THE TAKING OF PELHAM 1 2 3 - IESB's Exclusive Interview with Brian Helgeland

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Thursday, 04 June 2009 05:17

Whether hes writing his own material or putting his own vision on previously existing material, Academy Award-winning screenwriter Brian Helgeland has to be passionate about his subject.

{sidebar id=1}With The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 (with Denzel Washington and John Travolta) in theaters on June 12th, Green Zone (with Matt Damon) slated for release, and Salt (with Angelina Jolie) and Robin Hood (with Russell Crowe) currently in production, Helgeland has still found time to work on his next directorial project, which will be a cop film for Sony Pictures.

In an exclusive interview, Brian Helgeland spoke to IESB about everything that hes working on, and what its like to see such talent actors bring your work to life.

IESB: What was it about the original Pelham that made you decide you wanted to give your own vision to it?

Brian: I liked the constraints of the movie. If you have a bunch of things that normally would seem to make it difficult to pull off what you want to pull off, and then try to overcome it, thats what appealed to me. In this case, the movie is basically being told in real time, more or less, and 10 minutes into the movie they meet and they have 90 minutes to have a beginning, middle and end to their story and develop a relationship that goes full circle. In real time, you have to tell what their backstories are, to a certain degree, and how they effect each other, and things like that. In my head, one guy became the other guys deliverance, in a way. To me, Travolta doesnt want to die, but when he does die, its a relief, in a weird way. And, there is the redemption of the other guy. Coming at it from opposite sides of the track was what the trick of it was, and the fun of it, from a writing point of view.

IESB: How much do you pay attention to the original source material and how much do you try to separate yourself from that?

Brian: I think if you just look at it and think, Wow, thats exactly how I would do it, then theres no point in doing it. You dont want it to just be a repeat, thats a shot-by-shot, word-by-word redo of the original. Hopefully, you have something to bring to it that makes it interesting or valid to do. You want to try to be true, in spirit, to the thematic. If youre changing the thematic completely, then theres no point in remaking it either. You want to keep the thematic, to some extent, and then do your version of it. At the end of the day, its really my version of a hostage situation, much more than my version of exactly Pelham 1 2 3. Thats where it gets to be you doing a little bit more of your own thing, within that confine. Hes not a cop, hes a civilian. There are different things like that. Its my version of a hostage movie.

IESB: Do you prefer doing something where you have a basis to work from?

Brian: It just depends. Part of it is that you take what youre given, as far as the market goes and what studios want to make. Movie making has gotten so expensive that theyre nervous about doing stuff thats original. Theyre nervous if they havent proven before that it will work. So, part of it is that. A big chunk of what gets done and made is based on something else, like a book, a remake or a comic book, or whatever it is, when they go out and buy properties. And, part of it is just what I can get made, at any particular time, or what Im thinking about. Having done both original stuff and adaptations, youre always a little more attached to your own original stuff. If its an original, youre the architect and youve drawn all the plans. If its an adaptation, then youre the contractor and youve gotten these plans, but you cant build this here because of the codes and you dont have this and that, so you have to change this and do this. Its a different discipline, in some respects, but theres always something of your own that you through in there, or else you wouldnt be able to write it.

IESB: What was it about Cirque du Freak that made you want to adapt that?

Brian: Cirque du Freak was my sons favorite book, at the time it came out. And, the executive producer was Richard Donner, who I had worked for a bunch of times. I just thought, in that particular case, it would be fun because it was my sons favorite book when he was little, so it was more for that reason than anything.

IESB: How is that story different from all the other vampire stories out there right now?

Brian: The problem with that movie is that I wrote it, and then the director (Paul Weitz) came on and he rewrote it. Once he came on, I wasnt involved with it anymore. At the time, I just liked it because it was a tough little kid in this story. Its that classic wish fulfillment as a kid, in regard to what would happen, if you were out on your own, all of a sudden, and you couldnt rely on your parents or your family. And then, you throw in the vampire part of it. I liked the morality of it. Hes responsible for what had happened and he had to pay a price for it, which he was willing to do, to save his friend. For a little kid, however old he was in the book, he just seemed like a very heroic little boy, and I responded to that. But, because it was based on the first three books, it was about how you get all that under control and have it still be what Darren Shan wanted it to be. I dont know how it turned out cause what I wrote wasnt made. I dont know what the final film will be.

