'Hitchhiker's Guide' and the Answer to Everything
(From left) Marvin the chronically depressed robot, galaxy president Zaphod Beeblebrox (Sam Rockwell), Ford Prefect (Mos Def) and Arthur Dent (Martin Freeman). Laurie Sparham/© 2005 Touchstone Pictures, All rights reserved. hide caption
Ford Prefect, Arthur Dent and Zaphod Beeblebrox prepare to rescue a compatriot from the Vogons on the planet Vogsphere. Laurie Sparham/© 2005 Touchstone Pictures, All rights reserved. hide caption
Religious cult leader Humma Kavula (John Malkovich). Laurie Sparham/© 2005 Touchstone Pictures, All rights reserved. hide caption
Long before Men In Black — before Space Balls — The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, first a series of radio programs, and later books, set the standard in the relatively small genre of SciFi comedy.
Here's the premise: A Vogon Constructor fleet demolishes the Earth to make way for an intersteller bypass. The only survivors of this cataclysm are Arthur Dent (in the film played by Martin Freeman), a nebbish Brit, and his friend Ford Prefect (played by Mos Def), an alien in disguise stranded on the planet for several years. Together they team up with the ultra-flaky President of the Universe, his human girlfriend, and a depressed android, to embark on a series of comic adventures in search of the meaning of life, the universe and everything.
The executive producer of the movie and with the editor of the series' late author, Douglas Adams, talk about the new film, the legacy of the series and, of course, the answer to everything.
Guests:
Robby Stamp, executive producer, Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
Peter Guzzardi, American editor of Douglas Adams, the late author of Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
Related NPR Stories
Read an Excerpt
From the book: 'The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Deluxe 25th Anniversary Edition' by Douglas Adams Copyright © 2004. Published by Harmony Books, a division of Random House, Inc.
