Cool News
Quint nabs the first interview with Roger Avary about CASTLE WOLFENSTEIN!!!
Ahoy, squirts! Quint here. I first met Roger Avary when I was a teenager, back in the early days of me writing on this site. If I remember correctly Harry introduced us at DragonCon in 1998 and then promptly left for some obligation so we just sat and had a conversation for half an hour or so.
Being the stupid 17 year old I was, the very first thing I blurted out was "So, what's up with you and Tarantino?" This was at the height of the big rumored feud between the two. Even though I broached it with a complete lack of finesse or subtlety, Avary's response was very warm and a touch sad. He said the whole thing was blown out of proportion. There were things that had happened, small things, that drove a wedge between them, but there was no active hatred on his part and his mutual friends he had with Tarantino said the same thing was going on with Quentin. He said he had hoped one day they'd be able to get back together as friends and that did eventually happen.
Over the years Roger has been instrumental on getting me access to a few things he's been involved with, including his own RULES OF ATTRACTION (click here and read that report) and my visit to the BEOWULF offices 2 years ago (click here to read that one!).
When it was announced that he was adapting the CASTLE WOLFENSTEIN series into film I asked if we could do a short email interview about it and the result is the following chat.
It's still early days, but Avary is surprisingly open and transparent about the state the film is in currently, what his dreams are and an overall view of his plans.
Enjoy!!!
Quint: Alright... Wolfenstein. What's interesting about adapting this property to me is that there really isn't a set storyline that you might be tied to. I might be talking completely out of my ass here, but what I remember of Wolfenstein 3-D and Return to Castle Wolfenstein is very little plot, but a lot of fucked up Nazi occult stuff. Am I wrong or did you pick this project because of the fun you can have with the situation, the setting and the creatures?
Roger Avary: I first played Castle Wolfenstein on an Apple II, but it wasn't until Romero & Hall's masterpiece Wolfenstein3D that I wanted to realize the adventures of B.J. Blazkowicz on the big screen. I mean, what's not to love? It's a WWII "guys on a mission" movie, which means you're going to be blowing shit up, storming bunkers, busting dams, derailing trains, and killing Nazi's. I love WWII films, but with Wolfenstein we get the creature effects as well, and the guys at id Software have already done all the heavy lifting for me in that department. They went to the imagination well and pulled up buckets of craziness -- and as you know, I respond to crazy.
Quint: I've always defended video games from people who say it is impossible to make a good movie based off of a video game. I view it as just another adaptation. You can just as easily fuck up a book or a comic, and there are plenty examples of projects that have, but it's all about the people making it. I think your approach to SILENT HILL was the closest we've come to a movie that took what worked in the video game and translated it to the screen. What is your approach on WOLFENSTEIN?
Roger Avary: The reason people say that is because they develop a proprietary relationship with the avatar they're playing. They control the moves, they navigate the universe, they become the character themselves -- and it's difficult and frustrating for them to relinquish that control over to a third party. Also, it should be said that the writing and acting in most videogames isn't stellar to begin with, so it's a bit of an uphill climb to perform an adaptation that both lives up to people's expectations and improves on the original's deficiencies.
John Milius once told me a story that went something like this (and I'm doing my best to paraphrase here): Stanley Kubrick called him up one day, wanting some advice on buying "the best handgun ever produced." Obviously, Milius is the guy you call when you want to buy a gun. His one requirement was that the weapon must have "never been fired." Milius thought about it, and told him that it would be a Colt .45 Special produced in 1942. He then warned Kubrick that to find this particular handgun in mint condition would be nearly impossible. "Money is no object!" Kubrick told him. Months passed and eventually Kubrick received a call from Milius: "Stanley," he told him, "I found the gun. Not only has it never been fired, but it's in the original box!" Kubrick was delighted, money changed hands, and the gun was shipped to England, where Kubrick lived. A few months later, Milius calls Kubrick to ask "How did you like the gun?" To which Kubrick responded, "Oh! I love it! I re-bored the barrel and realigned the bead, swapped out the Mahogany handle for Mother of Pearl, changed out the hammer, and swapped out the pins." Milius was aghast, "You've -- you've -- you've destroyed it!" To which Kubrick responded "NO! I MADE IT BETTER!"
