The Frank Darabont Script

Dr. Gonzo

New member
Toht's Arm said:
I wish we could find out exactly what it was that bothered Lucas. And which of them wasn't prepared to make any changes so that they'd both be happy...

Actually Lucas re-wrote Darabont's script and that revision was called Indiana Jones and the Phantom City of the Gods (no joke, really) Spielberg read it and passed on Lucas' revision...

For me, I'd like to see Lucas' revision and see what was so bad that made Spielberg pass on ole' uncle George's version.

I believe it is discussed in the Complete Making of Indiana Jones book.
 

Pale Horse

Moderator
Staff member
Spoiler Alert!

Dr. Gonzo said:
Actually Lucas re-wrote Darabont's script and that revision was called Indiana Jones and the Phantom City of the Gods

I heard it had Billy Zane and Indy's evil brother, questing after the same artifact...

Pic-2.jpg


:p
 

Udvarnoky

Well-known member
I doubt even Lucas intended his revision of Darabont's draft to be the produced vision. It was probably more of an exercise for him to indicate what he considered the "problem areas" (which I suspect had more to with re-aligning to his preferred storyline rather than actual quality objections) for the next professional screenwriter, which would have been Nathanson.

There are telling quotes to be mined from the news archives. From an Esquire article in 2004:

By all accounts of those who have worked with [Lucas], he isn’t one to multitask when he’s making a film. That left Spielberg and Darabont to work out the script. Imagine Darabont’s joy when Spielberg pronounced that he liked Darabont’s draft, except for some quibbles with the third act. Darabont reworked the screenplay, and a few weeks later—last fall—Paramount was told that Spielberg would shoot the picture in July 2004.

From an interview with John Rhys-Davies in the wake of the Darabont draft being rejected and him having had a meet-up with Spielberg:

"George Lucas had reservations about the script and he said, "The only way I can express my reservations is making another pass at the script myself", so it's gone back at least a year.
 

Toht's Arm

Active member
Dr. Gonzo said:
Actually Lucas re-wrote Darabont's script and that revision was called Indiana Jones and the Phantom City of the Gods (no joke, really) Spielberg read it and passed on Lucas' revision...

For me, I'd like to see Lucas' revision and see what was so bad that made Spielberg pass on ole' uncle George's version.

I believe it is discussed in the Complete Making of Indiana Jones book.

I didn't know that. I thought Lucas said no and that was the end of it. I would love to see that Phantom City script. Geez - Lucas was obsessed with longwinded titles around that time, wasn't he? And the fact that he'd use the word "Phantom" again beggars belief...
 

Lance Quazar

Well-known member
Dr. Gonzo said:
So after all that Frank has given these other "polish" jobs a second chance.

I thought that TNT had agreed to pick up his "LA Noir" project for a limited run of six episodes.


I read the first LA Noir script - it was very solid, but almost nothing happened. It was all set-up. Would love to see where it goes.

Makes it feel more like a mini-series than a proper series, but I'll take what I can get.

That would obviously mean a tightly plotted narrative. Having been INCREDIBLY disappointed by "Gangster Squad", I'd like to see an actually literate write take a crack at the same subject matter.
 

Dr. Gonzo

New member
Lance Quazar said:
I thought that TNT had agreed to pick up his "LA Noir" project for a limited run of six episodes.

You are correct sir... that is the case as well but what I meant was after The Walking Dead incident Darabont came to his senses and went into "I'll take what I can get -- now accepting offers" mode... He thought he was going to be with "The Dead" for a long foreseeable future. When it all went south he started taking jobs again.
 

Udvarnoky

Well-known member
He arranged is pilot with TNT pretty quickly, though. I dunno, I prefer to think he just really wants to work on Godzilla.
 

Moedred

Administrator
Staff member
Frank's had a slow decade, which could turn profitable if he successfully sues Walking Dead for $280M for letting him go.
 

Udvarnoky

Well-known member
Still a long way from a decision, but I know it's one the industry will be paying attention to. If this "vertical integration" BS can be used to screw the likes of Frank Darabont, people with a lower profile really have no chance at getting the profit participation they are owed. Hopefully the judge rules in Frank's favor and strikes a righteous blow to Hollywoood accounting.

In a recent interview Frank addressed his lack of output:

You?ve been busy this decade with TV?s The Walking Dead and then Mob City, and you consequently haven?t made a film since The Mist. Any urge to get back to movies?

I?m thinking about it. Coming to grips with the fact that the business has changed vastly and dramatically, and that nobody quite knows where it?s going, has been like trying to get your bearings on shifting ice. I was very proud of Mob City, and I really devoted a very intense year to it. And that came on the heels of several very intense years on The Walking Dead. At the end of Mob City, I came in for a bit of a rough landing. I had to go in for spine surgery because I had two discs rupture while we were posting Mob City. And I realized that, from that first gig of A Nightmare on Elm Street 3 to the end of Mob City, I hadn?t really stopped for 28 years. It was 28 years of just ruthless pressure, and three decades just blew by me in a blur. I felt like a guy on a bullet train.

And so I married this amazing woman, and I decided to take some real time off. We moved out of L.A., up to the central coast in Monterey, and I love it here and I?ve just been recovering from the last 28 years. It?s a sabbatical. Who knows, it could be retirement ? ask Hollywood! [Laughs] Whether they invite me back in or not, who knows? But I?m now at the point where I?m thinking that I?ve still got a few good movies left in me, and maybe it?s time to get back into it and see what I can do.

I?ll tell you one thing ? this is like crying over the fact that things aren?t what they used to be, but I sure am sad that there isn?t a Castle Rock anymore, because Castle Rock was the platinum standard of a studio, in terms of how to treat filmmakers, and how to gracefully go about your business. They made so many great movies, and had a great run of success, and I was so spoiled, without really knowing it, when I started directing. I didn?t realize how privileged a position I was in, and how well I was being treated. I knew I was being treated well, but looking back on it, they treated everyone like gold ? so respectful and supportive and loving.

And that?s not how everybody does it, so? [Laughs] It?s not that easy to get anybody to say, ?Yes,? for starters. Hollywood is an endless series of obstacles and roadblocks, basically. Whereas at Castle Rock, if you handed them a script and they really liked it, they said, ?Oh, great, let?s make this!? It was that simple to get Shawshank green-lit. The Green Mile, same thing.

So I?m sorry that they?re not around anymore, and I wish there was a place out there that had that same vibe. But that?s what you get when you have a company that?s founded by filmmakers [Castle Rock Entertainment was co-founded by Rob Reiner] who are nothing but supportive and respectful.
 
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