Screenwriter Akiva Goldsman Discusses Batman & Robin, Jonah Hex and Swamp Thing

Screenwriter Akiva Goldsman Discusses Batman & Robin, Jonah Hex and Swamp Thing

The controversial screenwriter has his fair share of career highs and lows, but he keeps returning to comic books for inspiration!

By bsprecher - Oct 18, 2009 12:10 AM EST
Filed Under: Jonah Hex
Source: LA Times


















Many CBM fans revile screenwriter Akiva Goldsman for what is often considered one of the worst comic book movies of all time: the Joel Schumacher-directed Batman & Robin. While he doesn't come out and apologize for the film, Goldsman said that he is aware of how fans feel about it and where it all went wrong:

"What got lost in Batman & Robin is the emotions aren't real. The worst thing to do with a serious comic book is to make it a cartoon. I'm still answering for that movie with some people."

Following Batman & Robin, Goldsman's screenwriting career was on the rocks until his script for A Beautiful Mind earned him an Academy Award. Having a little gold icon on your desk is apparently enough to make even tight-fisted producers forget "bat nipples," because Goldman went on to write the scripts for The Da Vinci Code, Angels & Demons, I Am Legend and I, Robot.

And, Goldsman has not sworn off comic book adaptations or superheroes. He is currently producing and/or writing the screenplay for four DC Comics adaptations: Jonah Hex, The Losers, Lobo and Swamp Thing.

About his take on Jonah Hex, Goldman said:

"He's a character that has been described as having one foot on Earth and one foot beyond the grave, that he speaks to the dead . . . at the same time he is very much [like Sergio Leone's] The Man With No Name."

For Swamp Thing, Goldsman wants the tone to be closer to that of writer Alan Moore's run on the comic book than to Wes Craven's 1982 B-movie.

"We want a film with real Southern, dark horror overtones, a little bit like a classic Universal horror film."
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thegamedrex
thegamedrex - 10/18/2009, 1:10 AM
maybe we can see how far Megan fox's acting range is in this movie, it seems like this is a good chance to surprise many and all she is sexy and i believe she is very talented.
loki668
loki668 - 10/18/2009, 1:23 AM
Actually, if you look at "Batman and Robin" as a modernized version of the Adam West "Batman" show, you'll see that they are two sides of the same turd.

LEEE777
LEEE777 - 10/18/2009, 3:34 AM
BATMAN & ROBIN
TheSoulEater
TheSoulEater - 10/18/2009, 4:53 AM
Photobucket
Fortress
Fortress - 10/18/2009, 4:57 AM
Batman & Robin worst CBM Ever!
LEEE777
LEEE777 - 10/18/2009, 5:13 AM
GRIF @ Always looking on the bright side!!?

I'm really looking forward to HEX myself, if its half as good as the DC Comic book, its gonna be [frick]ing fantastic!!

Soul @ Lmao!!

BigNick @ Dunno about that, i thought CATWOMAN was twice as bad!! : D
LEEE777
LEEE777 - 10/18/2009, 5:19 AM
P.S. SWAMP THING was a good movie, pity they didn't have much of a budget though. Cant wait for the new one!!

Batmanknight
Batmanknight - 10/18/2009, 6:05 AM
I think Catwoman was the worst CBM so far. Batman and Robin is always good for a good laugh when your bored.

Johna Hex was always one of my favorite books so this better be good. I will definitely be first in line to see this one.
LEEE777
LEEE777 - 10/18/2009, 6:38 AM
I ROBOT, i liked but yeah I AM LEGEND was more than dull, i'd call it total Dog SH!T! ; D

Still, JONAH HEX is gonna be [frick]ing amazing!!

I'm amazed it ever saw the light of day! Good news for all DC movies!!
StephenStrange
StephenStrange - 10/18/2009, 6:52 AM
hahahahhahhah! "because the emotions weren't real"??????

I seriously loled when I read that. The depth of cluelessness just took on epic proportions.

AS IF the problems with that movie were just that one things! There were actually hundreds of problems really

GOD the whole world is addicted to the belief that sci fi = silly. Or comic book = Garfield, Dick Tracy, Archie

Betty
Betty - 10/18/2009, 8:02 AM
This bothers me:

"The worst thing to do with a serious comic book is to make it a cartoon."

I think he left out the word "silly" before cartoon. I for one think that the animated feature should be the next step for some comic books. A serious comic can make a serious cartoon. The word cartoon shouldn't have the silly/kiddie definition it does.

Also, what up wiv Jonah's eye? I guess his emotions aren't real if his character design sticks to the comic?
GUNSMITH
GUNSMITH - 10/18/2009, 8:38 AM
YEAH THEY SHOULD HAVE DID THE EYE DEAL..WHAT THEY CAN DO IT FOR TWOFACE IN DARKNIGHT BUT NONO ON JOHNA?
georgia49th
georgia49th - 10/18/2009, 8:41 AM
Just goes to show people have different tastes
I liked both I Am Legend and I, Robot both were really entertaining.
Catwoman is the worst CBM film ever
And what the hell is wrong with Cartoons?
Nothing, I still enjoy watching cartoons in fact where the hell is my Pirates of Dark Water movie???????????
georgia49th
georgia49th - 10/18/2009, 8:47 AM
Brolin has stated they tried the big eye look but tried it old shool style but his eye got infected and brolin reliased he wasn't that dedicated as an actor lol.
toyed with the idea of CGI but wanted realism instead I for one having seen photos of Brolin as Hex and not being dissappointed
InTylerWeTrust
InTylerWeTrust - 10/18/2009, 9:10 AM
The dude certainly is "hit or miss" with some fantastic scripts (A Beautiful Mind) and some terrible, at best, scripts (B & R)

I personally love I, Robot and I Am Legend.

