How much did you use from previous development efforts under Christopher McQuarrie and Darren Aronofsky? I know you said This is my movie and put your stamp on it
It doesnt actually work that way. Its not like I come in and piss on something. [All Laugh] I mean, these are smart people and they have good ideas and youre kind of getting
Im not taking offense, Im just trying to say I have a lot of respect for both those guys. The reality is theres always books and things friends have been working on, and we also all talk to each other. I cant tell you on other projects how many great ideas Ive gotten from a friend who isnt even credited with anything on the movie but just gave me a tip or something that occurred to them watching it. So youre always sharing and youre always passing things off. I spoke to Darren before I came on. But it was more that I was just in. When I came on I was just trying to make it make sense for me. But certainly theres work from Chriss script, theres his stuff in the movie. Its not like we tossed stuff away. We just kept developing the movie.
The real thing was, I see my job and as I write myself
I mean I worked on the script as well. What you are always trying to do to set down just an idea. I try and evangelize, like I did with you guys
like the first 5 words I wrote on the script were Everyone I love will die. This is a movie about that. So now what do I do? How do I follow my journey through the Claremont/Miller saga and touch upon that? Are there other people wrestling with issues of immortality? Are there other characters who wish they were dead but are mortal? Wish they could live forever but are mortal? Or are immortal and want to live forever and dont have the same abilities? How many permutations of this idea can I populate this story with, in which you suddenly get something really rich? To me, thats the best of what comic book films have done, is to exist in a pulpy universe but at the same time deal with deep themes. I mean Shakespeare played to the groundlings he didnt just play to the royals. So who knows what makes a comic book a comic book? You know what I mean.
The reality is just you just kind of sit down and its not so much Im trying to get rid of someones work or enhance someone elses work, I go How can we set sail toward this theme? What is on this theme? What is a different theme and therefore taking me in the wrong direction? Whats going to carry me this way?
thought i was in the minority i didn't really like Drive at all definition of style over substance