IESB: Is that something youve just had to get used to happening?

Brian: No. Honestly, it doesnt happen that often to me. If I direct it, obviously I control it more. But, most of the stuff Ive done, Ive gotten along with the directors and Ive been on set.

IESB: Whats it like for you to see such successful, accomplished actors speaking your words?

Brian: Its nice. I dont mean that in a jerky way, but I got over it in a work way. You have to forget about whos saying it and concentrate on how theyre saying it, or make sure that the point is getting across. The first actor I worked with wasnt a movie star. Id done some low-budget movies. I did a movie (Assassins) that Dick Donner directed, that had Sylvester Stallone in it and, at the time, I thought it was fantastic. I still think its fantastic, but at the time, I was like, Wow, Stallone is doing this. You have to get over it because you have to start worry about whether theyre doing it right or not. It gets to be a job, in that way, after the initial, Thats great! Its turned out better than I thought it was going to turn out.

IESB: What was your involvement with Robin Hood? What is the process like, when youre dealing with a story thats been told so many times?

Brian: They already wanted to make the movie, and I came on. The whole thing was to try to strip away the goofiness of Robin Hood. What I tried to do was make it feel like this is the real story and the myth rose out of this, rather than seeing the myth. Hes not quite running around, robbing from the rich and giving to the poor, but you can see how it evolved into that, when enough time went by and the story got told over and over again. I was trying to make him a person and make it a believable drama, in some ways, and show how that story started with a real guy that was more grounded.

IESB: Wasnt Russell Crowe originally playing the Sherriff of Nottingham?

Brian: Thats how it started, as far as everyone wanting to do the movie. But, when I came in, and I was hired by Tonys brother, Ridley Scott, he just said, I want to do what feels like the real version of Robin Hood. That was my marching orders from him, and thats where I started.

IESB: Does it help you to know whos going to be playing the character, when youre writing it?

Brian: Yeah, cause you need to know what theyre capable of, and what they can and cant do. Everyone has their strengths. Johnny Depp as Robin Hood would be a different Robin Hood than Russell Crowe as Robin Hood. With respect to both of them, they do different things well. So, knowing who it is helps a lot.

IESB: Along with Pelham, you have all these thrillers coming out, like Green Zone and Salt. Are there important elements that you have to think about, when youre writing thrillers, and how do you know when youre getting it right?

Brian: Whats great about thrillers is that you get to see people under extreme circumstances, and then you get to see how they react, and how they zig and zag, and everyones behavior is heightened. You just try to find the truth of that, as far as how they would really be. If this fantastic circumstance happened, what would the results be? Thats the basic thing, in a thriller. Theres the mystery of whether theyre going to want to push on and find out why and, if they do, why is that? What is it about them that wants to learn the truth about something? Its fun. What people like about movies is that they get to see people in unordinary circumstances.

IESB: Do you like to be on set, and do you like to collaborate with the actors, if theyre interested?

Brian: Yeah. I like to be on set, if theres something to do. That depends on the director and how much they rehearse, and whether they rehearse on set. Its always handy to be there in rehearsal because, lots of times, things are just theoretical and, when you rehearse the scene before you shoot it, sometimes there will be stuff that just doesnt quite play, as far as the physical space youre in, and I like being able to just be on the spot to rewrite dialogue. Its more fun because its more of a collegiate thing. You get to feel like youre a part of it. When youre just writing it in your room, its a lonely proposition. I like the practical end of it much more than the theoretical end of it. Actually making it is much more fun.

IESB: Out of all the characters that youve written, do you have a favorite character that youve gotten to see come to life?

Brian: Id say Mel Gibsons character, Jerry Fletcher, in Conspiracy Theory.

IESB: Are you currently writing anything right now, and do you hope to direct again?

Brian: Yeah, Im doing a movie at Sony, thats an original that Im supposed to direct. Its a cop movie. Thats the cheapest way to describe it. It doesnt have a title right now. Its just Untitled Cop Movie. Hopefully, if everything goes well, Ill be shooting it at the end of this year and the beginning of next year.