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Screenwriter Akiva Goldsman Discusses Batman & Robin, Jonah Hex and Swamp Thing

The controversial screenwriter has his fair share of career highs and lows, but he keeps returning to comic books for inspiration!

















Many CBM fans revile screenwriter Akiva Goldsman for what is often considered one of the worst comic book movies of all time: the Joel Schumacher-directed Batman & Robin. While he doesn't come out and apologize for the film, Goldsman said that he is aware of how fans feel about it and where it all went wrong:

"What got lost in Batman & Robin is the emotions aren't real. The worst thing to do with a serious comic book is to make it a cartoon. I'm still answering for that movie with some people."

Following Batman & Robin, Goldsman's screenwriting career was on the rocks until his script for A Beautiful Mind earned him an Academy Award. Having a little gold icon on your desk is apparently enough to make even tight-fisted producers forget "bat nipples," because Goldman went on to write the scripts for The Da Vinci Code, Angels & Demons, I Am Legend and I, Robot.

And, Goldsman has not sworn off comic book adaptations or superheroes. He is currently producing and/or writing the screenplay for four DC Comics adaptations: Jonah Hex, The Losers, Lobo and Swamp Thing.

About his take on Jonah Hex, Goldman said:

"He's a character that has been described as having one foot on Earth and one foot beyond the grave, that he speaks to the dead . . . at the same time he is very much [like Sergio Leone's] The Man With No Name."

For Swamp Thing, Goldsman wants the tone to be closer to that of writer Alan Moore's run on the comic book than to Wes Craven's 1982 B-movie.

"We want a film with real Southern, dark horror overtones, a little bit like a classic Universal horror film."
10 Yes
1 No
Brent Sprecher
10/18/2009
LA Times

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54 Comments

If you just look at Batman and Robin as a modernized version of Adam West's Batman show, it's not so bad.

But even so, it's good to know that since than he's laid plenty of really good eggs since then, so we can rest easy.

I'm really excited for this movie. Even if it does have Megan Fox in it.
MovieTheaterLad - 10/18/2009, 12:51 AM
maybe we can see how far Megan fox's acting range is in this movie, it seems like this is a good chance to surprise many and all she is sexy and i believe she is very talented.
thegamedrex - 10/18/2009, 1:10 AM
Actually, if you look at "Batman and Robin" as a modernized version of the Adam West "Batman" show, you'll see that they are two sides of the same turd.


loki668 - 10/18/2009, 1:23 AM
BATMAN & ROBIN
LEEE777 - 10/18/2009, 3:34 AM
Photobucket
TheSoulEater - 10/18/2009, 4:53 AM
Batman & Robin worst CBM Ever!
BigNick - 10/18/2009, 4:57 AM
i bet they hired fox for her looks hoping they would bring in big money. she is a fuking failure outside transformers. hex is gonna tank.
grif - 10/18/2009, 5:03 AM
GRIF @ Always looking on the bright side!!?

I'm really looking forward to HEX myself, if its half as good as the DC Comic book, its gonna be [frick]ing fantastic!!

Soul @ Lmao!!

BigNick @ Dunno about that, i thought CATWOMAN was twice as bad!! : D
LEEE777 - 10/18/2009, 5:13 AM
P.S. SWAMP THING was a good movie, pity they didn't have much of a budget though. Cant wait for the new one!!


LEEE777 - 10/18/2009, 5:19 AM
I think Catwoman was the worst CBM so far. Batman and Robin is always good for a good laugh when your bored.

Johna Hex was always one of my favorite books so this better be good. I will definitely be first in line to see this one.
BatmanKnight - 10/18/2009, 6:05 AM
SOOOOOO looking forward to Jonah Hex but this guy really has come up with some crap....i am Legend and i Robot were dull as hell :)
teabag - 10/18/2009, 6:18 AM
I ROBOT, i liked but yeah I AM LEGEND was more than dull, i'd call it total Dog SH!T! ; D

Still, JONAH HEX is gonna be [frick]ing amazing!!

I'm amazed it ever saw the light of day! Good news for all DC movies!!
LEEE777 - 10/18/2009, 6:38 AM
hahahahhahhah! "because the emotions weren't real"??????

I seriously loled when I read that. The depth of cluelessness just took on epic proportions.

AS IF the problems with that movie were just that one things! There were actually hundreds of problems really

GOD the whole world is addicted to the belief that sci fi = silly. Or comic book = Garfield, Dick Tracy, Archie


DarthMulder - 10/18/2009, 6:52 AM
Darth @lol

LEEE@ your right what with this and Soleman Kane im as giddy as a school girl :)
teabag - 10/18/2009, 7:16 AM
This bothers me:

"The worst thing to do with a serious comic book is to make it a cartoon."

