Kurt Sutter on Punisher: Warzone and why he doesn't want credit.

[Punisher 04]

Oh, I can read. I can read very well, in fact. But I don't care what he has to say about why this film will be a succes, but rather the fact that he said this: "If I had to make a wager, I say it will open huge. Be ready for Punisher 3."

I'm calling him a nutcase because it's simply NOT going to be successful. The chances of this film opening big are slim to none...and slim just went out od town.

I'm surprised it isn't going direct to DVD.

Wow, we have someone who's seen the film. Sucess, no success, in theaters, or on dvd. It really doesn't matter, the movie is already made and we'll judge for ourselves if it's good or not when it comes out. The Punisher will never be mainstream or produce huge numbers at the box office. It will never make as much money as Batman or X-Men movies. The budget was reported somewhere to be around 12 million, so it doesn't have to open big to be successful.

 

[Advanced Dark]

Wow, we have someone who's seen the film. Sucess, no success, in theaters, or on dvd. It really doesn't matter, the movie is already made and we'll judge for ourselves if it's good or not when it comes out. The Punisher will never be mainstream or produce huge numbers at the box office. It will never make as much money as Batman or X-Men movies. The budget was reported somewhere to be around 12 million, so it doesn't have to open big to be successful.

Yeah I think Kurt was just being nice or maybe his idea of HUGE is different than mine. LOL If it opens more than 18-20 million first 3 days I'll be happy.

 

[The Shape]

Wow, we have someone who's seen the film. Sucess, no success, in theaters, or on dvd. It really doesn't matter, the movie is already made and we'll judge for ourselves if it's good or not when it comes out. The Punisher will never be mainstream or produce huge numbers at the box office. It will never make as much money as Batman or X-Men movies. The budget was reported somewhere to be around 12 million, so it doesn't have to open big to be successful.

Fair enough, but you're helping to prove my point, that this film has little chance of opening big, especially after how bad the last one was. And where did I say anything about the quality of this, as if I'd seen it?

 

[citizenpain]

Fair enough, but you're helping to prove my point, that this film has little chance of opening big, especially after how bad the last one was. And where did I say anything about the quality of this, as if I'd seen it?

but this is a brand new punisher, baby! as for the quality issue, you're judging something without seeing the finished product.

the update in kurt sutter's blog goes to show just how people are psychopaths and blow everything out of proportion. perhaps even some people around here...

Man, I forgot just how intense the comic book underground is. I've already gotten hate mail and car-bomb threats. I thought this was obvious, but for the record, after arbitration I WOULD NOT have gotten credit anyhow. So I didn't "pull my name off the script", I removed my name from arbitration. It was just my way of taking some control of the situation. Didn't want the WGA to waste their time or insult the other writers who did the majority of the work. I thought it was the high road, but maybe not. I guess blogging about it was the mistake. This update may also be a mistake...

Let me say, also for the record, the Punisher: Warzone script is not a bad script, in fact, I think it's a very tight script. My beef, my frustration, was not about the script being good or bad, it was about creative choices. The comic book formula I referenced makes for fantastic movies. The last Batman, the Spiderman franchise, these were all fun, well-written movies. I had hoped The Punisher could be something more unique. Again, I'm not saying this movie will not be unique. I hear very good things about Lexi's lead. The fact that it went the way it did was the decision of some very talented producers who know a lot more than I do.

Okay, I think I've qualified my ass bloody, here. So, no disrespect to Marvel, Lexi, the producers, the writers, the Punisher fanbase... now can someone please return my ****ing dog.​

 

[Devil]

But it's normal!
Every movie is wrote by a numeros writer but not all of this appears in the credits.
And he was wrote a screenplay more realistic 'cause...He have never read a Comic!!!
From his blog:
"Of course Frank is an antihero. A hero nonetheless. And no, I do not read comics. Never have. Probably never will. I'm also not a cop or a gangbanger, but I wrote The Shield for seven seasons. My ignorance about the comic book world was the strength of my pitch. I was fascinated by the concept of Frank Castle, then I read a majority of the anthology -- obviously not all -- and tried a different, more realistic tact. It clearly didn't work. As I said, I think Punisher fans will be very happy with this movie. But, hate if you must. I get it."

 

[Advanced Dark]

but this is a brand new punisher, baby! as for the quality issue, you're judging something without seeing the finished product.

the update in kurt sutter's blog goes to show just how people are psychopaths and blow everything out of proportion. perhaps even some people around here...

Man, I forgot just how intense the comic book underground is. I've already gotten hate mail and car-bomb threats. I thought this was obvious, but for the record, after arbitration I WOULD NOT have gotten credit anyhow. So I didn't "pull my name off the script", I removed my name from arbitration. It was just my way of taking some control of the situation. Didn't want the WGA to waste their time or insult the other writers who did the majority of the work. I thought it was the high road, but maybe not. I guess blogging about it was the mistake. This update may also be a mistake...​

Let me say, also for the record, the Punisher: Warzone script is not a bad script, in fact, I think it's a very tight script. My beef, my frustration, was not about the script being good or bad, it was about creative choices. The comic book formula I referenced makes for fantastic movies. The last Batman, the Spiderman franchise, these were all fun, well-written movies. I had hoped The Punisher could be something more unique. Again, I'm not saying this movie will not be unique. I hear very good things about Lexi's lead. The fact that it went the way it did was the decision of some very talented producers who know a lot more than I do.​

Okay, I think I've qualified my ass bloody, here. So, no disrespect to Marvel, Lexi, the producers, the writers, the Punisher fanbase... now can someone please return my ****ing dog.​

Kurt is funny as hell. He e-mailed me last night and told me he was gonna have to revise/clarify his blog. LOL I almost passed out laughing.

