, tragedy, and shirtless beach volleyball games ensue.
"I feel the need. The need for speed!"
That was kinda fun. Thanks! :)
~NMH~
And, yes, the "Top Gun" adaptation was inspired by the reference in "Fates." :)
ReplyDelete~NMH~
Y The last man.
ReplyDeleteChuck is the only male on earth to survive a catastrophic plague of unknown origin that killed every living thing with a Y chromosome.
His mother, now president of the US, assigns Sarah Walker to escort him cross-country to the lab of rogue cloning scientist Jill Roberts in order to save the human race (and all other species) from extinction.
(Casey's and Devon are trapped on the international space station and nobody knows they're still alive up there. Sorry Morgan fans.)
To quote the Captain, "You guys are awesome!" For the movies where the Chuck/Sarah-based characters die horribly, I'm going to imagine happy endings for everybody, though. Because I'm persistent like that.
ReplyDeleteAlso, additionally, NMH, bwhahahaahaha, I now want to write that story.
How about one based on my favorite TV show –
ReplyDeleteNorthern Exposure:
Chuck Bartowski graduates with his doctorate in Electrical Engineering from Stanford University. His tuition & all expenses were paid by the little town of Cicely, Alaska and in repayment, Chuck must set up his business in Cicely where he is tasked with developing an data storage and retrieval devise to be used by the US Government. Dubbed the **ahem** Intersect, it is envisioned to be the “intersect” of all the worlds knowledge.
This is a story about people of different backgrounds and experiences clashing but who ultimately "strive to accept their differences and co-exist." One of those people is Sarah Walker, a bush pilot who develops a love-hate relationship with Chuck. The sexual tension between the two and their opposed views on most subjects are sources of frequent conflict. Another is John Casey, a successful businessman and celebrated former war hero. Determined to make tiny Cicely the "Alaskan Wikipedia", Casey arranges to bring Chuck to the town.
Yeah, I could go on and on…
... of course, in the series finale (in my mind, it ended when Joel returned to NYC!) Sarah goes with Chuck back to Southern California and his "normal" Life.
ReplyDeleteHow about House:
ReplyDeleteCasey as the crabby but brilliant doctor. Morgan, Chuck, and Sarah are the three doctors working with him. Devon will play the upbeat best friend. Ellie will be the thankless hospital administator.
Or Bones. We've already seen (in 1.08) that Sarah has experience with bodies, and, of course Sarah is the daughter of a con-man abandoned in high school and lacking in some understanding some aspects of social interaction. She would have to fall for Chuck, who is one of her squints, however, rather than her partner, former sharp shooter and single father Casey.
ReplyDeleteHa, got a bit too excited there and posted after only skimming the entry.
ReplyDeleteHm, this is an imperfect fit at best, and it loses something with the gender reversal, but here goes:
ReplyDeleteVeronica Mars
High school junior Chuck Bartowski works for his father's PI business while searching for answers to his own life's mysteries:
Why did his girlfriend Jill suddenly dump him last year, and why has she refused to speak to him since? Where did his mother disappear to when she left the family not much later? What happened the night he was roofied at a party? And most vitally, who murdered his best friend (and Jill's brother) Bryce?
Meanwhile, he starts to build his life anew from the ashes of his former golden boy existence, befriending fellow misfit Ellie, gang leader Anna, A/V nerd Morgan, and Devon, the nicest member of the popular crowd. And even as he still pines for Jill, he starts forming a connection with Bryce's once-girlfriend Sarah...
(Yes, I'm aware that this makes for a pretty implausible Aaron Echolls, for a start. Still, it's the best I could do. :P)
Ooh, I just thought of another!
ReplyDeleteThe Middleman
Underemployed art school grad Sarah Walker gets recruited by the mysterious Middleman (Devon) to fight comic book evil!
Ellie is Sarah's roommate, a confrontational spoken-word artist who thinks Sarah's new boss is dreamy. Morgan is the guitar-playing neighbor who habitually sits outside the elevator in their building. Lester is the smarmy asshole son of their landlord, and Jeff is the neighbor whose sculptures always look like penises.
Casey is the snarky robot who works at Middleman HQ and is utterly convinced that Sarah's a pothead. Carina is the succubus who consults with the Middleman on supernatural problems. And Chuck is the cute underemployed musician Sarah falls for when he helps her escape from a gang of evil Mexican wrestlers. (Shaw can be the Manservant Neville analogue.)
The original idea for Good Will Hunting might be interesting.
ReplyDelete"Young man in the rough-and-tumble streets of South Boston, who possesses a superior intelligence, is targeted by the FBI to become a G-Man."
Swap FBI for CIA, Sarah sent to recruit.
Loved all of them. 39 would be a little bit weird, thought, since Donkey Morgan and Dragon Casey would have to become an item.
ReplyDeleteAnother idea: "How To Steal a Million": Jack Burton is a professional art forger, and has just loaned a false Cellini sculpture to a famous museum. When he and his daughter Sarah discover that the sculpture is going to have a mandatory authenticity test, she, in order to save her father, enlists a high society burglar's (Chuck) help to steal the sculpture. But is Chuck who he says he is?
Spy Game
ReplyDeleteSarah - Tom Bishop
Chuck - Elizabeth Hadley
Langston Graham - Nathan Muir
I believe it would work better with the gender reversals, be AU with the same character views.
I know this is a bit late but I saw this today and I thought of this discussion: http://thehatchettimes.com/2011/04/05/chuck-of-the-dead-fan-art/
ReplyDeleteMallrats
ReplyDeleteChuck and Morgan's respective girlfriends leave them, so the pair go to the mall and deal with the jerk from Fashionable Male, Shaw, as well as win back their respective girlfriends with help from the likes of Morgan and Silent (or rather Growling) John.
Undeclared
Chuck goes off to college and ends up rooming with Morgan, Bryce, and Awesome, with frequent visits from their DJ friend John Casey. Ellie, Sarah and Carina live across the hall, and they have to deal with their RA, Lester.
By the way, the Spaced idea is fantastic.