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Quint chats Sherlock Holmes with producers Joel Silver, Lionel Wigram and Susan Downey!
Ahoy, squirts! Quint here. Now that we’re in the final stretch of the Holiday season it is right to finally publish this one on three chat I did at Comic-Con with the producers of Sherlock Holmes: mega producer Joel Silver, Lionel Wigram and Susan Downey.
I also had the opportunity to chat with Susan’s husband and star, Robert alongside the lovely and amazing Rachel McAdams while the Con was on. You can check out that interview here if you missed it.
Of course, being a Comic-Con interview it’s only 10 minutes long, so we don’t get a chance to get in-depth on anything in particular, but it’s a good, quick read. I could read the passion instantly on their faces, especially Wigram who fostered this film from infancy.
Enjoy!
Susan Downey: Do you write under a certain name on the site?
Quint: I’m Quint.
Susan Downey: Oh, you are Quint. Alright. Sorry I didn’t know that.
Quint: That’s alright.
Susan Downey: I read it all of the time.
Quint: Thanks! We watch your movies all of the time, so it works out. I thought the footage looked really great. Drew [McWeeney] got to spend all of that time on the set and I was so insanely jealous of him!
Susan Downey: We took good care of him.
Joel Silver: But he’s gone now. He’s a non-person, right?
Quint: He’s at Hitfix, but he is here.
Joel Silver: But he’s a non-person for Ain’t It Cool News.
Quint: Well, he broke our hearts, but we have moved past it.
Susan Downey: But he was “Moriarty,” so he got a little special treatment.
Quint: Of course, there was no better person to go. He’s still Moriarity and his pieces were great.
Joel Silver: They are great stories.
Quint: He knocked those out of the park. That’s why I was saying I was so insanely jealous of it, because just the way he was writing about it made me want to be there, you know?
Susan Downey: Yeah, it was fun. He got to see some good stuff. He was there for slaughterhouse stuff.
Quint: What I really dug about the footage and what you guys said on the panel today was how you were talking about how the story kind of merges occult stuff with Sherlock and I was just telling Robert [Downey Jr.] and Rachel [McAdams] that I’m a sucker for that kind of stuff, like that’s why I love RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK so much. I love that kind of merging of occult and how it’s kind of based in reality and actual fact.
Joel Silver: We don’t have Sherlock Holmes rolling down a hill in a refrigerator, though.
Quint: That would be amazing though. Save it for a sequel! So, how did the occult element evolve?
Lionel Wigram: Really the inspiration was Aleister Crowley and our bad guy Blackwood takes over a secret society, which isn’t that similar to The Order of The Golden Dawn, which is what Crowley did. Obviously Crowley was the starting point, but what our bad guy does is much more dramatic and much more flamboyant and of course there’s always that thing of “Is it real or is it not?” We very much wanted to explore the idea of the guru and of the person who interests other people by being able to do magical supernatural stuff and what that means.
Quint: And pairing that with somebody like Holmes who is so intellectual, I think is going to make it very interesting.
Lionel Wigram: As you know, Conan Doyle was a big into the occult and all of that kind of stuff. He attended séances and all of that kind of stuff, so that felt very real and obviously THE HOUND OF BASKERVILLES explores that.
Quint: And that’s the story that is probably most associated with Holmes.
Lionel Wigram: That’s right, people love the occult. They want to believe in magic and that’s one of the themes of our story.
Quint: What also intrigued me on the panel was how you were talking about using a comic book version to get the movie sold, which is fascinating to me, because ten years ago that would have hurt you, that wouldn’t of helped you, you know? But now putting it in that art form…
Joel Silver: But Warners understands comic books, you see?
Susan Downey: It’s their language.
Joel Silver: They got it, so it took Lionel actually spending his own money to create a more or less galley of a comic book for them to see the cover with Sherlock Holmes with a knife in one hand and a gun in the other and that was when they said “Oh, we get it!”
Quint: At that point was Guy [Ritchie] involved or was that later?
Lionel Wigram: Not at that point. I had always pitched it as the Guy Ritchie version of a Sherlock Holmes movie, because that was the best way I could think of to distinguish it and give it a sense of style.