 

[The Guard]

It sounds like he wrote something more along the lines of TAXI DRIVER, and the powers that be wanted a supervillain/showdown scenario.

 

[jrd550]

Hey, the fact that Jane didn't like the script is enough for me to not worry about the final film.

 

[Advanced Dark]

It sounds like he wrote something more along the lines of TAXI DRIVER, and the powers that be wanted a supervillain/showdown scenario.

If Kurt wanted Taxi Driver and LGF was ok with it then Tom Jane have just wrapped Punisher: Warzone. Lionsgate didn't want that I guess.

 

[Advanced Dark]

http://www.firstshowing.net/2008/02...s-name-from-punisher-war-zone-the-real-story/

 

[Dangerous]

I just wish this had been filmed on location in NYC, that is all.
Kurt's right about that.

 

[Gotham]

Like I said before, Kurt had an entirely new concept for The Punisher.

That would have never worked.

 

[Balthus Dire]

I don't know why this would make anyone worry that the movie might suck. It sounds to me like he wanted something totally different for The Punisher. We should be glad he didn't write it, because that's not what I'd want at all.

 

[Venomfan]

the only thing i don't like to hear is the cliche crap

 

[The Shape]

but this is a brand new punisher, baby! as for the quality issue, you're judging something without seeing the finished product.

I actually never judged the quality of the film, but it doesn't take a rocket science to see how this film's gonna turn out.

 

[Brendan]

A movie script that has been passed around and changed through a couple dozen writers is very common in Hollywood.

 

[The Shape]

A movie script that has been passed around and changed through a couple dozen writers is very common in Hollywood.

The reasons for this film's failure have nothing to do with the script passed around, but more so with the failure of the original. Now, there's a new nobody star, no big-name actors whatsover, a smaller budget, and a title that sounds like a direct-to-video release. On top of that, there is no hype/anticipation for the film whatsoever, and hardly anyone even knows it exists, despite the fact that it's being released in less than a year.

For a sequel, you want all of those things to be the complete opposite, in order to match or surpass the quality of the original. Even if this film is decent, it'll still flop.

 

[citizenpain]

I actually never judged the quality of the film, but it doesn't take a rocket science to see how this film's gonna turn out.

that's great. how do you figure? while the 04 punisher opened to only $13 million, they eventually broke even but another lionsgate film that came out in october 2004 that opened to only $18 million went out to generate 3 sequels. i personally think that this films looks like it might turn out better than the 04 punisher, and that would be considered a success by any rocket scientist.

The reasons for this film's failure have nothing to do with the script passed around, but more so with the failure of the original. Now, there's a new nobody star, no big-name actors whatsover, a smaller budget, and a title that sounds like a direct-to-video release. On top of that, there is no hype/anticipation for the film whatsoever, and hardly anyone even knows it exists, despite the fact that it's being released in less than a year.

For a sequel, you want all of those things to be the complete opposite, in order to match or surpass the quality of the original. Even if this film is decent, it'll still flop.

what stars did the 04 version have? travolta? yeah, he's a huge draw lately... and tom jane was just as much of a nobody as ray stevenson.

 

[The Shape]

that's great. how do you figure? while the 04 punisher opened to only $13 million, they eventually broke even but another lionsgate film that came out in october 2004 that opened to only $18 million went out to generate 3 sequels. i personally think that this films looks like it might turn out better than the 04 punisher, and that would be considered a success by any rocket scientist.



what stars did the 04 version have? travolta? yeah, he's a huge draw lately... and tom jane was just as much of a nobody as ray stevenson.

The 04 Punisher opened to $13 million and it;s budget was something like $15-20 million. SAW, the other movie you're talking about, opened to $18 million and its budget was $1.2 million. I think it's safe to say that SAW was a leeeetle more successful, which which is why it has garnered 3 sequels.

And true, the original didn't have many famous stars either, but when you lose your lead (who was pretty much a nobody anyway), that's not the greatest sign.

 

[Advanced Dark]

The 04 Punisher opened to $13 million and it;s budget was something like $15-20 million. SAW, the other movie you're talking about, opened to $18 million and its budget was $1.2 million. I think it's safe to say that SAW was a leeeetle more successful, which which is why it has garnered 3 sequels.

And true, the original didn't have many famous stars either, but when you lose your lead (who was pretty much a nobody anyway), that's not the greatest sign.

Wrong. The budget of Punisher(2004) was 33 million. The 15-20 million was the "shooting" budget which didn't include actor/director/talent pay. That 33 million did not include the ad budget either. FYI.

 

[The Shape]

Wrong. The budget of Punisher(2004) was 33 million. The 15-20 million was the "shooting" budget which didn't include actor/director/talent pay. That 33 million did not include the ad budget either. FYI.

So then it was even less successful than I thought. And I know most of it's money was made on DVD, but a lot of ****ty movies are successful on DVD.

 

[Advanced Dark]

Punisher made quite alot on DVD...because most people overlooked it in theaters.

 

[S. Grundy]

Wrong. The budget of Punisher(2004) was 33 million. The 15-20 million was the "shooting" budget which didn't include actor/director/talent pay. That 33 million did not include the ad budget either. FYI.

Regardless $15 million to shoot an action movie is still really low.

 

[ROBOCOP CPU001]

Regardless $15 million to shoot an action movie is still really low.

Robocop was made for 13.

 

[Advanced Dark]

In 1987 dollars right?