I'd call Batman and Robin the worst CBM ever, since I haven't forced myself to watch Catwoman.

Looking forward to Jonah Hex, even though pretty miss Megan "I can't act for my life" Fox is in the movie.
BrotherQStark
BrotherQStark - 10/18/2009, 11:06 AM
Jonah Hex looks good
Rokrad
Rokrad - 10/18/2009, 11:24 AM
i think the first hulk was the worst CBM
LEEE777
LEEE777 - 10/18/2009, 11:27 AM
Rokrad @ WTF??? ; D

InTylerWeTrust
InTylerWeTrust - 10/18/2009, 11:31 AM
I really don't like the first Hulk, but I don't think it was the worst CBM.
LEEE777
LEEE777 - 10/18/2009, 12:44 PM
HOFFING slow 2day!!



: D
Growler
Growler - 10/18/2009, 12:59 PM
Looking forward to Jonah Hex, but, I will admit, with some trepidation.
Goldsmith's previous CBM effectively murdered a multi-million dollar franchise so the chances of this turning out well are 50/50 at best.
I too really enjoyed both I, Robot and I Am Legend but these were both very loose adaptations of literary pieces and it seems when he's left to his own devices with other peoples' creations he can't seem to help but mess them up.

God alone knows what travety would becomre of a new Swwamp Thing in his hands and I really think he should refrain from mentioning Alan Moore in relaton to any script he's likely to be let loose upon.

I hope I'm proven wrong but I don't have a lot of faith when we all know that ultimately it's the bottom line he'll bow to - not anyone's creative concerns or considerations.
LEEE777
LEEE777 - 10/18/2009, 2:32 PM
Movielad @ Cool!!

Growler @ 50/50???

More like 75/25! Ive got FAITH in WB/DC Entertainment, much more so than FOX! (The Company).

The last recent DC movies in the last couple of years have been WATCHMEN & TDK, i don't think they wanna mess any DC movies up, i think they've learned their lesson with CATWOMAN! Pity some of the other companies that make movies never learn lol.
LEEE777
LEEE777 - 10/18/2009, 2:34 PM
P.S. I AM LEGEND is the worst A-Movie (Not B-Movie) Ever made! It really was that bad, an worst effects than anything ive ever seen with their budget!! ; D

NexusStrider
NexusStrider - 10/18/2009, 4:57 PM
Gerard Butler for Wolverine, Japanese Saga!
LEEE777
LEEE777 - 10/18/2009, 5:23 PM
TEABAG @ Most of it went into WILL'S pocket!!

Where theres a WILL theres a WAY!! : P

LEEE777
LEEE777 - 10/18/2009, 5:24 PM
Damn, its dead around here lol.
Tobuttica
Tobuttica - 10/18/2009, 6:02 PM
Catwoman is so bad that most people didn't even bother watching it. Therefore I nominate it for one of the worst CBMs ever. It's up there with Dolph's Punisher, and Superman 4. I'd say Supes 3, but the Clark vs Crazy Supes was kick ass. And the winner is....Catwoman. As the angry videogame nerd would put it "Complete dog$hit!" If you haven't watched it, I don't feel you can logically suggest worst CBM ever. You aren't taking into account all of the CBM. It might be the worst you've ever seen, but for those of us that have seen all the CBMs out there, we know that Catwoman is a terrible movie. I actually thought that UWE BOLL had directed it and was disappointed that he didn't. I'm used to his horse crap, but for someone else to come around and make something almost as terrible as his movies was shocking.
shibazz
shibazz - 10/18/2009, 6:33 PM
havent seen CatWoman.... should i?
Phinehas
Phinehas - 10/18/2009, 7:28 PM
Tobuttica-
No way that Lundgren's Punisher was that bad. Otherwise the others on your list on dead on.
1. Catwoman
2. B&R
3. Superman 4
4. Batman Forever
5. Superman Returns
6. Elektra(Its below SR because I don't care about Elektra as much as i do Supe's character.

Lundgren's Punisher is still watchable. It just wasn't satisfying as a CBM. I'd watch it again on a dull weekend afternoon.
supermarioworldE
supermarioworldE - 10/18/2009, 8:18 PM
Hopefully Jonah Hex won't suck. I need this film to do well, so that Hollywood can start thinking about a Dark Tower movie
Phinehas
Phinehas - 10/19/2009, 11:40 AM
Sorry MTL,

Forever was the precursor to B&R. Tea's reply really echos my own thought about it. Not only that, but it was much too campy. It really departed quite substantively from Burton's vision. Not that I saw Burton's vision as the most definitive, it certainly captured a certain similar spirit of the character. IMO, Nolan's vision will in time be considered the definitive vision for Bats in film.
Don't get me started on Singerman Returns. I'll just get too angry.
Phinehas
Phinehas - 10/19/2009, 12:29 PM
TEA-

OMG, right? I didn't want to sound knit-picky by bringing it up! LOL
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