The Frank Darabont Script

DarthLowBudget

New member
I wonder how much of this stuff about all the various drafts is going to be covered in the making of books for the movie.

The guy that wrote the book on the making of A New Hope wrote a pretty good article in Star Wars Insider about all the various early drafts of all the Star Wars movies, maybe he could do something similar for Indy 4.
 
DarthLowBudget said:
I wonder how much of this stuff about all the various drafts is going to be covered in the making of books for the movie.

The guy that wrote the book on the making of A New Hope wrote a pretty good article in Star Wars Insider about all the various early drafts of all the Star Wars movies, maybe he could do something similar for Indy 4.


I'd very much enjoy that!
 

misnomer

New member
from the sounds of things, ALOT of darabonts draft remains. I remember hearing the problem lucas had was with the final act. Yeah, the scottish castle scene was inspired by the awful MK. I think a few scenes from SMFM will find their way into COTG.....

Marriage. (and subsequent campus chase)
Steamboat over the waterfall.
Atom bomb testing scene/breaking into the complex.

What I really DONT want from SMFM is the UFOs and the aliens at the end.
 
Attila the Professor said:


Yeah I have read hat before but, I was talking about the way it was constructed in SW Insider, where they said wh Lucas did not go that route and so forth. For me they really m need to have a whole feature ont he dvd with Spielberg and Lucas, hell even Darabont (to make things fair) talking about the various developments over the years.
 

jeshopk

Member
If you're SS and GL, and you want to make a new Indy movie, why not just co-write it themselves with a historian fact checker? They both have writing experience, and SS's dialogue in CE3K, Poltergeist and AI has been far better than Koepp's crap dialogue in JP and LW. They usually brainstorm and most of the ideas are theirs anyway, so why all these drafts in the first place. GL and SS should have written this long ago. GL is good with novel ideas and construction while SS is great with dialogue and visualisation of the cinematography.
 
jeshopk said:
If you're SS and GL, and you want to make a new Indy movie, why not just co-write it themselves with a historian fact checker? They both have writing experience, and SS's dialogue in CE3K, Poltergeist and AI has been far better than Koepp's crap dialogue in JP and LW. They usually brainstorm and most of the ideas are theirs anyway, so why all these drafts in the first place. GL and SS should have written this long ago. GL is good with novel ideas and construction while SS is great with dialogue and visualisation of the cinematography.


I actually liked the script for Jurassic Park. I thught Malcolm in particular was written well.
 

torao

Moderator Emeritus
There are about a dozen threads this single bit of news could fit into. But I chose this one, ...because I like it. That's all.

There's a video clip up at Latino Review, showing a charismatic, cool and honest Frank Darabont talking about Indiana Jones IV...once again. It's funny how he emphasizes how thrilled he was to work with STEVEN and how he knows "he's gonna make a terrific film". Besides all Industry networking BS I really think it's nice of him to say stuff like that, considering everything he went through on that project.

Yeah...and then ...the Ravenwood thing. You just have to watch the video for yourselves to see how passionate and rightfully possessive Darabont gets when the subject of Marion's return is brought to the table.
It looks as if he'd be close to climbing into the camera to tell people that it was indeed his idea to bring her back...that he has always had a crush on her....
Oh boy... His behaviour is priceless. I don't think he comes across as bitter. But somehow desperate...and probably still passionate and proud...because it's after all his concept that now ends up getting so many film and Indy lovers that emotional...
 

Aaron H

Moderator Emeritus
torao said:
There are about a dozen threads this single bit of news could fit into. But I chose this one, ...because I like it. That's all.

There's a video clip up at Latino Review, showing a charismatic, cool and honest Frank Darabont talking about Indiana Jones IV...once again. It's funny how he emphasizes how thrilled he was to work with STEVEN and how he knows "he's gonna make a terrific film". Besides all Industry networking BS I really think it's nice of him to say stuff like that, considering everything he went through on that project.

Yeah...and then ...the Ravenwood thing. You just have to watch the video for yourselves to see how passionate and rightfully possessive Darabont gets when the subject of Marion's return is brought to the table.
It looks as if he'd be close to climbing into the camera to tell people that it was indeed his idea to bring her back...that he has always had a crush on her....
Oh boy... His behaviour is priceless. I don't think he comes across as bitter. But somehow desperate...and probably still passionate and proud...because it's after all his concept that now ends up getting so many film and Indy lovers that emotional...
Can't say I blame him...his script was a work of art with a bit of himself written into it. It was almost like his own child.
 

Niteshade007

New member
He does certainly seem passionate about the Marion thing. However, when the issue about Spielberg comes us, his eyes never actually meet the interviewer. I think he was saying those things more to be civil. Not that I blame him. I mean, he clearly was very attached to this project and then to be dropped must have been very upsetting.
 

oki9Sedo

New member
Aaron H said:
Can't say I blame him...his script was a work of art with a bit of himself written into it. It was almost like his own child.

Did you read it?

Out of interest, how did Simon Pegg manage to get a hold of it?
 

