PD: You were the first outside screenwriter to join Last Resort Films, how has the studio changed in your time with it?
MB: A lot has changed, obviously. I was the first one to join, so I can say that there's more writers, but it's so much more than that. Last Resort Films presents more diverse films, more genre films, with people from various cultural backgrounds. It has also reached a size that I never thought it would reach. Last time I checked, the studio worked with 600 different actors and actresses, which is enormous, compared to when I joined. I feel the studio has now more to offer than it previously did and I really hope it goes on for a very long time.
PD: In addition to writing yourself, you also manage an association of other writers. How did that come about?
MB: When I first joined, I intended to keep it to myself, but one day one of my friends saw me writing a movie and asked me why. I showed him the Last Resort Films blog and he wanted in too. After he joined, we talked about Last Resort Films to our other mutual friends and they all agreed to join and they've been with me ever since. Ann recently left, but she'll remain a presence with us behind the scenes, often helping us around, but she doesn't intend to write again, especially after her last film was so well-received. She thinks she went out with a bang and she wants to be remembered for it. Our new writer (the one who replaces Ann) was always present in our weekly meetings, but never wanted to officially commit and he finally accepted my offer to join.
PD: As a writer, your films have won the second most Golden Reel Awards and you are responsible for the highly successful Divine Comedy series (as well as taking over the Halo series). Are you more concerned with critical acclaim and awards or box office success when you sit down to write a project?
MB: I like to think that it depends on the project. When I wrote my Quebec trilogy starring Brie Larson, I (obviously) went for awards consideration. When I wrote a small-scaled project, I'm hoping to receive awards attention, as any writer would, but when I write a blockbuster, like Halo 2, I think it's obvious I'm going for box office success rather than awards consideration. Sometimes, I have both forms of success and sometimes I don't have any of them and when these things happen, I think about what went wrong with this particular project to avoid making these mistakes again in my future work.
PD: What are some of your favorite films released by the studio?
MB: I will intentionally leave out movies released by the Association for this question, but here it goes. In Season 1, I absolutely loved everything about Jonestown, from Jeff Daniels, to Josh Brolin to Oliver Stone. White Jazz is also a personal favorite, with Brad Pitt and Andrew Dominik delivering perhaps their best work together. Blood Meridian is my favorite Season 2 release, from its excellent casting to its brilliant direction. Solution also has an all-star cast and a rock-solid performance by one of my favorite actors, Benedict Cumberbatch. In Season 3, I was a big fan of The Prisoner, just like everybody else and its virtues don't need to be talked about anymore. I was perhaps in the minority who loved American Playboy, led by Andrew Garfield's electric performance. My Season 4, favorites are Missoula and The Creature. You'll hear more about it in the next edition of the Prestige Magazine!
PD:What's next for you?
MB: It's been announced that I penned Cape Torment, an upcoming crime drama set in Quebec, inspired by the true events of a man who attempts to kill his wife. My other Season 5 project is the sequel of my modest Season 3 hit Death and All His Friends, where the journey comes to a n end, or does it really... For Season 6, I penned a drama set in France during World War II, an ambitious sci-fi thriller set in a complex world and a crime drama, again inspired by real events, set in 70's in Montreal. There's obviously a sequel to Halo 2 and to Purgatorio planned and other exciting projects, that's for sure.
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