Interview: Dwight Gallo

In this edition of Interview, Last Resort Films president Phil Dolan sits down with writer Dwight Gallo ("Nez Perce", Outlaw Country) to discuss his recent LRTV success, his latest film Ypsilanti, and the future plans for the studio's Marvel Universe.....

PD: First of all, congratulations on all the success of "Nez Perce" at the first Golden Views Awards. Can you talk about your work on the show?

DG: Thanks. As you know, I was trying to make the story of the flight of the Nez Perce Tribe into a film for several seasons, but I just couldn't quite crack it. The story was too epic, for lack of a better word, for just a single two-hour film. So thankfully LRTV was born, which gave me the perfect outlet for my vision. I had a great time making the show, and had a great time assembling the cast, including the wonderful under-utilized Native actors.

PD: How is the work on Season 2 of "Nez Perce" coming along?

DG: I actually just finished writing the second season not too long ago. Things are set to get even more intense and harrowing for the characters. It's already been announced that the second season of the show will be its last, and that's because I found a natural spot to end things. I look forward to see how people respond the final season.

PD: Changing gears, your latest film Ypsilanti, is your first film since Season 9. Why the break?

DG: Ypsilanti has been in the works for several seasons at this point. While it may seem like something of a simple thriller, it was originally trickier structurally, but in the final version there are only slight clues to that. At a certain point I was determined to make sure that Ypsilanti would be my next film, but then it took me longer than expected to finish fleshing out the film. So while there was a two-season gap between films, I was working on Ypsilanti and my television projects the entire time.

PD: Speaking of your film work, you have come on board to help lead the studio's upcoming Marvel Universe. Can you talk about your involvement with that endeavor?

DG: It really all stemmed from a desire to make an X-Men film. I know you were pretty resistant to the idea at first, but Mark Newton had also been talking with you on ways to expand the studio's Marvel film output to coincide with his second Silver Surfer film. As of right now, my X-Men and Newton's Silver Surfer are set to be foundation of the Marvel Universe, but other writers like Chad Taylor has expressed interest in tackling certain characters moving forward. It's exciting working on the plan for the Universe, so hopefully audiences respond to our efforts.

PD: Outside of the Marvel Universe and "Nez Perce", what's next for you?

DG: Well, on the LRTV front "Hitman" will be returning for a second season and I'll also be adding a western TV series to the network. In the film world, I've been working on a few more Western ideas, which is easily my favorite genre to work in. I'm also looking to try my hands with a couple science fiction projects. It's been a long time since I've tried working in the sci-fi realm, so it's been interesting to try my hand at it again.