Don Payne (screenwriter) talks Rise of the Silver Surfer

[Hunter Rider]

I just think Fox has too much invested in the Surfer to not give the character a full view. That's where my opinion comes from. I mean they are shelling out big bucks for his sxf for Surfer, why would they fail to show it all ?

The problem may be that they sacrifice the FF themselves in order to keep the time short and showcase the SS

 

[Fantastic-Boy]

Wow man,very nice!!!

 

[Spider-Fan]

It is true that FOX has kept basically all of their movies (except X2) short. However, FOX has a lot more riding on this movie than they did with X3. X3 was supposed to be an end to that franchise (since getting all the actors together was rather complicated). Plus, X3 was a safer movie, since they had two movies already to ride on. They already had spin-offs planned at the point they made the movie. Here, they have not only 1 but 2 franchises depending on its success. The Fantastic Four's and the Silver Surfer's. For this reason, I think FOX is going to try to make this movie as good as possible.

 

[highguard]

^^^ I hope that is their thinking and so far everything looks good. They have really delivered, they already knew that they would get more money than the first film, but they knew to get the buzz going they had to produce a killer teaser and they did that. Add to that the fantasticar, the look of SS, improvements in just about every area and an epic story.

Everything is looking really good.

So we may have a real winner. I am seriously looking forward to this more than the Spiderman movie, but honestly I am easy to please, I actually kind of enjoyed the Roger Corman movie. I was just glad to get my hands on anything while waiting for FF2.

Oh and by the way Tim Story, when is that director's cut coming out. I want every single extra minute put back into that baby that was FF1.

Do it, do it soon and put an end to the thirst man, cmon already.

 

[Spider-Fan]

^^^ I hope that is their thinking and so far everything looks good. They have really delivered, they already knew that they would get more money than the first film, but they knew to get the buzz going they had to produce a killer teaser and they did that. Add to that the fantasticar, the look of SS, improvements in just about every area and an epic story.

Everything is looking really good.

So we may have a real winner. I am seriously looking forward to this more than the Spiderman movie, but honestly I am easy to please, I actually kind of enjoyed the Roger Corman movie. I was just glad to get my hands on anything while waiting for FF2.

Oh and by the way Tim Story, when is that director's cut coming out. I want every single extra minute put back into that baby that was FF1.

Do it, do it soon and put an end to the thirst man, cmon already.

I am looking forward to Spider-Man 3 more (if you couldn't tell from my name), but this movie isn't that far behind. I love the Cosmic stories in Marvel. They are only second to Spider-Man for me, and this movie is establishing the cosmic section of Marvel. Getting this section off to a good start is extremely important to me.

 

[Retroman]

Cinematical Presents: 'Silver Surfer' Screenwriter Don Payne Answers Your Questions

Posted May 14th 2007 8:01PM by Scott Weinberg
Filed under: Action & Adventure, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, 20th Century Fox, Comic/Superhero/Geek, Remakes and Sequels

Yes, that's right: You could co-(co-co-co-etc.) interview Mr. Don Payne, Emmy-winning writer-producer on The Simpsons and non-Oscar-winning screenwriter of last summer's My Super Ex-Girlfriend. Mr. Payne, who doesn't need to change his name if he decides to take up pro wrestling, also co-wrote this summer's highly-anticipated Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer ... and Cinematical's got the access to get your questions answered! Got a query regarding Fantastic Four 2 that you need answered? Then you've come to the correct movie blog, my friends, because Don wants to answer it!

All you have to do is jot your question(s) down in an email, send the email to this address, and then wait patiently until I can turn the questions and answers into something approximating legible articles. I could have cobbled together 12 or 15 interview questions on my own, but we decided to spread the wealth for a bunch of reasons: A) I already interviewed the man last year -- but that was way too early for us to start discussing FF2, B) I'm really very lazy, and C) We want serious questions from hardcore Fantastic freaks as well as fans of Payne's other work. So if there's something you want to know about Silver Surfer, Dr. Doom, Galactus, The Thing, The Flame Kid, The Stretchy Dude or Inviso-hottie -- now's your chance! It's queryin' time! (Note: Mr. Payne may opt to skip questions that are A) silly, B) redundant or C) spoileriffic. Don't take it personally.)

