In a very cool interview over at Anime Vice, Peter Craig, the screenwriter for the forthcoming Cowboy Bebop adaptation, talked a bit about how he got on board and how he plans to tackle the project. Unfortunately, he made no mention of his being a secret assassin that will take out Keanu Reeves before he has a chance to do any acting. And by “acting,” I mean “talking soporifically and walking without walking into walls.”
Here’s a rundown of the talking points:
- Craig admitted to being an odd choice of screenwriter since his work is mainly in novels, and mainly in dark comedic looks at strained father-child relationships.
- He had seen the show before learning of the assignment, but became obsessed with it after Fox sent him every episode (including a few that never aired in the U.S., lucky bastard).
- He met with studio Sunrise, original show director Shinichiro Watanabe and Keanu Reeves in December to go over ideas and details.
- Watanabe has been closely involved in the process, and Craig is close to finishing a first draft that’s incredibly faithful to the show.
- Fox is already looking to hire a production designer that can recreate the world “as closely as possible.”
I’m still really not looking forward at all in the slightest ever in any way to Keanu Reeves stilting his way around Spike’s character, but Watanabe’s inclusion in the process is really a relief. It’s not necessarily that a creator’s seal of approval will guarantee a great movie, but it goes a long way toward one. I say, Fox needs to keep a bunch of comfortable chairs on set for Watanabe and studio Sunrise.
What do you think?