When performing an adaptation one needs to be willing to disassemble and recreate from scratch, as Kubrick famously did with THE SHINING. And whenever someone whines to me about breaking canon, be it with THE RULES OF ATTRACTION, SILENT HILL, or even BEOWULF, I remind them that the original book, videogame, or poem will ALWAYS exist in its original form for their enjoyment, but that a movie has special needs and compromises that occur due to a variety of real-world constrictions. Making a movie is not unlike building a house. You can plan all you want that your house is going to have a copper roof, but when there's a shortage of copper, or your local building codes restrict it, or whatever reason happens that prevents you from putting copper on your roof, you sometimes have to compromise and go with tin. And sometimes, by the good fortunes of the universe, your compromises make the film better than if you had all the resources possible. You're not always going to have the technocrane you need, or the actor you dreamed about, and so you roll with what the universe delivers, and you make it the best it can be with the limitations that rain down onto you. Sometimes, the bond company forces you to cut pages -- and the trick is to roll with those compromises and make it work regardless. Fans of source material are pretty rigid, and always think they could have done it better, and maybe sometimes they could have -- but most filmmakers who have undergone the trial by fire of making a movie understand the dance one has to undergo over the process of making a movie.
Quint: In many ways, as strange as it is to say this, SILENT HILL is a bit more higher brow than WOLFENSTEIN. Does that play a factor in how you approach the material? What kind of tone are we to expect?
Roger Avary: I was given a story bible by id Software, which outlined the dos and do nots of the Wolfenstein franchise. Primarily it outlined who B.J. Blazkowicz is and what kind of behavior I should be mindful of. For example, B.J. respects action and bravery over rank and discipline; he must not act as a traitor or for personal gain; he is not racist or an anti-Semite; etc., the list goes on and on. I was really grateful to be given these specific guidelines by the creators of the character because I want to be as true as possible to the spirit of the Wolfenstein franchise, and to the proud tradition of WWII "guys on a mission" movies that inspired the game. Return to Castle Wolfenstein is a very specific kind of adventure, and my intent is to make an experience that's true to the franchise and very different from my other work as a director.
Quint: What are you going to make sure is included in the movie? What can you not wait to see realized onscreen? Will we see Robot Hitler?
Roger Avary: I'm attempting to strike a balance between the over-the-top elements of the Wolfenstein franchise with a certain quotient of reality.
Quint: Setting? Castle? Countryside? Both?
Roger Avary: Castle Wolfenstein is a given -- a primary character of the film, even. Our story will take us to a variety of surrounding locations, however. And it will, of course, take place during WW2 in the European theater of operations.
Quint: Do you have a script yet? If not, when are you going to begin writing? What kind of research are you doing?
Roger Avary: I like to write on location, so I'm about to leave for Castle Wewelsburg, which was Himmler's base of operation for his Paranormal Unit. I've also been watching every World War Two film ever made.
Quint: I know this is early, but what is your gut telling you about casting? New faces? Character actors? Known actors?
Roger Avary: With a movie of this scale it's almost a certainty that we'll need to anchor it with known leads. But I'm trying to build an ensemble of talent, tapping into the wealth of European actors for roles like Dr. Otto Giftmacher and of course Hilda von Bulow. As for B.J., all one needs to do is look at the box art on the Return to Castle Wolfenstein game and you can see who I see in my mind for the role.
Quint: When do you plan on shooting? Where do you plan on shooting?
Roger Avary: Well, the looming strike is wreaking havoc with the entire industry, so I can't say with certainty that we'll be able to make our planned start date next spring. If it happens, I'm going to be spending the entirety of next year in Paris working with my tech crew prepping the complex creature effects and miniatures. The strike for me will mostly mean that I have triple the prep time, so I might try to squeeze in a quick micro-budget movie I've been planning to shoot with my new RED Camera. Since I'm financing it myself I don't need to worry about the bond company restrictions on drop dates. I'll probably spend much of early next year scouting a variety of Eastern European locations for Castle Wolfenstein, bunkers, derelict submarine bases, villages, warehouses, etc.
