Don't know if you know this, but OOTP screenplay was done by Michael Goldenberg. Steve Kloves did the rest. It is interesting that Goldenberg was originally courted to write the screenplay for PS and he is a friend of Heyman's, but Goldenberg declined. Kloves stepped down for OOTP, and Heyman once again went to Goldenberg who this time accepted the gig. Now what I find interesting is OOTP is argurably one of if not the best adapted screenplays in the series when you consider the 3 hour cut. From what is known about it it was a hell of an adaption that had loads of important relevant info, and really nailed the story. When you consider the size of the book and to get it to what he did was really good work. Even in its truncated form that was released the screenplay holds up. Also, it lacks any of Kloves little "Kloveisms" that riddle the rest of the screenplays. Kloves wasted time on his Hermione obsession and took the story place it didn't necesarrily need to go. Had Goldenbverg been the one to write the DH screenplay he may have been able to fit it into one film, but Kloves never had a chance. He was too indulgent and enslaved by his own needs rather than what the story ultimately needed. I absolutely agree that the DH was adapted poorly. They front loaded Part 1 and left hardly any story at all for part 2. Even when I watch them back to back it is severely lopsided. So I don't think splitting it intoi 2 partrs is what did the damagew. It was a poorly written and poorly structured screenplay that did the damage.
Thanks for the info on the OoTP. I have heard of the epic screenplay and the original nearly 3 hour cut of the film, but it must have slipped my mind Kloves didn't write it. Explains a lot really adn I agree with your assessment on the whole. Part 1 is a film, and Part 2 feels like the leftovers. Exciting leftovers with emotion punch do to what has come before, but not a full fledged film like Part 1. Still think they could have made it one film if the were willing to go the 3+ hours route, but as you said probably impossible with Kloves.
How you view Kloves (I share these sentiments) is in a way I similarly feel about Jackson and his writing team. I don't necessary trust them to do what is right for the story, especially since they have gained more and more power in these productions. Fellowship showed near perfect restraint. It had to come in under three hours and what is there feels like it needs to be there. I love every frame of that film. I have watched it from start to finish probably more then any movie other then TESB, P&P, TDK, and Seven Samurai. The Two Towers was almost as successful.
But since TTT came out, Jackson and his crew just feel like they care more about their pet ideas and subjects. With ROTK, it isn't that I think it is the worst film ever made. In fact I'd say it is pretty good and has parts that I love. The frustration with it comes with how wasted it feels. Every time I sit and try and watch it, I get bored with what is on screen. Instead of a tight narrative focused on Gandalf, Aragorn, and Frodo/Sam, sprinkled with the rest of the crew, the film is all over the place. We barely witness the Return of the King. Gandalf isn't holding the gates like a great general, he is running around fighting like a foot solider while all hell breaks loose on the screen. It makes so little sense considering just how long the film is. Frodo and Sam works until Frodo loses the ring and then nothing. The film for me almost ends with Aragorn's arrival, because I just have no desire to watch what comes after. It is beyond self-indulgent.
King Kong is even worse. And this is coming from someone who loves what I call lazy Sat. films. Films you can just enjoy wasting the middle of a Sat. with.
Every time news comes out for this about how it is going to be released, it just makes the fears more real and it is just a downer. It feels like we came from Del Toro doing the Hobbit, to Jackson making three more LOTR films. The Hobbit may very well be in there and all the White Council stuff could turn out terrific, but I honestly can't say I trust it. This went from my dream film to something completely different.
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