Producer Charles Roven Discusses MAN OF STEEL
During a press junket for Zack Snyder's latest flick, Collider caught up with producer Charles Roven, getting the chance to talk about the film's script, how it compares with other blockbusters, as well as the upcoming World of Warcraft film to which he is also producing. Check it out!
On how much the story changed from the initial script to final film:
I would say that the basic story was there. I’d say that the script got more focused, both in terms of the precision of the action and where that action took place in the story, and in terms of the emotionality of the script. Those two things became more focused, during the course. We shrunk it down a little bit, too. The size of David’s first script was pretty long.
On what made Roven nervous the most when viewing the script:
There were a number of things that made me nervous, but they were also the very same things that really got my interest. It’s good to be scared and nervous, in a good way. The idea of trying to do it again, by taking a huge brand and trying to make that work, after having had amazing success with The Dark Knight trilogy, we knew that it had to be unique, to itself, and not cover the same territory. We really tried very hard to be true to what Superman called for. The other thing was just that the size and scope of the movie really scared the shit out of me.
On comparing the likes of Man of Steel with other blockbusters:
It was definitely in The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises zone. It’s in there. It’s big. That’s what it was one of the things that scared me, in a good way. The script was really good. I closed it and went, “Wow, it’s big!” We had to figure out a way to make it big and emotional, and I feel really good about that.
On Roven's reaction to the finished film:
I am involved in the post-production, but I’m not intimately involved in the cut. I see different stages of the cut, along the way. As the visual effect passes are coming through, I look at literally every shot and probably 90% of the shots, I’m just going, “Wow, that’s great!” But sometimes, I go, “Well, what about that?” And I heard the early things that Hans Zimmer was doing. I’m one step removed ‘cause I didn’t want to get in Zack’s face. I more wanted to be a sounding board for Zack, and sometimes say, “If this is what we’re trying to accomplish, let’s think about this.” I actually see the building blocks come together, but it’s all in pieces. It is a very thrilling experience, particularly if the movie is working, to see it all together, the first time.
On the interest of creating a DC Universe film:
I definitely think that the studio has said that they are going to do it. I hope they’re successful in accomplishing that. I want this movie to get open. I don’t really want to think more than that about anything ‘cause I like to bring to conclusion the thing I’m working on, before I move on to something else. But, this movie does allow for the fact that there’s nothing in it that would stop it from happening. The Dark Knight trilogy didn’t allow for a universe in which that could happen.
On Roven's thoughts of the video game-to-film process and how to make it work:
I really feel that, if you have these big spectacles, but you can make them relatable to people and engage them emotionally, no matter how big the spectacle is, then it will work. I think we’ll get there, and I’m hoping that Warcraft is the one. We start shooting it in February, and I think that Duncan [Jones] is a really, really spectacular filmmaker. I’m really happy to be working with him on it.