The Strange Adventures of H.P. Lovecraft Creators talk about Ron Howard and the Film Adaptation
Last week we reported that Ron Howard has come on board to direct the comic book film adaptation of 'The Strange Adventures of H.P. Lovecraft'. I think this is a great choice for the project I really want to see what Howard will do with it. This is a story where we will see how far he can stretch his imagination. He may be the odd choice to tell such a dark story but I love the idea. The writer and creator of 'Lovecraft' Mac Carter and cover artist and producer Adam Byrne talk about the project.
On the subject of the character of the story, his appeal, and what aspects of him we will see in the story:
MC: Well, in my mind, it’s no coincidence that the book landed with Universal. When we set out to create the comic we talked a lot about their classic monsters. We felt there was a model at work in their pantheon that we could follow — that of the tragic, misunderstood monster: Frankenstein, the Wolf Man, even the Gill Man. Some of the details of Lovecraft’s sad and complex biography started to suggest a similar character. All we needed was the horror. Well, Lovecraft’s writings provide that in spades.
But let me just say, we have one more hope — that with “The Strange Adventures of HP Lovecraft” we create a curiosity for the man’s idiosyncratic writings, and that a notoriously un-filmable author, not unlike Philip K. Dick with “Blade Runner,” suddenly becomes viable. Because, after all, who doesn’t want to see more of this guy’s mind-blowing stories on the big screen?
AB: Well, the reaction on the internet has been pretty interesting, even though the book hasn’t been released yet. The most important thing to keep in mind is, H.P. Lovecraft is very much the awkward, reclusive writer he’s commonly portrayed as in his biographies and by no means a Hollywood hunk. This is not a gunslinging book for gunslinging sake. It’s the story of a man placed in a very burdensome, nearly tragic set of circumstances who resorts to any means to resolve them.
Which is why this story will be incredibly interesting. I like story's that dive into the characters mind, to see the madness that haunts them internally. When asked if the comic was created with a movie in mind they say:
MC: Yes and no. After graduating from USC's film school, I began directing commercials at Anonymous Content. Well, very few commercial filmmakers don't want to also work in features. So with a friend, I had the idea to develop a film property for myself by creating a comic. In addition, Adam and Tony would jump-start their own comic book careers. And if a movie never happened - and there was no guarantee of that, tackling as notoriously difficult a subject to put on film as Lovecraft - I would happily go along for the comic book ride. We did a lot of brainstorming, hit on an idea we felt was really compelling, and after several permutations, "The Strange Adventures of H.P. Lovecraft" was born.
Well, that's got to be pretty cool. I'm sure it sounds so much easier than it really is. So why is Ron Howard the right guy for this project? He isn't typically viewed as a horror director.
MC: Not typically viewed as a horror director, you say? There's a lot of talkback on blogs about this. Thanks for the opportunity to address it.
Not that the guy needs my endorsement, but perhaps there's a more generous way of framing Mr. Howard's talent with respect to horror: to my mind, he is our generation's Howard Hawks. What about "Rio Bravo" and "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" assured anyone that Hawks would create a classic in "The Thing from Another World?" And yet, there it is - a horror masterpiece.
Put simply, Ron Howard is a storyteller. He's versatile, working effortlessly and fluently across genres, from balls-to-the-wall action-thriller to historical sit-down drama, always instilling the work with creativity, passion and humanity. Why would his horror film be any different?
AB: First of all, Ron Howard is a great dramatic director. He cares about making the audience connect with the characters. "Frost/Nixon," "Cinderella Man," etc, are great indications that Ron can nail a time and a place and ground you in a character's universe. That's key for introducing Lovecraft's biography. If you don't care about him as a person, you're not likely to care about the horror unfolding around him.
I couldn't agree with them more. WHo would they like to see play H.P. Lovecraft in the movie?
AB: In creating the character's look for the comic, Tony Salmons and I talked a lot about a cross between the photographs that exist of the real man and the actor Adrien Brody. When Mac and I watched his acceptance speech at the Academy Awards, the one where he dips Halle Berry, we looked at each other like, that is our H.P. Lovecraft. Obviously, that's not our call now that it's getting adapted for film, but it was fun to imagine Adrien while we were making the book.
As much as I think Adrien Brody is overratted as an actor, I think he would fit the part of Lovecraft very well. He has the right look. So what will be different from the comic book story and the movie script?
MC: This is not a strict representation of Lovecraft, but here's one example of how I've tried to do some of that: I've been mining collections of Lovecraft's letters in an effort to bring an authenticity to the dialogue of the character. Lovecraft's horror is inimitable and so is his voice. The cadence, the phrasing, just the raw words alone, all inform our understanding of the guy. It's important to me that "Howard" talks like Howard. For example, in describing himself, we get the witty and self-effacing man, "[My father] left one good-for-nothing descendant to close the family history of these colonies... H.P. Lovecraft of Angell Street Grange and Tenbarnes Manor, author of those numerous works so conspicuously unmention'd in the annals of fame." And, I want to give the eventual actor some of that rich language to work with, because I think it's going to help him put the most engrossing Lovecraft he can up on the screen.
On the other hand, how about the poor actor that's called on to deliver this gem: "Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn?"
So how much input will the creators of the comic book have on the making of the film?
MC: Imagine and Universal have been keen to involve me and I'm very appreciative of that. They seem genuinely interested in my input given my obvious jones for the material and understanding of the character. I'm currently working on the first draft of the screenplay, and to date the process has been extremely collaborative. I trust it will continue that way through to the end credits rolling down the screen.
The comic that the movie is based on has not yet come out yet. But you can get a preview of it Right Here. It looks like it is going to be a great story to read, and eventually see in the theaters. I looks like it will hit the comic book stores next month.
Source: MTV