This all sounds so much better. It addresses the problems I had with the script.
George A. Romero's other Resident Evil scripts still exist!
- Thread starter Ark2000
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This all sounds so much better. It addresses the problems I had with the script.
Thanks for sharing all this Maverick! I agree with Bran, it sounds much better and would make a better movie. Now i wonder, if Constantin had something to do with changes made on the script, will we start hearing usual rumors about studio interference and such, if Roberts or somebody else involved in the film gets asked about any problems it had during production...
It really does support that one or two things happened:
Firstly, that a lot was cut/changed due to time or budget.
Secondly - possibly - that at the wrong point in production the studio reduced the budget.
Either way I liked the movie, but these differences so sort out many of the criticisms I had with it.
Firstly, that a lot was cut/changed due to time or budget.
Secondly - possibly - that at the wrong point in production the studio reduced the budget.
Either way I liked the movie, but these differences so sort out many of the criticisms I had with it.
Thanks for the breakdown, @Maverick1, very much appreciated. I was always under the impression some things were added at a later stage (like Chris and Birkin's relationship, which didn't make any sense) and that a lot was cut. I wonder how much was altered in pre-production\principal photography and how much was put in during the infamous reshoots.
I think that does speak up for Robert's chops as a filmmaker. I wasn't very familiar with his work but my impression is that he does know how to put a horror movie together - he just had his hands tied and is probably going to take the fault for the movie being so poorly received in the years to come, which is unfortunate. Truth is, there are more capable directors out there than one might think: the problem is that most of them are rather unlucky and find themselves trapped in deals such as WTRC, with little money and even less decision-making power. Even James Cameron started out as an out-of-luck filmmaker who got to make a turd like PIRANHA: THE SPAWNING and, to add insult to injury, he was even removed from it. Luckily for him, things got better (especially since he then married Gale Anne Hurd, who was his producer on The Terminator and Aliens and stood by him during the troubled making of the latter, even when half the crew went on strike to have Cameron removed and replaced by the 1st AD).
'47 Meters Down' was made on a $5m budget and grossed $65m at the box office. I guess they thought Roberts could also work that magic with Resident Evil...they were wrong.
Yeah, it's very unfortunate, Roberts nailed it on paper and I can only assume actors also thought they signed up for a much better movie than what was released.
That's a good point and example. If Terminator never happend, we wouldn't find out that the guy who's credited as Piranha 2 director could become one of the greatest Hollywood filmmakers. Directors and writers, especially not established ones, have to deal with a lot of crap when they do a studio film, from many studio notes (some of them can be good, but there are tons of bad ones too) to potential budget cuts, it gets even worse if the person who approves all the decisions is completely insane like some infamous studio executives and producers.
It's not just people doing "studio" movies: even indie filmmakers, at any level, can find themselves into similar trappings. The legend that if you're a director and go indie you have more power is just a legend: it all boils down on who hands out the money and what your contract says. You can have your hands tied even on a micro-budget movie if whoever is paying for it has his own plans. WTRC is not a "studio" movie either, nor are the other RE movies: they are all International co-productions spearheaded by a German company (Constantin Film). A studio movie is something produced by a major Hollywood company (a so-called "studio"). It doesn't make much difference at the end of the day ("pecunia non olet", as Roman emperor Vespasian once said - literally "money doesn't stink"), it's just a matter of labeling.
There actually was a time when Hollywood gave far more leeway to directors for creative freedom. However, catastrophic flops like 'Heaven's Gate' and others put a stop to it as it was too much of a financial risk. For 'Heaven's Gate', There were reports that director Michael Cimino would actually wait for days for the right type of cloud to show up in the sky before he actually filmed anything, burning through cash like you know what.
Funnily enough, both Jaws and Star War were exceptions to the norm at that time period and did have strong studio interference during the films productions, and both were smash hits!
Funnily enough, both Jaws and Star War were exceptions to the norm at that time period and did have strong studio interference during the films productions, and both were smash hits!
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I do agree it depends on who gives you money and contract. But at the same time, in many cases, with smaller budget your hands are less tied (with exceptions like above mentioned Piranha 2). WTRC is not financed by a major studio, but it's not an indie film either.
Looks like i'm bit late to do that, i suppose PlutoKick already sent you a copy. Hope you'll enjoy it, it's not exactly unproduced masterpiece, but still pretty decent survival thriller in my opinion. Personally, while i really like the script, i'd put Carpenter's other unproduced 70's script, horror thriller Meltdown (Halloween in nuclear power plant), and based on scripts i read, few other unproduced Carpenter projects above it; Shadow Company (80's Kurt Russell vs zombie soldiers, nuff said), Pincushion (female version of Road Warrior starring Jamie Lee Curtis or Cher), his 90's Creature From The Black Lagoon remake, and probably Riot too (Die Hard in a prison starring Nicolas Cage).
Is something wrong with your messages? Because this one and one at my George Romero RE fan comic thread didn't show up for what seems like couple weeks. Anyway, as far as i know, at least when it comes to script trading and collecting, there were no news about any more Romero's drafts or any of McElroy's showing up anywhere. Some more details were found out recently, like number of drafts or exact dates, and while anything can help with trying to find those, we're still talking about scripts which have been lost ever since '97/'98. It's a damn miracle that Romero's first draft leaked out in first place, so if i were you, i wouldn't hold my breath for any more to show up, at least for a long time.
the documentary and the little information that was to be mentioned about Romero's other scripts.
Information is coming. I can't speak of it just yet due to contracts. Wait just a little more.
Soon.
I'm looking for the script of resident evil WTRC to read it, and read the differences between the script and the movie it seems that the script sounds better than the final product. I really didn't like the WTRC movie very much, it was better that they mix 2 and 3, jill, wesker, león and vickers are the worst, change claire's personality and what do I find annoying.