In an effort to finally get the Projects section updated, I’ve added the transcript of my very first meeting with Daniel Wallace, the author of Big Fish. It’s interesting looking back at the project before there was a script. (In fact, the book itself hadn’t yet come out.)
Projects
Paperback version of shooting script now available
Newmarket Press has published a paperback version of my screenplay for BIG FISH. You can order it here.
How does the paperback compare to the .pdf version available on this site? Well, it’s the same script, but it adds a kind foreward by Daniel Wallace (who wrote the novel), a very long intro by me, photographs, and production notes. Plus, it looks better on a shelf.
Big Fish receives Oscar nomination for Best Score
This morning, Danny Elfman’s score for BIG FISH was nominated for an Academy Award. It’s well-deserved. His score is subtle, never flashy, and really works to support the movie rather than call attention to itself.
While I’m delighted we got this nomination, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a little disappointed we didn’t get others. Oh well. There are many excellent films and filmmakers recognized in this year’s nominations, and some omissions at least as notable as BIG FISH’s.
I don’t think there’s any great conspiracy for or against anyone. Nominations are just the aggregate of a lot of individual opinions. And on the plus side, I can stop obsessively reading Internet message boards about the awards, which has become a giant time-suck. For that extra hour each day, God bless you, Academy voters.
Big Fish script
Newmarket Press will be publishing a paperback version of the BIG FISH screenplay in February. It will be loaded with extras, including photos, production notes, and intros by Daniel Wallace and John.
In the meantime, you can download a .pdf version of the final shooting script here. Print it out on three-hole paper, and you’ll have exactly the same script we shot — and exactly the same the script you could buy for $10 bootlegged in Times Square.
If you read it and feel so inclined, by all means send a comment.