In this edition of Interview, Last Resort Films president Phil Dolan sits down for an interview with writer Jacob Jones (Princess Natalie, Floyd Monroe) to discuss his latest films and his work in the animation genre.
PD: After two films this season, you have one box office hit and one box office bomb. What do you make of that dichotomy?
JJ: Obviously you can't swing .1000 on everything and a box office flop was always a possibility given I had three films this year. What I find ironic is that prior to the season starting, I considered Floyd Monroe one of the safe options to make a profit along with Princess Natalie. However, I'd like to point out that Princess Natalie made around double what Floyd Monroe's loss was. I'm not sure that made sense so allow me to explain further.
So, as of writing, Floyd Monroe has lost $24,003,562. Princess Natalie in contrast made $52,756,449. When I multiplied Floyd Monroe's loss twice, the end result is 48,007,124. Still a few million lower than Princess Natalie. Now, what if I had subtracted the original numbers? You'll find that $52,756,449 - $24,003,562 = $28,752,887, which is still bigger than the loss Floyd Monroe made. Overall, I don't really see this as a loss per-say. Especially given what I know now. At this point, I'm more glad regarding the mostly positive reception both films have received.
Besides, what's done is done. All that's left for me this season is Kazaria. And at this point, I'm confident that the film can make a profit and finish the season for me on a high note. We have the biggest homegrown star in LRF history along with proven actors such as Daniel Kaluuya, Colin Firth and Suki Waterhouse. We also have Paul Giamatti, Donald Sutherland and Ian McKellen returning to the studio after some time away. Finally, I would be remiss if I didn't bring up Sean William Scott, Andre Holland, Keegan-Michael Key and Nicholas Braun, four actors (one of which I have worked with before) I have been delighted to work with for this film. If the film proves successful, you might wind up seeing me collaborate with everyone here again soon. A final shout-out definitely goes to Jimmy Ellis and John Malone who helped me work on the script. I truly believe it's one of the best I've made and I hope what I've said here can reflect that.
PD: Some could view your latest effort, Kazaria, as a risky film. What are your expectations for the film?
JJ: I don't blame them for thinking it's a gamble. The idea of trying to come up with a film similar to that of Star Wars is always going to be met with some skepticism and concern. Especially since the film does deal with political matters. I was worried about the film myself, but thanks to the help of people like John, Jimmy, and Chad, I believe I have created a movie that is not only interesting in terms of world-building but one that can also be profitable. I believe that with Guillemero de Toro's leadership and the workmanship of people like Billy Magnussen, Daniel Kaluuya, Ian McKellen and so many other talented and wonderful actors that this movie will succeed and hopefully open the door to a new franchise.
PD: Next season you have a sequel to The Crow: Resurrected due for release. What can you tell us about that progress?
JJ: The Crow: Wings of Isaiah is a movie that's become very dear to me. I think this is the movie that I really got to understand The Crow and how the franchise, specifically the original movie, works while also adding in new elements to keep the world of The Crow interesting and fresh. I do want to mention one thing regarding casting however that did have me concerned. I was wondering whether or not Jon Boyega would be the right man to take the helm of this newer Crow but thankfully his performance in Green Lantern Corps washed away all concerns. I'm confident he will be an excellent Crow and like with Kazaria, lead to the start of a new franchise. I won't go into too much detail but I'm in the belief that anyone can be The Crow. This idea that there is a vigilante that takes out those who have wronged him and those closest is one that is filled with great potential and I want to fulfill it.
PD: You're one of the few writers to consistently work on animated films. What is your favorite part about working in that medium?
JJ: I probably shouldn't brag, but I guess I'd consider myself the architect of animated films here in Last Resort Films. Not only have I proven this with Oh Deer and Princess Natalie, but we've also seen Super Mario do well with critics and audiences. Prior to this, The Banded Ants by Jack Ryder helped bring solid box office revenue. And I think the reason why animation is such an interesting medium is that you can do things with it that you otherwise couldn't in live-action. So say you wanted to have a group of woodland critters go off in search of a bush of berries? You can do that with the power of animation. And that's just an in-studio example, we can also cite the many incredible stories that have been able to be told thanks to the medium of animation, most notably from Disney with Frozen, Moana, Zootopia, and most recently Raya and the Last Dragon. That is what I base my vision for animated films around. It's a formula that has worked for many years and I believe if you work it just right, bring the right people on board and understand your audience, in this case mainly families, that you can make a quality animated film that'll last a lifetime.
No comments:
Post a Comment