Have to start off with the obvious. GRAYSON. This 5 minute fan film has been your claim to fame with all the attention it's received on the Internet. How did it start? At what point did this project graduate from cool concept in your head, to something you set out
to film and edit?
I just was sick of meeting with studio big shots who loved to TALK about making films, but had zero credits to their name. These guys with plush offices at all the major league studios? All of them with their "genius" ideas (note that genius is in quotes for a reason) and none of them actually willing to take a risk on anything. So I bought a Bolex camera and set out to do something fun.
Why ROBIN?
Robin is the most underrated character in the history of comics. As it so happens, as a result of being the youngest, I ended up being Robin when my older cousins and I would play in the back yard. So I always imagined that Robin was a lot tougher than he
appeared in the cartoons. What excited me most about making the trailer was the idea of telling a Batman story through the eyes of Robin at an older age.
Were you surprised with all of the attention it received?
You never know with these things. All you can do as a filmmaker is to create a product that you yourself would want to watch. I'm very pleased that it resonates with so many people. The emails still pour in from folks all over the place who are seeing it for the
first time.
What does it feel like to receive praise from the likes of comic gods Neal Adams, Jim Lee and Alex Ross?
In a word: AWESOME. These guys help create my passion for these characters, so to receive their support? It's truly an honor.
Was BATMAN: DEAD END inspiration at all? That film, along with GRAYSON, are widely considered the greatest "fan films" of all time.
Nope. We were wrapping production when Dead End came out.
Do you think GRAYSON might seriously see production as a feature length one day? Or do you think the success of the Chris Nolan films have halted that possibility?
It's so far removed from Nolan's story arc, that I'm confident that some day, some way, it'll make it to the big screen.
Did you hear about the pilot they were recently planning called THE GRAYSONS for CW? Were you pissed they stole your idea (just kidding... not really)? For that matter, would you be interested in producing GRAYSON in another medium like television?
I must've gotten three-dozen calls from agents/execs across town when the news of THE GRAYSONS broke, everyone congratulating me for the idea getting picked up. But I had nothing to do with the Smallville spin-off. And to make everything even more suspect,
the news broke right after a pair of hungry producers pushed Grayson through the doors of WB. It got pretty far up the ladder too, but then it got squashed, and just like that, came news of THE GRAYSONS. Whatever (add shoulder shrug here). They have the rights to the character, so they can butcher him anyway they want. I think everyone's pleased that they aren't going through with the story of a young Dick Grayson. I mean, Robin without Batman? Why? Who cares? Grayson has always featured the Caped Crusader - even deceased, the story revolves around him. Trying to understand why the studios do what they do will only lead to confusion and chaos. For now, it all rests with Nolan, and everyone at Untamed Cinema has their fingers crossed that he introduces a young acrobat into his next blockbuster.
If not ROBIN, what comic character would be your second choice to adapt if given the opportunity?
Recently, I've been feeding some stuff to Marvel, discussing the possibility of writing something for one of their lesser-known heroes. I pitched them a kick-ass idea for a ROM SPACEKNIGHT movie (who? Ha ha ha yeah, we're talking really lesser-known) but they
didn't bite.
I'd love to bring the Hulk to the screen sans digital Hulk-out. Leterrier delivered a stellar flick, but come on! Bring on the prosthetics and forced perspective and give the green guy his due!
Really liked your Top 10 Comic List on the Untamed Cinema site! Even the choices I was surprised you included felt justified in the way you wrote about them. Are you still an avid comic reader? If so, what do you read regularly?
That comic list was prior to me ever picking up a Mignola comic and wow, he's got me hooked. I make sure to score the latest Hellboy and B.P.R.D. that hit the shelf. A couple others that excite me are Jersey Gods, the Umbrella Academy and of course, the latest Batman: Battle for the Cowl, drawn by Tony Daniel and Untamed Cinema's own Ian Hannin. I must admit, I love picking up the older comics. Comics I saw as a kid and could never afford. I just scored the complete set of The Further Adventures of Indiana Jones, circa 1983 and at long last, I witnessed how my favorite comic of all time
concluded! Hurray!
What can you tell us about DITCH, your upcoming first feature?
I can tell you that I keep chopping the script down into something that will fit our budget. The good news is, the Exec Producer (aka: the guy footing the bill) is the best boss I've EVER had in 13 years of working in Hollywood. I've got total creative freedom,
and despite all the delays, he trusts my judgment and supports my every decision. DITCH is really shaping into a fun film wrought with ass-kickery.
CHECK OUT JOHN'S SITE HERE
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