There you have it. Thanks to Roger for taking the time to do this and thanks to you guys for giving it a read.
This is a busy month for me. I have Fantastic Fest in less than 2 weeks and all the interviews associated with that, plus some really high profile ones lined up for the end of the month, including the star of one of 2008's most anticipated releases. 'Til then this is Quint bidding you all a fond farewell and adieu.
-Quint
quint@aintitcool.com
-
+ Expand All
-
...and incorporate game footage into the movie?
-
..do you think he means for the role of "BJ"?
-
was sick! Dude had the crazy horns and gattling gun arms. That was some scary shit to an 11 yr old! hope this does well, good property
-
That's what Castle Wolfenstein has always reminded me of, which is a good thing for me. Loved those old comics, I think DC published them, can't remember.
Love Roger's stuff, but this seems an odd choice for him. -
That banner is too damn distracting, in a creepy way. Good luck, Avary. The comparisons have already started.
-
Is Roger thinking of Matt Damon for the lead possibly?
-
I'm not seeing any sweet actors pop into my head when I look at the box art. I can think of some awesome ones when i don't look at the box art tho.
-
On the Day of The Dead 2 disc DVD is one of my fav commentaries on any disc. Pure fanboy geeky goodness
-
Billy Bob Thorton's face is a strange, smooth anomaly.
-
Wtf is castle WOFLENSTEIN?
-
...But Destroy All Humans would translate to a movie extremely well. As long as we're talking videogame-to-movie adaptations here...
-
Has the look of The Rock to me. But would he want to do another video game movie?
-
looks like jason statham to me...
-
And not just some side-company with ONE producer in common, and not some overrated sequel, but a true, completely original film with CGI, the same character designers and writers and a Nobuo Uematsu score.
Videogames have the potential to make great movies, it's just that no one cares enough to make them good. The fact that they've made a trilogy out of those crappy Resident Evil movies saddens me. -
...with zombies? Yes please!
-
...hot scandinavian beauties in this as well, ala Ingrid Pitt. I recommend Hungarian porn actress Sophie Moone. Its time she branched out into, er, bigger things.
-
Im not so sure about this. Especially after the Doom movie. I love the Wolfenstein series. No I didn't play it on Apple II...I played it on a Commodore 64! *lol* But how would they do this??? Hitler is one of the bosses and there are evil dogs (it's fun shooting em)...plus the fact that whenever you shot a Nazi he'd either fart (well they did in 3D and Spear of Destiny anyways) or say "Mine liebe!"
-
PADDLE HARD! and it's sequel PADDLE HARDER!
-
If there isn't a robot Hitler in this movie, why are they making it? That - along with a castle - is the only thing I expect out of a Wolfenstein movie.
-
He co-wrote ONE segment of Pulp Fiction and everything he has done since has been average quality. Killing Zoe: Good not great
Rules of Attraction: Good not greatSilent Hill: Disappointing And so on... -
I don't think Silent Hill is NEARLY as bad as people say; if anything, I agree it totally translates the video game experience, with the odd, very stylized narrative in which the characters literally do follow video game-like map directions, reload weapons in a similar way, and in the case of the cop character, have outrageous fetishized uniforms...but it all WORKS onscreen, it's brilliant and surreal. The script fell down in spots, which is of course Avary's fault, but as video game adaptations go I think it is easily the best. And his Sandman script is supposed to be excellent. I trust him with my childhood friend Castle Wolfenstein.
-
Who wouldn't pay to see that on the big screen?
-
What kinda stupid name is that?
-
Advent Children was produced in-house and it's pretty shit. Square-Enix needs to stick to RPGs, movies aren't their strong point.
-
Avdent Children is pretty shit? You sir are an ass-hat! It is to date the best video game visualized for the screen I have ever seen ... now if they could only adapt FF VII itself all would be right with the world.
-
Bobbing on the Shire is the ass-hat
-
It's not comedy, it's Polish. You douche.
-
..It involved a camera. Methinks there's a bit of urban legend going on around that tale.
-
We kinda have that with Balls of Fury...even tho that's a movie about Ping Pong/Table Tennis. :P
-
Adam Baldwin of Full Metal Jacket and Firefly fame.