Joel Silver: LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN didn’t help us either, but it was the idea of taking this character that people knew so well and had such familiarity to him and then really bring him to a contemporary kind of story with characters who would be accessible, but at the same time keep the 1891 appearance.
Quint: Bringing someone like Guy in I’m sure helped the money guys to not worry that it was jus going to be a stodgy…
Joel Silver: And ROCKNROLLA helped that too.
Susan Downey: They just get to shift their concerns and say, “But can he handle something that big?” They just get a whole new set of concerns, but yeah they definitely didn’t fear it was going to be stuffy anymore, but yeah basically the comic book gave Lionel the greenlight to go write a script, which he did and then that script, they did some more work on it with a new writer, which then led to everybody else’s involvement and then we kept working on the material as we were getting into preproduction and everything.
Lionel Wigram: These things are evolving and what Guy and Robert brought to the process and Susan and Joel… This team came together and just took what I had done and elevated it to a whole new level. It’s so much better and richer and fantastic.
Joel Silver: You watched the footage today?
Quint: I did. I thought it looked great. I loved the fight scene, because you had only seen the slow motion version of that before and…
Susan Downey: And now you know how it pays off…
Quint: I remember Drew talking about that, too. He was like people got worried that it doesn’t feel like Sherlock Holmes and he was like “Wait until you see it in context, because it’s not just about a showoff fight.”
Lionel Wigram: Also Sherlock Holmes is a bare knuckle fighter, in the books he is referred to as that.
Quint: Exactly.
Joel Silver: And the studio was concerned about that at the outset. They were saying, “Will people really understand and like bare knuckle fighting?” They love it.
Quint: It works and you heard the reaction from the people whenever you have that great slow motion moment, which is badass in and of itself and then when you just see him do it in real time… I loved it.
Susan Downey: And that was even a slightly cut down version of the scene for the purposes of this reel, so it breaths even a bit more… I think there are a lot of nice beats like that you will see in the movie where we manage to combine the character and the action and that’s a very important element for both Guy and Robert, because I think they both have seen enough movies that just have a bunch of “Now is the time for the action beat” and sometimes it’s really entertaining if you have a great second unit guy it’s really cool and all of that, but other times it just becomes a blur of images and you just go for a rollercoaster ride and then you join the story again. For both of them, it was always really important that we always integrated the two, so I think through every action beat you are going to see the characters being informed as well, which is something that we are proud of.
Quint: That’s crucial though. All of the stuff that you remember, going back to the films that I grew up with that (Joel) produced, that I worship… I think that’s really central to a lot of the best action films. That’s what sells it and it kind of evolves it beyond action.
Joel Silver: There’s a key line in LETHAL WEAPON where they say “Can we go on three? So does that mean we go on three or is it one, two and then three or do we go on…” the idea of kind of dealing with those conventions. We are going back to the beginning of that, before it started and we do this thing we call packing and unpacking in this story where you will see things happen and then later on Sherlock will unpack that and show you what you saw, because he sees everything and the one line in the movie, where (Watson) says “How did you see that?” and (Holmes) is like “Well, I was looking for it.” That kind of attitude.
Look, I think it’s a strong picture. It’s smart. It’s fun. It’s got scale and I think it’s what the audience wants to see and they want to see everyone in it doing what they are doing and I think we deliver.
Quint: I think your biggest challenge, after getting the funding in place obviously, was executing a friendship which has survived over a century now.
Joel Silver: It’s a hundred and twenty two years old, this story…
Quint: Not only from Drew’ piece, but also from what I’ve been able to see with my own eyes, it’s like it seems that the unlikely casting… When people think of the mythology of Sherlock Holmes they don’t usually think of Watson as somebody Jude Law would play, but it seems like they are perfectly complimenting each other and he is Watson.
Joel Silver: They are great.
Susan Downey: I think that’s going to be the thing that surprises people the most, because with Robert having come off IRON MAN, I think people were surprised and he’s sort of had his time and now there is an expectation. I think he fulfills that expectation and that’s good news, but I think with Jude, he hasn’t had that opportunity to shine and blow people’s mind.