I think he left out the word "silly" before cartoon. I for one think that the animated feature should be the next step for some comic books. A serious comic can make a serious cartoon. The word cartoon shouldn't have the silly/kiddie definition it does.

Also, what up wiv Jonah's eye? I guess his emotions aren't real if his character design sticks to the comic?
Betty - 10/18/2009, 8:02 AM
YEAH THEY SHOULD HAVE DID THE EYE DEAL..WHAT THEY CAN DO IT FOR TWOFACE IN DARKNIGHT BUT NONO ON JOHNA?
GUNSMITH - 10/18/2009, 8:38 AM
Just goes to show people have different tastes
I liked both I Am Legend and I, Robot both were really entertaining.
Catwoman is the worst CBM film ever
And what the hell is wrong with Cartoons?
Nothing, I still enjoy watching cartoons in fact where the hell is my Pirates of Dark Water movie???????????
georgia49th - 10/18/2009, 8:41 AM
Brolin has stated they tried the big eye look but tried it old shool style but his eye got infected and brolin reliased he wasn't that dedicated as an actor lol.
toyed with the idea of CGI but wanted realism instead I for one having seen photos of Brolin as Hex and not being dissappointed
georgia49th - 10/18/2009, 8:47 AM
The dude certainly is "hit or miss" with some fantastic scripts (A Beautiful Mind) and some terrible, at best, scripts (B & R)

I personally love I, Robot and I Am Legend.

I'd call Batman and Robin the worst CBM ever, since I haven't forced myself to watch Catwoman.

Looking forward to Jonah Hex, even though pretty miss Megan "I can't act for my life" Fox is in the movie.
InTylerWeTrust82 - 10/18/2009, 9:10 AM
I Robot felt like one giant Audi/Nike commercial to me lol :P


Cartoons are cool....they should make a live action Flight of Dragons tho :P
teabag - 10/18/2009, 9:57 AM
Jonah Hex looks good
MrAnonymous - 10/18/2009, 11:06 AM
i think the first hulk was the worst CBM
Rokrad - 10/18/2009, 11:24 AM
Rokrad @ WTF??? ; D


LEEE777 - 10/18/2009, 11:27 AM
I really don't like the first Hulk, but I don't think it was the worst CBM.
InTylerWeTrust82 - 10/18/2009, 11:31 AM
There are far too many bad CBM's too actualy crown one :P
teabag - 10/18/2009, 11:37 AM
HOFFING slow 2day!!



: D
LEEE777 - 10/18/2009, 12:44 PM
Also, apparently Mastodon will be having a hand in the music, which guarantees that this movie will be badass. Just take a listen.


MovieTheaterLad - 10/18/2009, 12:58 PM
Looking forward to Jonah Hex, but, I will admit, with some trepidation.
Goldsmith's previous CBM effectively murdered a multi-million dollar franchise so the chances of this turning out well are 50/50 at best.
I too really enjoyed both I, Robot and I Am Legend but these were both very loose adaptations of literary pieces and it seems when he's left to his own devices with other peoples' creations he can't seem to help but mess them up.

God alone knows what travety would becomre of a new Swwamp Thing in his hands and I really think he should refrain from mentioning Alan Moore in relaton to any script he's likely to be let loose upon.

I hope I'm proven wrong but I don't have a lot of faith when we all know that ultimately it's the bottom line he'll bow to - not anyone's creative concerns or considerations.
Growler - 10/18/2009, 12:59 PM
Movielad @ Cool!!

Growler @ 50/50???

More like 75/25! Ive got FAITH in WB/DC Entertainment, much more so than FOX! (The Company).

The last recent DC movies in the last couple of years have been WATCHMEN & TDK, i don't think they wanna mess any DC movies up, i think they've learned their lesson with CATWOMAN! Pity some of the other companies that make movies never learn lol.
LEEE777 - 10/18/2009, 2:32 PM
P.S. I AM LEGEND is the worst A-Movie (Not B-Movie) Ever made! It really was that bad, an worst effects than anything ive ever seen with their budget!! ; D


LEEE777 - 10/18/2009, 2:34 PM
LEEE@ totaly agree...what did they do with the fx budget??? ;(
teabag - 10/18/2009, 2:41 PM
Gerard Butler for Wolverine, Japanese Saga!
NexusStrider - 10/18/2009, 4:57 PM
TEABAG @ Most of it went into WILL'S pocket!!