-
...this property is IMPOSSIBLE to fuck up. All you need is a cardboard stereotype (and I mean that in a good way) WWII-era U.S. soldier, tons of over-the-top firefights, ludicrous explosions, hordes of one-dimensional Nazi cannon fodder, zombies, mutants, monsters and hot chicks in tight leather outfits.
It's practically fool-proof. But then again, so was Doom until they fucked that shit up by dropping one of two ingredients which made it Doom, namely demons from hell. -
I sure do! Loved them as a kid since they really freaked me out at times. Sadly, though, the stories were never as good as the covers.
I still buy back issues every now and then on eBay. And yes, it was DC that published Weird War Tales. -
Yeah stick to the final fantasy games which I will enjoy never playing.
Wolfenstein has so much potential. Avary seems to have the right attitude to avoid making a fucking stinking turd like DOOM. -
I love Return to Castle Wolfenstein- one of my favorite games. Roger- can't wait-- just don't screw it up now.
-
Details anyone?
-
Haha you're so right. The covers were always the best part;P I remember a few of the stories were really good though. I have #1 somewhere in my many boxes of old comics hehe, not in the greatest shape though.
-
Sep 09, 2007 5:50:36 PM CDT
Avery to script KING'S QUEST I: THE MOTION PICTURE
by guy who got a headache and accidentally
They're filming all seven king's quest movies at once!
-
with Nicolas Cage playing Willy, who else?
-
As in: writers want more of them.
-
Ha, Never-Ending Pasta Bowl. That would be the most frightening thing to come to theaters in years. Rick Baker could do the makeup.
-
leave the directing to Paul Verhoeven , he's the only one crazy enough to make it faithful. If he directed there would be not one, but two, robot Hilters.
-
... should be made into a movie. How cool would that be?
-
...should also be made into a movie. Man, what a masterpiece! :)
-
And Leisure Suit Larry! I hate to say it but Rob Schneider would make a perfect Larry - maybe Judd Apatow could direct and actually maybe make him funny.
-
about youth culture I have ever seen. Growing up in a metropolitan area (LA) this film captured the zeitgeist of adolescent and post-adolescent angst perfectly. It's funny, and touching, and brilliantly shot and what's more, the entire party scenario thing is exactly how it goes. Especially if you go to college somewhere like UCSB which is often called "University of Casual Sex and Beer." Everyone has a lot of sex, (or, most everyone does) and a lot of it ends up making you feel rather disaffected. Also, I love the book.
-
The studio's need - to make a shitload of money.
The compromise - forget doing the little things like plot and casting that could eventually lead to a beloved classic; instead, do enough for a few big trailer moments to get that opening weekend rolling.
Alas, why don't they consider something like The Pandora Directive to adapt? Easily funnier and a lot cheaper to make. -
I agree, brilliant film...
-
mmmmmm....
-
That Peter Stormare turns up in this. He would absolutely rock as one of those absolutely-batshit-crazy-yet-scary-as-fuck bad guys.
-
Now see my Robot Hitler sing "Puttin' On The Ritz!"
-
Will blow this piece of shit out of the water
-
Look out. People will be saying "Lord of the what?"
-
Avery said in the interview he was basing it in reality. I'm sure crappy old 1991 Wolfenstein is not what truly motivated this film. Anyone who has played Return To Castle Wolfenstein knows that the situations and characters in that game are wicked cool and would make for some great cinema...with a hard R rating only. And Roger...You MUST have the leather-clad SS chicks in the film!
-
You either meld the body horror, cyborg and occult stuff with the setting, or you don't have a Wolfenstein movie. I am not expecting Mecha Hitler in the film, but seriously.
-
It will be a masterpiece like silent hill, I'm sure.
Come on Avery stop adapting video games, make more original stuff like Killing Zoe or Rules of attraction.