He so nails Watson and he’s so good and so entertaining and their performance together is that kind of thing you can see a bunch of times and always find something new and to me that just says that there are really good performances that are layered characters, because you discover a new layer each time.
Quint: I can tell you I have see the trailer probably before a dozen movies now and to each audience, it gets a laugh, the final line with the pillow. Every audience is uproarious.
Susan Downey: Did you tell Robert that?
Quint: No.
Susan Downey: He would quickly tell you that he wrote that line. He is very proud of that. (laughs)
Joel Silver: (laughs) The trailer that’s with the HARRY POTTER movie doesn’t have that ending, because that’s a little too sophisticated for the… It’s also a very funny ending, but it’s not that one.
Quint: I remember it’s him in the carriage, right?
Susan Downey: Yeah, it’s when Watson punches him and he’s all pissed off.
Quint: Thank you so much. I really appreciate you taking the time.
Joel Silver: Thank you.
Susan Downey: Absolutely. I’m glad you like it!
Quint: I can’t wait to see the whole thing!
These Comic-Con interviews are super short, so we only scratched the surface. Having now seen the flick I would have gone back and focused mostly on the chemistry between Jude Law and Robert Downey Jr. They are so great together and, I’d wager, the reason why this film will live past this Holiday weekend (which is supposed to be massive if tracking and buzz is to be considered).
Hope you guys enjoyed it! Keep an eye out for my review of the flick! Hitting before Christmas!
-Quint
quint@aintitcool.com
Follow Me On Twitter
Joel Silver: But he’s gone now. He’s a non-person, right?
Susan Downey: It’s their language.
Joel Silver: They got it, so it took Lionel actually spending his own money to create a more or less galley of a comic book for them to see the cover with Sherlock Holmes with a knife in one hand and a gun in the other and that was when they said “Oh, we get it!”
Joel Silver: LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN didn’t help us either, but it was the idea of taking this character that people knew so well and had such familiarity to him and then really bring him to a contemporary kind of story with characters who would be accessible, but at the same time keep the 1891 appearance.
Susan Downey: They just get to shift their concerns and say, “But can he handle something that big?” They just get a whole new set of concerns, but yeah they definitely didn’t fear it was going to be stuffy anymore, but yeah basically the comic book gave Lionel the greenlight to go write a script, which he did and then that script, they did some more work on it with a new writer, which then led to everybody else’s involvement and then we kept working on the material as we were getting into preproduction and everything.
Lionel Wigram: These things are evolving and what Guy and Robert brought to the process and Susan and Joel… This team came together and just took what I had done and elevated it to a whole new level. It’s so much better and richer and fantastic.
Joel Silver: You watched the footage today?
Look, I think it’s a strong picture. It’s smart. It’s fun. It’s got scale and I think it’s what the audience wants to see and they want to see everyone in it doing what they are doing and I think we deliver.
Susan Downey: I think that’s going to be the thing that surprises people the most, because with Robert having come off IRON MAN, I think people were surprised and he’s sort of had his time and now there is an expectation. I think he fulfills that expectation and that’s good news, but I think with Jude, he hasn’t had that opportunity to shine and blow people’s mind.
He so nails Watson and he’s so good and so entertaining and their performance together is that kind of thing you can see a bunch of times and always find something new and to me that just says that there are really good performances that are layered characters, because you discover a new layer each time.
Joel Silver: (laughs) The trailer that’s with the HARRY POTTER movie doesn’t have that ending, because that’s a little too sophisticated for the… It’s also a very funny ending, but it’s not that one.
Susan Downey: Absolutely. I’m glad you like it!
Hope you guys enjoyed it! Keep an eye out for my review of the flick! Hitting before Christmas!
-Quint
quint@aintitcool.com
Follow Me On Twitter
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that shirt...not very flattering.
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Could this be his first successful movie?
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Wow. So timely.
