PD: After briefly losing the top box office position to Splinter Cell: Double Agent, the sequel to Booster Gold claimed the spot. What does it mean to you that audiences love the character so much?
CT: It makes me smile, honestly, because I think the people see what I saw in this character. He has always been one of my favorites because he is there to be laughed at but comes off a bit endearing, especially in his bond with Beetle. I've brought up Deadpool and Star-Lord in the past and I think the shared success of these three characters says something. But I've always preferred to put him more in the mold of Star-Lord than relying too heavily on meta jokes and gross-out humor. And like Pratt in his role, I don't think any of this success could be possible without the performance of Billy Magnussen.
PD: You're making your debut as a director with the upcoming Somewhere, Somehow. What made you want to take the jump from writer to director?
CT: Having been on many sets now, I've always been fascinated by the role of director and I always prioritize building a good rapport with the ones on my films. More than fifteen films later, I have grown a hunger for trying my own hand at that craft. I always knew that if I directed something, it would be a smaller scale production because I don't want to bite off more than I could chew with something like a huge blockbuster. Looking back now, Somewhere, Somehow feels like the only film that could've been my debut. As I was writing the script, I immediately felt an urge to pour some personal observations into it and as this kept happening, I knew that this was the film that needed me behind the camera. Directing was very stressful and I'm still a writer at heart so I have no plans to direct again just yet unless the right project comes around.
PD: Another film you have coming out this season is a western. Why do you think that genre still captures the imagination of writers?
CT: It's really quite interesting that writers and directors continue to revisit the western, decades after it had been declared dead. I'm sure part of it is that we all love film and it's really hard to love film without having crossed paths with at least a few westerns. I personally have an affinity for revisionist westerns of the 70s like Little Big Man and Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid and I wanted to do something like that with mine. I was particularly intrigued by the Chinese laborers of the California Gold Rush and wanted to write a film centered on someone from that background. Not only does the western usually limit its characters to White/Hispanic/Native American, but we also rarely see immigrants to the west coast during this period (as opposed to the Europeans hitting America's East Coast). And I have a feeling that that sensation of mine - being interested in a very peculiar aspect of the old west - is similar in other writers, just for many different things. On film, The West provides such a compelling landscape that brings familiar tropes and characters with it and so it is exciting to find new ways to bend something so tried and true into your own. The western may not be as popular as it was in its heyday but I think the blank canvas it provides will lure in writers for generations to come.
PD: Are there any upcoming releases from the studio you're especially excited for?
CT:Yes! This may be a bit biased due to my closeness to LRF's DC Universe but I'm pumped to see what APJ has in store for Green Arrow and company. I thought the first film was just a lot of fun and I love the pairing of Armie and Vanessa. Extending upon that, I'm intrigued by the long-gestated Huntress film to finally see the light of day. And I'm keeping a close eye on Blue Heat, as well. It's amazing that it has taken this long to get Will Smith in front of LRF cameras. Plus I am a fan of both Taron Egerton and John Boyega and am eager to secure them roles in future films of my own.
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