Hollywood is dead! -
Sep 10, 2007 4:19:04 AM CDT
Actually Quake II, if you'd open your fucking eyes
by guy who got a headache and accidentally
and pay attention, you misinformation spreading jackass, he would know he DIDN'T say he was basing it in reality. It's going to have both realistic and fantastic elements. And what's with the name "Quake II?" Jesus, I can actually see someone wanting to go back and play the original Quake, at least it has team fortress, but Quake II is one of the ugliest and uninteresting games ever made. There is absolutely no point to anyone ever playing that one ever again.
-
Someone should make a game out of Rules of Attraction. You help Fred Savage score some coke that he can shoot between his toes. "I can feel my dick!"
-
that crazy guy from Firefly, that's his name, right? that guy would perfect as a tough as nails WW2 soldier... like a Sgt. Rock kinda dude.
either that or it looks like Ben Affleck. Can't be Affleck though, his voice is much too whiny for a Sarge and is about as commanding as Mark Wahlberg in Planent of the Apes -
...reminds me of Vin Diesel actually. Unfortunately.
-
on his own, no "men on mission" bull.
-
wacky next door neighbor kkkramer and george, with old love interest elaine.
-
Come on guys, anybody ever played this game ? dude looks just like Bruce and he would be PERFECT for the role...I loved that game back in the day...it was banned here in Germany though cos of the swatika (or as we call it here: Hakenkreuz)...
Bruce could kill Nazis and comment on it the entire time...kinda like army of darkness...
-
Was fuckin greet.What happened to Van Der Beek?
-
I don't like how Avary dodged that question.
-
would be perfect...if this was made 20 years ago. People have got to get that mental image of Campbell/Ash out of their heads. Bruce is a doughy version of his former self, and his washed up agent role on Burn Notice fits him just fine.
-
a little.
-
...the guy on the box looks almost exactly like Adam Baldwin.
-
Guess Avary never got the money for it after RULES bombed, huh? A real shame, that's my favorite Bret Easton Ellis book.
-
"Lady, all your givin me right now is a mouthfull of greek salad". Classic.
-
to use all the secret codes?
-
You really hurt my feelings. I'm not sure if I will ever come to these talkbacks again. BTW your screen name is so fucking super cool. It sure beats mine. Man you are a fucking idol on these boards I want to be you so badly it hurts...fucknut.
-
I've never seen your shit-talking ass on these talkbacks in the 9 years I've been coming here. I assume it's because you just turned 12 and were an infant in '98.
-
Rules of Attraction is easily my favorite BEE adaptation, and I guess my precious comments stem from disappointment that Avary is doing crappy video game adaptations rather than (as previously stated) Glamorama (or any BEE book for that matter, as he just fucking nailed Rules)
-
Not fucking "precious"
-
Seriously, look at the box baby!
-
Does anybody have a link to the box? Im confused how people have said it looks like The Rock, Chris Tucker, Shia LeBeouf, Matt Damon, and the guy from Firefly. How is that even possible?
-
... Are we supposed to be excited about this?
-
I'm thinking Bruce Willis.... and that other dude is right, i could very well be Vin Deisel.
-
One of my first games on Commodore 64. Hope they do this right- could be cool. Get the right leads, ok.
-
Q2 is by far the best game id's ever released. The mods, player-made levels and great online play put it at the top of my list, right behind Counter Strike. I remember playing in 64-player matches what, 7-8 years ago. I thought there would be 200+ player games by now but they're going in reverse.
-
Im not saying this will ever happen, although who really knows, but B.J. really reminds me of David Beckham. His face, I mean.
-
I think it looks like Tom Jane. He has that same "I gotta crap, but you ruined my life by killing my family" Punisher vibe going on. Or maybe I just see that vibe a lot in people.
-
Someone mentioned BillyBob - who I think could make a pretty decent BJ. I thought it looked a little like Vincent D'Onofrio but I'm pretty sure that's not who Avary is thinking about...
Yeah I reckon Baldwin's prob'ly the guy that most looks like the box art - and he proved on Firefly he's got the chops for the role - tho I still think BillyBob would be most interesting... -
Cockzilla
-
It was about Salvadore Dali. Al Pacino wanted to play the lead. The project would have been Avary's best solo project, but he never found financing. Sad.
-
and stay away from video game films!
-
one day we very well may hear those official words... PAC MAN, THE MOVIE! Run for your life!
