The Real Heroes: Reese and Wernick on Deadpool
Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick discuss the difficult process of getting Deadpool made, the jokes Fox let them get away with, and why they spend a lot of time thinking about funny ways to kill people.
By Christopher McKittrick. When the fan-favorite comic book anti-hero Deadpool appeared in 2009’s X-Men Origins: Wolverine portrayed by Ryan Reynolds, fans almost universally agreed that the character might have been called Deadpool, but it sure wasn’t the hilarious “Merc with a Mouth” from the comics. Reynolds, a longtime fan of the character, knew that X-Men […]
“I think he wanted to toss me off the cliff.” Mark L. Smith on The Revenant and Martyrs
Mark L. Smith discusses long development periods, how he took a special approach to writing The Revenant, and what appeals to him about stories of survivors.
By Christopher McKittrick. For screenwriter Mark L. Smith, patience has paid off. After not having one of his credited screenplays produced since 2009’s The Hole, two films he wrote have been released recently. The Revenant, one of the most acclaimed drama of 2015, and Martyrs, a remake of the French horror movie that debuted at the […]
Alex Garland on Screenwriting
In a career-spanning interview with Alex Garland, he discusses how he went from novelist to screenwriter, why he doesn’t look too far ahead or too far behind, and why filmmaking is like surfing.
By Christopher McKittrick. The critically acclaimed 2015 sci-fi psychological thriller Ex Machina might have been the first film by Alex Garland as a writer/director, but Garland has been involved in film ever since his first novel, The Beach, was adapted as movie directed by Danny Boyle in 2000. After becoming acclimated with screenwriting, Garland wrote […]
Life Goes On: Drew Goddard on The Martian
Drew Goddard discusses the challenges of adapting a scientifically-detailed novel, what he loves about collaborating with others on screenwriting, and why something that seems like a setback might be the best possible thing to happen to a film.
By Christopher McKittrick. Drew Goddard’s career as a screenwriter started in television, where he worked with Joss Whedon as a staff writer on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel. He later joined J.J. Abrams’ Bad Robot Productions, working as a staff writer on Alias and Lost. In time, Goddard’s collaborations with Abrams and Whedon extended […]
The Wannabe: A Gangster Love Story
Nick Sandow discusses when to ignore notes, the influence of Scorsese, and how his background as an actor informs his writing style.
By Christopher McKittrick. On the hit Netflix series Orange is the New Black, Nick Sandow portrays prison administrator Joseph Caputo, who tries (often in vain) to maintain control of Litchfield Penitentiary. It’s probably not much different from trying to write and direct a film while sustaining a career as an actor. Yet the longtime character […]
