Interview: John Malone

In this edition of Interview, Last Resort Films president Phil Dolan sits down for an interview with acclaimed LRF writer John Malone (Superman: The Last Son of Krypton, Klondike) to discuss James Bond and his other passion projects.

PD: First off, how was the process of bringing one of your dream projects (James Bond) to the big screen?

JM: When you have as much affection for the James Bond franchise as I do, it actually can be pretty daunting and difficult. As you know, I wrote two completely different pitches for the project. That came about after I re-read a collection of Ian Fleming's Bond short stories and was reminded of how small the stories are. It's not all world domination and grand conspiracies. That inspired me to rewrite the project. I decided I wanted to make a small story in a big way, combining the sensibilities of Fleming's shorter stories with the blockbuster mindset of the audience. Once I figured that out it was pretty smooth sailing though. Just had to truly put it into my voice rather than trying to ape other writers from the franchise.

PD: In case Risico is a hit, do you have a follow-up planned?

JM: I know the exact story I want to tell with the character next. I haven't written it, but I know it - villain, setting, everything, even the opening set-piece. I plan on mixing in bits and pieces from past films I loved, just like I did with Risico.

PD: Changing gears, your latest Superman film ended on a very open-ended note. Is there anything you can tease about the future of that franchise?

JM: First, expect to see more of Chloe Moretz going forward. Second, in the third entry Clark will learn a good deal about his origins - and they will NOT be the same as other films and/or comics. I think it is important to stay ahead of your audience, which can be tricky with characters such as Superman or 007, so I am definitely creating my own takes on Superman's origin.

PD: Aside from Superman and James Bond, are there any other projects you're working on that you're excited about?

JM: Aside from those I have a few projects at the forefront. Firstly, Chad Taylor and I still have to sit down and write Caesar Part II. That's just a matter of our schedules lining up - we know the story. Aside from that I have a few interesting smaller projects in the works - as well as a possibly controversial Biblical/historical project that I'm close to finishing. While I may not have as much writing time as I used to, I'm certainly trying to get as much out of what time I do have.