Interview with Screenwriter David Johnson
by Lance from DailyActor
David Johnson, screenwriter of the film Orphan (starring Peter Sarsgaard and Vera Farmiga), sat down to talk with me at the Comic-Con in San Diego, California.
David Johnson began his career as a production assistant on Frank Darabont’s The Shawshank Redemption, which was filmed on location in Johnson’s hometown of Mansfield, Ohio, at the historic Mansfield Reformatory, where Johnson’s great-grandfather had been a prison guard. Johnson spent the next five years as Darabont’s assistant, using the opportunity to hone his craft as a screenwriter.
In 1999, Johnson wrote an adaptation of the classic Doc Savage pulp novels, and later worked with Marvel Comics legend Stan Lee, adapting an original idea of Lee’s into a two-hour teleplay. Johnson then wrote a four-hour miniseries sequel to John Carpenter’s The Thing, which brought him to the attention of Leonardo DiCaprio’s producing shingle, Appian Way, for whom he wrote Orphan.
Johnson developed an early interest in storytelling and began writing plays in the second grade. He later became interested in film and, at age 19, wrote his first screenplay. He attended The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio, and graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Photography and Cinema.
He currently has several projects in development, most recently re-teaming with Appian Way to pen an epic horror/fantasy inspired by a classic fairy tale. Johnson’s next project will be an adaptation of the Australian ghost story thriller Lake Mungo.
Interview excerpts:
David Johnson: It’s kind of a dream cast and they’re so good that first time I saw the movie, I would just get caught up in their performances and afterwards have to remind myself that I had written it because they had brought it to life so well.
David Johnson: I don’t usually have a specific actor in mind when I’m writing a character.
Daily Actor: It’s been said that you end up with the cast you’re supposed to have. Do you think that’s true?
David Johnson: In this case it certainly turned out to be, yeah. Peter and Vera really brought the characters to life in a way that if they hadn’t, none of this would have worked. The movie is going into such larger-than-life place but it starts out very grounded and very real, and I think it has a lot to do with them. They bring authenticity to their characters so that when things start to get larger-than-life as the movie goes on, you buy it because it was rooted in reality.
Click here for full article, audio interview, and movie trailer.
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Looks good! … and scary.
From my hometown! The local paper just had a huge write up on their “local hero” and it mainly focused on what he had to do to get out of here. I didn’t know people made it out of here! Except Luke Perry, he’s from Mansfield as well. His bullriding movie (8 seconds) played at the famed Renaissance Theatre to a standing room only crowd. Nowadays the theatre will be hosting Sinbad this weekend. Times are hard, I suppose.
Orphan does look good. The cinematography looks pretty stellar (the bit from the trailer with the little girl screaming) and I’ll see any movie that has any sort of connection with Mansfield.
The Reformatory gets a lot of film action. And the people who run the place are real good about letting indie filmmakers get some shots inside and out. It’s the perfect setting for horror or prison films.
When it’s not being used as digs for prison films, it’s the stomping ground for Paranormal shows on Sci-Fi Network. Not to mention they do haunted sleepovers on Halloween. None of which I’ve ever taken apart of since ghosts scare the living hell out of me.
Shane — Thanks for the insider info!
The trailer chilled me to the bone and made me think that there really may be a new Bad Seed in town. Thanks for sharing the interview!
Karen Swim — Yeah, I was surprised how chilling that trailer was. I think we all have that fear of having the demon child — seeing how we have all known some. Preys on a common fear = good story writing.