DAVID GOYER interviewed by Carlos Fraile
Carlos Fraile: As a writer, how much of your initial idea do you see onscreen, is your work re-written or changed a lot or is what you write mostly what we see on screen?
David Goyer: Each situation is vastly different. It depends on the relationship the writer has with the director. In the case of Dark City, virtually every word I wrote made it to screen. The Blade movies were fairly close as well. So was Batman. Chris Nolan and I worked very closely together. On Ghost Rider, I left the project long before Mark Steven Johnson became involved. A number of other writers came on board after I left and the final product is now quite different from
where I began.
C.F.: In which projects did you have a stronger hand as a writer? Are you usually on set while filming?
D. G.: On Dark City, the Blade films, Batman, the new TV pilot I did for CBS - all of those I had a strong hand and was often on the set (although Batman was difficult because I was in post-production on another film). Some examples of movies that I wasn’t all that involved in - or was severely re-written are Ghost Rider and the not-so-good Nick Fury TV movie. On that project, I had left long before the director or Hasselhoff were on board. I wasn’t involved in the production and had no hand in the re-writing process. I don’t even know who did rewrite that script.
C.F.: Nick Fury; Agent of Shield, with the Hoff himself as the title character, was a made for TV movie that almost no one has seen, would you like to give it a try again now that you are a huge name in the industry?
D. G.:Ah, see my above answer. That’s a project that I wish I would have taken my name off of completely. But sure, maybe some time – that would be fun. To do it right, as I had originally envisioned it. You have to remember, when I first wrote that script, it wasn’t even intended for TV — so the budget was severely slashed.
C.F.: Do you think that Blade being an obscure character even for comic fans helped the success of the movie in the mainstream? Why do you think it was so successful?
D. G.:I think the fact that Blade came from the comics was immaterial to its success. Most audience members weren’t even aware that it had been a comic book property — not unlike Men In Black or Road To Perdition. I think it was successful because it didn’t pull any punches. It was stylish and it went for the jugular.
C.F.: How was the final leap from writer to director for you? Did you feel comfortable behind the camera or feel that the previous directors influenced your style? What were you trying to achieve as a film maker?
D. G.:I got a lot of advice for Proyas, Norrington, Del Toro, and Nolan. As a film maker, I’m starting to find my voice in the same way that I had previously found my writing voice. Recently, I directed the pilot for a new CBS series called Threshold. The pilot was well-received and picked up for series — I’m actually already at work directing the next episode of that before moving on to another feature.
C.F.: The reviews and fan feedback haven´t been as positive on Blade 3 as your other movies, How do you feel about this? Do you think that the situation with Wesley Snipes has influenced people´s perception of the film?
D. G.:See my above answer. Given the situation at hand, I was proud of what we accomplished. And ultimately, the film made as much as the first Blade film world-wide, so it was very successful. New Line came out of it happy. I’m already working on two more projects with them.
C.F.: Who would win in a fight, Buffy or Blade?
D. G.:Blade.
C.F.: As a comic book fan, do you feel a certain responsibility when you are writing adaptations, being more aware of the average fan expectations and of the history some characters have?
D. G.:Certainly. And in the main, I feel that I’ve been able to deliver on those expectations.
C.F.: Did you set yourself the goal of writing some comic book adaptations? Or do you feel equally comfortable writing in both mediums?
D. .:I feel comfortable writing in a number of different arenas. I’ve done plenty non-comic book related stuff. My adaptation for ZigZag (the first film I directed), my work on Dark City, the new Threshold series. Another upcoming project called Jumper…
C.F.: In Batman Begins, have you been involved in the day to day making of the movie, like doing rewrites on set? Has Nolan changed much of what you first wrote?
D. G.:At a certain point, Chris had to take over the reins because I was directing the CBS pilot. But we stayed in touch and had various conversations about things. A scene or two aside, the final product is pretty close to the original story we worked out.
C.F.: You recently signed a deal with DC to adapt The Flash. How is this project going so far? also, is it going to be Barry or Wally?
D. G.:The project is going well. And as to your question… both of them.
C.F: Which other properties are you going to take on after this and what other future plans do you have? Something more personal maybe, original material?
D. G.:I would like to do something more personal again…we’ll see. Right now, I’m writing the Flash and writing/directing more episodes of Threshold. After that, I’m figuring things out. We’ll see!
Carlos Fraile. After a failed attempt at studying psychology, where he learnt a lot about role playing, Carlos Fraile left universty to study Broadcasting and pursue a career as DJ and music journalist. Television lured him with offers of a steady pay packet and he is currently a Programming Coordinator for an international TV channel.