-
that's gatlin' gun sound effects.
-
Matthew Fox or Ben Affleck. I think Fox could pull it off if he just imagines that Robot Hitler is nailing Kate in the zoo cage.
-
Why in God's name would you do this not as an over-the-top comedy gore fest. ROBOT. HITLER. Not too hard to figure this one out.
-
Right on, that version was awesome back then, even with the scratchy speech synthesis.Avery, my man...please don't bork this :D
-
Here comz ze shtable boy viz hiz shooten.
-
Then they've got my fiver
-
Could be decent, though. I loves me a good WW2 kick Nazi ass movie. And someone above mentioned that Apatow should do a Leisure Suit Larry movie. That would be funny as hell. Paul Giamatti would make a fuckin' hillarious Larry.
-
Roger Avary's story of Stanley Kubrick proves that he fully intends to destroy Wolfenstein just as all other video game movies have been destroyed. Now I know how movie making prick directors like this guy justify the bullshit and ego driven "creative" decisions they make to churn out the endless stream of mediocre movies we are fed nowadays. The simple fact is that these directors are concerned with only one thing when they make their movies based on a beloved license, and that is to put their own personal stamp on the story. They go out of their way to change things because of their own ego. And the result is NEVER a change for the better. These directors can't conceive of the concept that an simple and humble idea from the original like Wolfenstein 3D could actually be superior to the high priced designs that Hollywood assholes will come up with. I am confident I won't watch this movie after reading Roger Avary's interview. I hope I am wrong, a wolfenstein game is a good idea.
-
Bruce Willis anyone? I can't think of anyone more fitting to kick nazi ass than that Dino.
-
No plot, but who cares? Amazing visuals
-
I'm one of those people who pretty much hates video game movies. In any form, any composition, with any cast of paper thin characters. The problem with video game movies is that the characters have no personality whatsoever. The game player gives the characters personality, which is measured not on a scale of human drama but on a scale of how sadistic and batshit killing machine crazy a player can be. Avary discussed this in the interview.
I understand why certain directors (Boll, Bartkowiak) make video game movies. They've got a built-in audience and tend to make money regardless of how utterly shitty the film turns out. As visually cool as "Silent Hill" was, did anyone -- anyone! -- care about any of the characters after they left the theater? No, they didn't. They munched what was left of their popocorn and discussed what would be on tv when they got home. That's it. That's what a video game movie is: brainless, forgettable bullshit.
I know there's a market for it, which is fine, but I refuse to watch or buy tickets for deep-fried, ketchup-laden, fast food McMovies. -
Fear not VG movie enthusiasts... once again the best game ever, 'Metal Gear Solid' will single handedly sneak in and beat all these critics asses from behind, smash their crotches, toss em in an oil drum and roll them down a hill when they see the mastery of a franchise whos very touch turns all things to gold!
-
No hints as to what it might be? Glamorama maybe?
And if you're getting upset about how someone might screw up a goddamn Wolfenstein adaptation, you seriously need to check your priorities. -
I think it's Big Vin Diesel.
Readers Talkback
User Login
Top Talkbacks
- THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN trailer is up... -- 676 total posts 308 posts
- THE WOLVERINE's Release Date Is Set... -- 132 total posts 132 posts
- Happy Birthday John Williams! -- 125 total posts 125 posts
- Nooooooo!! They Messed Up Shmi's Hair!! An Interesting Review Of THE PHANTOM MENACE 3D Is Online!! -- 130 total posts 123 posts
- Bono Is Now One Of THE AVENGERS?? Some Cool Promo Art From Whedon's Film + A Nifty Contest!! -- 110 total posts 110 posts
- Feel The Wrath with WRATH OF THE TITANS posters! -- 98 total posts 98 posts
- G.I. JOE 2 International Trailer debuts online... -- 97 total posts 97 posts
- Significantly different 1 minute JOHN CARTER spot! -- 95 total posts 95 posts
- A Gnarly Headshot From The New DREDD Movie!! And A Few More Pics, Too!! -- 93 total posts 64 posts
- Hercules Says ABC’s THE RIVER Lacks Depth!! -- 66 total posts 60 posts