It’s in the eye of the viewer, right? Do we condemn Nick Hoult for what he ultimately chooses to do, or do we understand it? I think you’d probably have a very split vote on that. Which is the point. It’s messy. I think we’d understand if Faith left it alone, and I think we’d understand if Faith shows up at the door. That’s why to me it’s cool.
I’ve got to ask you about the release of the film, which has obviously engendered some controversy. My understanding is that it was originally intended to go to streaming?
I don’t want to get into any of that, about the intentions. What I’ll say is I am very, very pleased with the reception that the movie is getting. People like it. It’s opening in 15 more markets this weekend, so now people in a bunch more major markets will have the opportunity to see it theatrically if they want to. I just want people to see it. We made a movie that I’m proud of, and most importantly that Clint is very proud of. That was sort of the assignment. I don’t have any real communication with the studio or the shot callers on this. They’re going to do whatever they think is best for the movie and that’s what they’re doing. I’m pleased that they’re giving us an awards campaign. That’s exciting.
It feels a little bit like critics and audiences alike are kind of realizing, Hey, there’s a good one out here. Which feels rare.
Yeah, for sure! Totally.
So this was your first produced screenplay. Have you got anything else lined up?
The funny thing about this business is I’ve been working professionally as a screenwriter for, geez, 14 years. So I’ve made a living at it, writing movies and television pilots that didn’t get made, and that’s okay, and then this one finally does. It’s a very weird existence to get paid to make things that no one really ever sees outside of, you know, the people that were developing it with you. But this project has given me a fair amount of credibility, which is really cool. The next thing that we have is an idea that I sold to the Russo brothers, who did all the Avengers movies and stuff. They have a company called AGBO and I sold it to them last year. I’ve completed the script and we’re putting it together. It’s a biopic about the making of It’s a Wonderful Life, but really about Jimmy Stewart working through his PTSD upon returning home from World War II where he was a bomber pilot, and how he worked through it by playing George Bailey.
Oh, that’s a very cool story. It’s touched on a bit in Mark Harris’s book Five Came Back, about Frank Capra and some of the other filmmakers who helped in the war effort. Did you read that one?
Oh, of course, yeah. Capra’s a key figure in the script, so yeah I read that. You know, it’s a love letter to Hollywood and to the greatest holiday movie ever made and to definitely one of the greatest actors that ever was. It’s a story that I love, and again, I’m just so thrilled to be able to do this and get paid to do it and hopefully we’ll be able to get that film made too.
