JMS Leaves "World War Z"

[Lyta's Shadow]

J. Michael Straczynski no longer on World War Z



After Quantum of Solace director Marc Forster noted recently that the script for the upcoming adaptation of Max Brooks's World War Z wasn't yet at a position where filming could begin, J. Michael Straczynski has confirmed that he is no longer actively working on the script.

In response to a fan question about Brooks's statement that the Babylon 5 creator was not involved, Straczynski posted to say that this is a normal part of the feature business, "especially once a director comes on board, who may have ideas of his own that he wants to incorporate and the original writer has gone through all the contractual drafts, so that either you re-hire the same guy, or bring in fresh eyes."

As a consequence of Forster's hiring, "another pair of hands is now working to simplify the script, which has always been as much a political thriller as an action film, into something a bit more straightforward."

http://totalscifionline.com/news/3650-j-michael-straczynski-no-longer-on-world-war-z

 

[Jan]

The full post by JMS can be found here.

Jan

 

[Sindatur]

That sucks. They're watering (or dumbing) his script down?

 

[vacantlook]

They're watering (or dumbing) his script down?

Sounds like it to me. Disappointing, but not surprising, I guess. It'll probably end up being a generic zombie movie now. Well, at least I now don't have to bother with feeling like I should go see it.

 

[Sindatur]

Sounds like it to me. Disappointing, but not surprising, I guess. It'll probably end up being a generic zombie movie now. Well, at least I now don't have to bother with feeling like I should go see it.

We've been really, really looking forward to it. Zombie movies are our favorite Horror Genre, and an intelligent one written by JMS, could've been one of the best ever

 

[KoshFan]

Man, the political/cultural stuff is the best part of the whole piece...

 

[vacantlook]

Man, the political/cultural stuff is the best part of the whole piece...

Aside from jms being involved, that was the main thing that had me interested in this story. I haven't read the book, but I was interested in seeing a zombie movie that wasn't about a group of miscellaneous people running around killing and being killed by zombies. The whole political angle to the story made me think the story would be about human reactions and not about miscellaneous violence.

 

[darth_librarian]

Big shame, his script got massive props. Was probably not seen as marketable by the suits. Hope this is not the start of a trend ...

 

[KoshFan]

The whole political angle to the story made me think the story would be about human reactions and not about miscellaneous violence.

Oh, yeah, in the book it's amazingly fraught with significance. The people who save the human race? White South Africans. Why? Because they've always expected a massive uprising of people they consider subhuman...

 

[GaribaldisHair]

"another pair of hands is now working to simplify the script ... into something a bit more straightforward."

This is one of those books I have been meaning to get around to reading precisely because everything I have read about it says that it isn't simple and straightforward and has a depth to it that you don't get in your standard zombie story.

Would be a real shame if the movie makes no effort to reflect that.

I would certainly have gone to see a JMS scripted World War Z (especially after the reviews the script itself has received online) but I am not interested enough in zombie movies to even bother if it just going to be another one in the production line.

 

[Kara Baxter]

JMS is such a fucking whiner...its always some problem with SOME one...god..so he 'can't work with them cus they are impossible'....

I am surprised he's done any work reciently.

 

[Jan]

JMS is such a fucking whiner...its always some problem with SOME one...god..so he 'can't work with them cus they are impossible'....

I am surprised he's done any work reciently.

Really....Exactly what part of this:

So when another guy comes onto WWZ, as is the tendency of the business
(I get 2-5 feature scripts per *week* with offers to rewrite, most of
which I turn down because I look at the name of the writer on the
cover and know I'm not fit to carry that person's pencil-box let alone
rewrite them), it's okay, not just because that's the nature of the
feature world, but because...well...I'm honestly okay with it. And if
that moves it closer to getting produced, I'm even more okay with it.

...is the part that's whining and has a problem with anybody? 'Fraid I missed it.

Jan

 

[Kara Baxter]

you would have actually had to have read his previous stuff...like his JMS website...and back in the Jericho days too..to realize all the whining and 'doesn't work well with others' to get it.

 

[Jan]

you would have actually had to have read his previous stuff...like his JMS website...and back in the Jericho days too..to realize all the whining and 'doesn't work well with others' to get it.

I think I'm familiar enough with his postings over the years. JMS doesn't have a website. I think you mean JMSnews.com which archives his posts? I also know that he never had anything to do with Jericho but that you probably mean Jeremiah.

Perhaps this is an example of what you consider 'whining'?

I've *always* been very open about people or situations who piss me off, but
only after being pleasant and negotiating has proven useless, and I've been the
recipient of that lethal combination of arrogant stupidity.

See, if a network or studio and I disagree, then we just disagree, it's
honorable, that's the give and take you *want* on a show. I have a lot of
respect for Showtime, because whenever I wrote a script and kind of glossed
over anything in the first draft, figuring I could address it in the next pass,
they always caught me at it. *Always*. And as annoying as it was at times, it
was also kinda cool and gratifying to know that they were paying that kind of
attention. And we never, ever had a problem. Honorable people can have
honorable disagreements. When that happens, my rule is that I don't walk out
of the room, or let them walk out of the room, until either they convince me of
the rightness of their views, or I do the same to them. They agree not to pull
rank and I agree not to pull a prima donna.

And when you have a situation like that, as big as the arguments may get, I
never have a problem with it. I actually *enjoy* that.

I *do* have a problem with dishonorable behavior. Always have. When someone
lies to me, fucks me, or otherwise acts toward me in a dishonorable way, then
as far as I'm concerned the rules of engagement change at that moment. And I
do so unapologetically.

Why? Because it scares off the snakes. If you know that you're going to be
raked over the coals if you act dishonorably toward me, it mitigates against
those with such intentions, they think twice. Those who are honorable never
seem to have a problem coming to me. It's the same reason I always tell every
studio I work for my three rules: I don't lie, I don't bullshit, and I never,
ever bluff. And I expect the same in return.

I don't see it, but YMMV.

Jan

 

[crazyhorse]

That actually sounds OK and I can't blame him for having that attitude.

On the other hand I haven't met the lad and don't know what he considers honourable.

I doubt that the people who actually make tv know much about honour from what I've seen over the years though.Let's face it,it's about money,not the product to these guys.

 

[Jan]

That actually sounds OK and I can't blame him for having that attitude.

On the other hand I haven't met the lad and don't know what he considers honourable.

When it came to the issues with TNT, JMS refused to make one of the Excalibur crew a 'sexual explorer' whose job it was to have sex with new alien species. He also refused to acceed to a note that requested that he have a guest character get caught raping one of Gideon's crew in order to be blackmailed. On Jeremiah there are fewer examples but apparently MGM wasn't averse to going around JMS' back to make casting demands for cute babes, something that no decent manager will put up with.

I doubt that the people who actually make tv know much about honour from what I've seen over the years though.Let's face it,it's about money,not the product to these guys.

Any business is about making money first and foremost. But that doesn't mean that decent stories and good business practice have to be sacrificed.

Jan

 

[darth_librarian]

*sits, back, enjoys the show ...*

JMS is many things, but I would never had said whiner. And lets face it, I quite suprised that posting that kind of comment on a B5 discussion forum has not already got you bitch-slapped back to the troll age and into a big shiny troll suit ...