Adaptation Producers: Interview

Review by Clint Morris

Interview with Edward Saxon & Vincent Landay

Sitting comfortably in a Hollywood publicity suite, producers Edward Saxon and Vincent Landay seem fairly unfazed at the success impending uber-hit Adaptation is about to bring. In fact, they're both incredulous they'll be standing on the podium of the next Oscars accepting awards, and seem more fretful with the oncoming threat of all things competing for that prized cinema audience.

But truth be told, Landay and Saxon seem quite satisfied just to have played a hand in making the remarkable film. Drawing audiences to it is merely wishful icing on the cake. Clint Morris assures them they'll have no trouble attracting that sought after crowd...

Cage delivers a wonderful performance

Clint: Adaptation is such a novel movie. Where did it all begin?

Saxon: It sprung from the ingenious mind of Charlie Kaufman!

Landay: More like 'Evolved'.

Clint: And how difficult was it to make?

Saxon: Let's just say it 'was' difficult. From the original concept to the final script and then to the screen there was essentially a surprise popping up every day.

Clint: Was Nicolas Cage always first choice for the role of Charlie Kaufman?

Landay: We always liked Cage. As all filmmakers do we had a wish list of people we'd like to get - Cage and Meryl Streep were on it.

Saxon: We tested a lot of people for the role, but in the end Cage was just the right person for the job.

Clint: Were any other high-profile actors under consideration for it?

Saxon: No, no one of Cage's calibre, no.

Clint: And how did you think Australian audiences will take to Adaptation?

Landay: We've very high hopes. It's a very different type of comedy and from what we see that's essentially what Australians like best. The Australian films that come to America are all uniqurely different, so this should fit right in.

Clint: I imagine the DVD is going to be quite something?

Saxon: I haven't even though about it. Have you and Spike (Jonze) Vincent?

Landay: Spike and I have been talking about it lately actually. We've been finishing this movie and working on this so much that we've hardly had a chance to decide on anything, but the one thing we're confused about is should we include a whole bunch of stuff.

In essence, just having the movie, there's already so much there. If we're to add anything to the DVD it'll be something interactive, where people can get involved in the movie.

Clint: The Being John Malkovich cast do a cameo in one scene. How did that happen?

Saxon: That's actually old footage. In Charlie's screenplay he had two scenes featuruing the 'Being John Malkovich' cast and crew.

We needed two scenes therefore, but instead of getting everyone back to do it again we got the guy who did some of the behind the scenes filming on 'Malkovich' to simply go through his stuff and see if he had any appropriate behind the scenes stuff.

Essentially, the first bit of behind the scenes footage he saw - and we saw - we used.

Clint: Are you confident you'll be grabbing a couple of Osars?

Saxon: No (laughs). That would be great - but we're trying not to think about it.

Clint: You've both got scripts in the works, but I hear you, Edward, are working on Around the World in 80 Days next?

Saxon: Actually that's just been put on hiatus, they've got to do a re-write. So you won't be seeing that for quite some time.

Adaptation Commences December 26, 2002.
Click here for the Adaptation review.

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