Is this what the screenwriter intended?

Is this what the screenwriter intended? - Elderly Woman Holding a White Book

Robert Towne wrote Chinatown, a script widely believed to be a masterpiece. He also wrote Mission : Impossible 2. Is there any evidence that his original script was reworked (maybe to Tom Cruise's ego?) to make the movie so blah? Maybe some people like it, but mostly, it seemed like a flop.

Did the studio or producers alter a good script, or is this close to what was intended? Was it already sub-par?

This is not about script doctors or alterations in general, but about this project specifically. Did the studio or producers change the script during production?

I am NOT asking for opinions. I want to know if the script was changed against Towne's will (or with his blessing)? Is the movie as we know it what he wrote? I am not after opinions. Just verifiable facts with sources.



Best Answer

No spy worth his weight in bullets would begin a mission without a thorough briefing. But ”Mission: Impossible 2,” the $90 million spy thriller starring Tom Cruise, started filming without a finished script. What’s more, Robert Towne (the sole writer to receive screenplay credit) says he was making changes to his work during the editing process as recently as two weeks ago.

Source - Entertainment weekly




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What is a screenwriter do?

Screenwriters write and develop screenplays for film or TV drama. They do this either based on an original idea, by adapting an existing story into a screenplay or by joining an existing project (TV).

What do you call the writer of the script?

A screenwriter writes content for visual mediums. They write screenplays for feature films, short films, television, commercials, and video games. They create the dialogue, the characters and the storyline of a script.

What is the difference between a scriptwriter and a screenwriter?

In the end, the terms screenwriter and scriptwriter are often used interchangeably but the job title may hint at the intended use for the writer's script. Screenwriters are scriptwriters who write scripts formatted for use in film and TV, and theater and their scripts are generally referred to as 'screenplays.

What is the script of a film is called?

screenplay, written text that provides the basis for a film production. Screenplays usually include not only the dialogue spoken by the characters but also a shot-by-shot outline of the film's action.



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More answers regarding is this what the screenwriter intended?

Answer 2

According to this interview with Robert Towne he had a rather good working relationship with Tom Cruise (they already worked together before, on the first Mission Impossible and Days of Thunder).

Regarding the script, he said:

... by the time I got involved, there were certain action pieces around which the story had to be written, or, at the very least, the story couldn’t interfere with the action pieces ...

... [John Woo's] action sequences are carefully choreographed. They were there. And the story, at the point that I came along, was not there to support the action.

but

It took three drafts. The first draft was creaky because trying to make the action look as if it flows from character is very hard. It didn’t work the first time, and it didn’t work the second time.

But for some reason the third draft, I remember getting about twenty-five to thirty pages into it and thinking, “Well, I don’t know where we’re going but I know that, at least from my point of view, this is going to work.” And we all felt that this draft worked.

It had a level of—I really don’t want to say reality— but it seemed organic, it started happening. And then suddenly it was fun, and I felt good about it.

He and Tom Cruise actually talked about ideas for a sequel when they did the first Mission Impossible together. Click the link above, and this one, for more info.

Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

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