Avilos

Active member
Call me cynical but Lucas really does not have much pull in Hollywood itself. Other than the few films he will produce and maybe direct in the future. But Spielberg has HUGE pull in Hollywood. Darabont knows this. IT is unlikely he will ever need to work with Lucas again. But he wants to be civil towards Spielberg publicly. Because it could be career suicide for him not to be.
 

oki9Sedo

New member
Avilos said:
Call me cynical but Lucas really does not have much pull in Hollywood itself. Other than the few films he will produce and maybe direct in the future. But Spielberg has HUGE pull in Hollywood. Darabont knows this. IT is unlikely he will ever need to work with Lucas again. But he wants to be civil towards Spielberg publicly. Because it could be career suicide for him not to be.

Spielberg loved the script, it was Lucas who didn't.
 

Avilos

Active member
So he has said. But who wrote final draft? David Koepp, who is a long time collaborator of Steven Spielberg. Not someone with a history with Lucas. Making it seem like Spielberg was guiding the revisions.

I think there is a little more to all of this than what we have been lead to believe. It is looking more and more like Koepp simply did a polish on Darabont's script. Which happens ALL THE TIME on films. Maybe because of his success as a director and his history with Lucas, Darabont was expecting more control of the final version. Instead of being treated as just another in a series of writers.

Even though right now, because it is not word for word his script, he acts like his script was outright rejected. If the film is a success and well received I guarantee you Darabont will start claiming authorship of the overall ideas. He has already started by saying he is responsible for Marion's presence. But if the film is ill received he will distance himself from what made it to the screen.

"Successes have many fathers, failures have none."
 
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No Ticket

New member
Hmm... well I'm sure a lot of Darabont's script is still there. If Spielberg liked it so much then I'm sure elements or most of the story is there with slight adjustments in places to make it work for everyone around the table.

Darabont WROTE the script so of course he is going to feel as though it's fine the way it was... and maybe this is for the best.

But after watching the Indy trilogy DVD special features and hearing some of the things Lucas pushed for... like the dance number at the beginning of TOD... I'm not sure where Lucas' judgement is always for the best. That said, I'm not against the dance number, it just seems like a silly thing to push for. Spielberg said something like "If it doesn't work it's not my fault, it's your fault" to Lucas while filming that. lol.

I mean, he (Lucas) had a different idea of what Indy was. He came up with the idea of Indy but MANY people made him who he is.
 

Dr.Sartorius

New member
Frank Darabont Expects Fight Over ?Indy IV? Writing Credits
0 Comments | Published by Shawn Adler on Monday, November 12, 2007 at 3:07 pm.

Frank DarabontSeven months after calling his work on the then-untitled ?Indiana Jones 4? script ?a waste of a year,? director Frank Darabont told MTV News that he?s moved on from earlier resentment. His script, favored by Spielberg, was ultimately rejected by George Lucas.

?I don?t live by the grudge. I don?t hold a grudge. Life is way too short for that,? he said. ?Let?s chalk it up to professional disappointment. There?s not some deep unhealed wound or feud going on.?

And yet, to listen to Darabont, one gets the impression that there very well might soon be a feud of sorts ? over credit. Insisting that he still hasn?t read ?Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skulls? (scripted by ?Spider-Man? writer David Koepp), Darabont again indicated that there may be more than a passing resemblance to his efforts, echoing statements he made to MTV in August.

This time, though, he thinks it might wind up in arbitration.

?I haven?t read the script, [but] at a certain point I will because I?m sure there will be an arbitration over writing credits,? he revealed. ?I keep hearing from people who are near the production and they keep saying, ?You know, they?re using more of your ideas here than you may have thought.??

One such idea, however, was not Shia LaBeouf?s role as Indy?s son.

?That?s a whole new element that?s been brought in. Shia? I don?t remember writing that character,? Darabont said. ?I did suggest to Steven that he cast John Hurt in this movie and I?m delighted that Mr. Hurt is a part of it. It?s not entirely the role I suggested him for ? but I did suggest him.?

But while Darabont the businessman and writer may face off against Indy in arbitration, Darabont the fan says he couldn?t be happier to see the whip-wielding hero make a triumphant comeback.

?I know Steven Spielberg is not going to disappoint us. He?s going to make a great movie,? Darabont praised. ?As a fan, I?m keeping my fingers crossed. I hope it turns out great.?

http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2007/11/12/frank-darabont-expects-fight-over-indy-iv-writing-credits/
 

Finn

Moderator
Staff member
First truly sensible comment we've heard from Darabont in a couple of years.

I know many of us have found serious second-thoughts about Lucas' judgment since the prequels... but I've somehow always that figured that p'haps, after all, his call for debunking the Darabont script was - for reason or another - right one.
 

torao

Moderator Emeritus
If this is based on his material he should be credited for it. I hope one of the beards will pick up the phone and call him about that...or anything like that.

Besides: I just like that guy, he's one of those artist-personas that are quite inspiring to watch and listen to.


...Also I'm delighted that this is yet another opportunity to link to my favorite case of credit negotiations that have to do with a draft written by the Koepp:
http://hucksblog.blogspot.com/2005/08/koepp-and-i-play-in-two-parts.html
http://hucksblog.blogspot.com/2005/08/koepp-and-i-part-ii.html
;)
 

Michael24

New member
DarthLowBudget said:
The guy that wrote the book on the making of A New Hope wrote a pretty good article in Star Wars Insider about all the various early drafts of all the Star Wars movies, maybe he could do something similar for Indy 4.

I have a copy of Star Wars: The Annotated Screenplays that I really enjoyed. Would love to see something like that for the Indy scripts.
 
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