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and robert owes the missus his life...that gal really straightened him out happy for the both of them
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Uh... the movie's not out yet. Who cares when the interview was done, it's still posting before release. You might want to sit down... I have some Book of Eli interviews from Comic-Con hitting his week and next week... I know it's a month before the movie comes out, but they were done at Comic-Con! How can that be!?!All sarcasm aside, I posted the big interviews, gave them priority, and have a few set aside so I didn't just dump all 25-ish interviews I did all at once. No harm in spreading them out, right?
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I wasn't trying to make you mad or anything. It was a good interview.
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That chick is pretty cute.
More love for Rocknrolla please. I saw it at TIFF when these guys presented and it deserves a sequel. Even if you weren't totally gaga over it you have to see the potential in the sequel. -
At least AICN can't claim its the Talkbackers that are all pricks.
Lead by example, Quint. um...you raging queer. -
and a Brad Pitt cameo sets it up?
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As if Guy Ritchie could ever direct a film comparable to Spielberg.
And mixing Holmes with the occult? I guess they all Which will no doubt be a masterpiece compared to this crap. Ritchie is the British Michael Bay. -
A line got missed out there - 'I guess they all missed Young Sherlock Holmes'...
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Guy Ritchie is apparently too talented for you to handle? Best pop in your Crystal Skull Blu Ray on Friday and let the good times roll then.
You're right that Mr Ritchie could never make a film comparable to Spielberg but mainly because one is a movie and the other is a human being. But he could make a better movie and careers lined up side by side since Ritchie started I like more of his stuff than Spielberg's. -
The fact that Joel Silver backed Shane Black's Kiss,Kiss,Bang,Bang and spoofed himself on the Jay Mohr series Action (catch on DVD if you can), gives him lifetime cred. Oh, and also producing The Matrix when I'm sure the rest of Hollywood didn't know what the fuck to make of it, and The Warriors, 48 Hours, Predator, Die Hard, Lethal Weapon, and so on and so on. Silver has quite the producing resume.
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make better movies than Spielberg?
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Pretty good, but way overrated first movie. Sequels (no it was a planned trilogy, promise...) that are a complete, bloated mess.
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Excellent first movie. Sequels (no it was a planned trilogy, promise...) that are a complete, bloated mess.
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Those films made well over a billion at the box office. I think they'd be thrilled with that.
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Just to let you know.
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It has that hokey modern sensibility with cheesy CG.
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Considering I am one of the few who has seen it already, yet everyone is so quick to make up their mind. So here is my review:
http://tinyurl.com/yeuwxwt
And for all the "experts" who keep saying Holmes wouldn't know martial arts because it didn't exist at that time, here is two links that should shut you up:
ttp://tinyurl.com/yf377w9
http://tinyurl.com/ylau552
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http://tinyurl.com/ybgqaes
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Look guys, dont go getting your panties in a bunch, Spielberg is SOLELY responsible for some of the most absolutely memorable films ever made... Guy Ritchie has made only 9 films most are not even memorable and the ones that are, well those 3 are IDENTICAL in genre.
Spielberg created the idea of blockbuster films, he gave us Jaws, Close Encounters, Jurassic Park... hell I could stop there.. but ohhh wait a minute.. Saving Private Ryan... AMISTAD... MUNICH.. INDY.. Just STFU Guy Ritchie is a NOOB compared to Spielberg... Grow up. -
Your post makes almost zero sense... clarify?
"You're right that Mr Ritchie could never make a film comparable to Spielberg but mainly because one is a movie and the other is a human being."
what in the world are you trying to say here? hah -
FLOCKA!!!
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may try and watch the matrix trilogy over the holiday, but will have to actually watch the diaolgue scenes instead of fastforwarding to the fighting.
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Guy Ritchie and Spielberg in the same breath ? Guy Fuckin' Ritchie? Ritchie has to actually learn something about craft before he will fit to breathe the same air
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"I'm eating crow, and it tastes delicious." (And no, Crow does not refer to a specific individual person--it's a metaphor, stupid.) I was pretty certain this movie was going to blow donkey dick. However, I have a tradition of seeing a new release on Christmas Eve, and this was last night's pick. And good gods, was I wrong. I still stick to my guns that I predicted Watchmen's failure on every level (and I was spectacularly right), but as for Holmes...bring on part 2, baby, now now now!
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