Source:http://www.cinematical.com/2007/05/14/cinematical-presents-silver-surfer-screenwriter-don-payne-ans/

 

[Iron Maiden]

Yeah, saw that last week and I sent in a question. I wonder if it will get answered.

 

[Kelly]

This was a question from F4movies set visit.....

I think it shows that Payne may understand Doom better than Frost....


Q: Had you written the first one do you think that the story would have evolved differently, or would you still have written this as you have?

DP: I think it was a real challenge writing the first film because everyone was trying to find their footing. People were trying to find the tone, and find out how to establish the characters and I think it would've been a real challenge for any writer writing that first film. I have a lot of sympathy for anybody in that situation, trying to get a franchise off the ground because there's a lot of things going against you. It’s a big hill to climb. So I don't think I - would I have written things differently here because of the first film? It would have been easier to make Doom the malevolent, evil character that everyone knows and loves had he not been that billionaire in the first film, certainly. But, you know - I think we’re getting there.

 

[Iron Maiden]

True enough, he does have that albatross of business mogul Doom around his neck to deal with. I think they should have stayed with the idea to just make Victor a fellow scientist, which I believe was in one of the earlier drafts. The trouble is Marvel still seems to want to throw the Ultimate version of things in the mix, where Doom is the scion of a wealthy family instead of from a more humble background. I was very disappointed with the Warren Ellis Ultimate Doom since he had done so well at revamping Doom 2099 into a morally damaged political revolutionary who overthrew the corrupt megacorps of the future.

 

[Lightning Strykez!]

True enough, he does have that albatross of business mogul Doom around his neck to deal with. I think they should have stayed with the idea to just make Victor a fellow scientist, which I believe was in one of the earlier drafts. The trouble is Marvel still seems to want to throw the Ultimate version of things in the mix, where Doom is the scion of a wealthy family instead of from a more humble background. I was very disappointed with the Warren Ellis Ultimate Doom since he had done so well at revamping Doom 2099 into a morally damaged political revolutionary who overthrew the corrupt megacorps of the future.

Agreed 150%.

 

[Retroman]

Yeah, saw that last week and I sent in a question. I wonder if it will get answered.

I did too though i'm not holding my breath since they've probably gotten hundreds of questions.

This was a question from F4movies set visit.....

I think it shows that Payne may understand Doom better than Frost....

And that's just the person i sent a question about - Frost.

 

[Retroman]

Don't know if anyone has seen this but the interview is now up and Payne answered my own question about Mark Frost!

http://www.cinematical.com/2007/06/...ed-from-silver-surfer-screenwriter-don-payne/

 

[Iron Maiden]

Yeah, we talked about it in the Doom/Julian McMahon thread. Mine is the first question and GoblinScrier had 2 of his questions answered. Looks like this board was well represented!

 

[Retroman]

Yeah, we talked about it in the Doom/Julian McMahon thread. Mine is the first question and GoblinScrier had 2 of his questions answered. Looks like this board was well represented!

Let me guess, you were the ones who asked about Doom right?

 

[Iron Maiden]

Mea culpa t:

 

[shigsy2003]

Well, I am a little gutted if the Silver Surfer and Galactus storylines are tied up in a 95 minute film. I was hoping for three to continue it, end the franchise on a massive, all out fight with Galactus with the help from SS...

 

[GoblinScrier]

Let me guess, you were the ones who asked about Doom right?

But of course, would the good doctor have it any other way? I asked the question about the rivalry b/w Richards and Doom and whether or not, Doom would say "Richards" versus Reed or Mr. Fantastic...