Where theres a WILL theres a WAY!! : P


LEEE777 - 10/18/2009, 5:23 PM
Damn, its dead around here lol.
LEEE777 - 10/18/2009, 5:24 PM
I don't know anything about Jonah Hex, one of the reasons I am going to watch is definetly for Megan Fox
brazilianbatman - 10/18/2009, 5:45 PM
Batman and Robin, and Elektra are one of the worst and catwoman I DIDNT watch
brazilianbatman - 10/18/2009, 5:50 PM
I' M SORRY but WATCMEN WAS HORRIBLE, THATS WHY THEY SUCKED IN THE BOX OFFICE, IF THIS MOVIE BE 30 % OF THE DARK KNIGHT ITS GONNA BE GREAT
brazilianbatman - 10/18/2009, 5:55 PM
SOUNDS GOOOD TO ME, NOT LIKE 08 BUT BETTER THAN 09, NEXT YEAR WITH THIS MOVIE, WHICH I DONT KNOW MUCH ABOUT AND IRON MAN 2, ITS GONNA BE ALRIGHT, ICANT WAIT FOR 2011 AND THE NEXT YEARS

brazilianbatman - 10/18/2009, 5:58 PM
Catwoman is so bad that most people didn't even bother watching it. Therefore I nominate it for one of the worst CBMs ever. It's up there with Dolph's Punisher, and Superman 4. I'd say Supes 3, but the Clark vs Crazy Supes was kick ass. And the winner is....Catwoman. As the angry videogame nerd would put it "Complete dog$hit!" If you haven't watched it, I don't feel you can logically suggest worst CBM ever. You aren't taking into account all of the CBM. It might be the worst you've ever seen, but for those of us that have seen all the CBMs out there, we know that Catwoman is a terrible movie. I actually thought that UWE BOLL had directed it and was disappointed that he didn't. I'm used to his horse crap, but for someone else to come around and make something almost as terrible as his movies was shocking.
Tobuttica - 10/18/2009, 6:02 PM
havent seen CatWoman.... should i?
shibazz - 10/18/2009, 6:33 PM
Um, can someone post a boobies pic...please? ( . Y . )
gtrman - 10/18/2009, 7:01 PM
Shibazz!

DON'T. DO. IT!

I swear to God you will regret it for the rest of your life.
MovieTheaterLad - 10/18/2009, 7:25 PM
@brazilianbatman

What on Earth are you talking about? Watchmen was a fantastic film that was faithful to the source material! Oh, and box office gross =/= quality. If that were true than that would make Transformers a cinematic masterpiece.
MovieTheaterLad - 10/18/2009, 7:28 PM
Tobuttica-
No way that Lundgren's Punisher was that bad. Otherwise the others on your list on dead on.
1. Catwoman
2. B&R
3. Superman 4
4. Batman Forever
5. Superman Returns
6. Elektra(Its below SR because I don't care about Elektra as much as i do Supe's character.

Lundgren's Punisher is still watchable. It just wasn't satisfying as a CBM. I'd watch it again on a dull weekend afternoon.
Phinehas - 10/18/2009, 7:28 PM
Hopefully Jonah Hex won't suck. I need this film to do well, so that Hollywood can start thinking about a Dark Tower movie
supermarioworldE - 10/18/2009, 8:18 PM
Hey now Phineas, Batman Forever and Superman Returns weren't THAT bad. There are plenty of worse movies.
MovieTheaterLad - 10/19/2009, 12:28 AM
Batman Forever was aweful...ive never seen so much over acting..its worse than B&R imo..simply cus that you can laugh at where as Forever is just torture to sit through :P
teabag - 10/19/2009, 5:50 AM
Sorry MTL,

Forever was the precursor to B&R. Tea's reply really echos my own thought about it. Not only that, but it was much too campy. It really departed quite substantively from Burton's vision. Not that I saw Burton's vision as the most definitive, it certainly captured a certain similar spirit of the character. IMO, Nolan's vision will in time be considered the definitive vision for Bats in film.
Don't get me started on Singerman Returns. I'll just get too angry.
Phinehas - 10/19/2009, 11:40 AM
Phin@ exactly....and that damn wobbly fin thing on the Batmobile....uuuaaaaaaghhhh lol ;(
teabag - 10/19/2009, 11:52 AM
TEA-

OMG, right? I didn't want to sound knit-picky by bringing it up! LOL
Phinehas - 10/19/2009, 12:29 PM
Superman 3 and 4 are the worse comic movies of all time.
OSCURO - 10/19/2009, 2:49 PM
WATCHMEN AND TDK ARE BOTH MASTERPIECES.
OSCURO - 10/19/2009, 2:51 PM
I LOVE MEGAN FOX.
OSCURO - 10/19/2009, 2:51 PM
I've changed my mind on Watchman at first I REALLY DIDN'T want to watch it , neither did my wife
but we decided to watch it on Movies on Demand one night. We chose the directors cut and it was really good we enjoyed it , a little soft porn in it but hey it was a cool movie.......

georgia49th - 10/19/2009, 9:12 PM

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