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How producers defend their View-Master movie idea
Since it was announced that producers Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman (Star Trek) were developing a movie based on the View-Master toy, the film has been a punch line for jokes about Hollywood selling out.
But Orci and Kurtzman—who also wrote the two Transformers movies—defended the idea, arguing that there may be a compelling character in Mattel's 3-D picture viewer.
"It depends on how you define character," Kurtzman said in a group interview Thursday in Pasadena, Calif., where he was promoting his Fox series Fringe at the Television Critics Association's summer press tour.
Referencing the duo's successful reboot of Star Trek, Kurtzman added, "The Enterprise is a character on Star Trek, but the Enterprise never speaks."
Riiiggghhht.
The View-Master is a binocular viewer that uses circular discs of picture cels to create 3-D images. Orci assured Master viewers that the duo entered into the movie adaptation with noble intentions.
"It wasn't born in sin," Orci said. "What happened is we have a friend who wrote on Fringe, [Brad Caleb Kane], ... who had a pitch that he wanted to do of this movie. He wasn't even thinking of View-Master. Then our company got a look at it, and [we] thought, 'We could actually connect this with View-Master who we know happens to be looking for someone.' So it wasn't like, 'Let's come up with a View-Master movie.' There was a great idea out there, and it was perfect to marry with View-Master."
Cynicism toward View-Master feels like familiar territory for the writing partners. Kurtzman recalled the duo's first dealing with fanboys. "It's funny, when we signed on to do Transformers, there was this incredibly cynical reaction to the idea of 'Oh, it's just a toy movie,'" Kurtzman said. "I would hope that by now people would know that we would never walk into something if we didn't actually have a real story behind it. Certain toys should never be movies, and certain toys should be. I think we've spent a lot of time talking about the difference between them."
Kurtzman added that the recent wave of 3-D films could benefit View-Master. "Oh yeah, we'd love to do it in 3-D," Kurtzman said.
View-Master is in development at DreamWorks.
By River at 8:58 AM ON 08/07/09
Selling out? Puh-leeze. Hollywood is a business, just as ruthless and nasty as any other to make a dime. Anyone with an Internet connection can read up on the slimy accounting practices that have been at the root of many lawsuits (David Duchony's lawsuit against Fox) not to mention the infamous casting couch/sexual harassment that has been around from the beginning.
Why is it hard to believe that these hacks allegedly see an opportunity to build a movie around a poorly selling toy to boost its sales for a sweet cut of profits?
This is just another example of some hacks trying to find a way to take product placement of junk to the next level.
It's just crass.
These idiots should still be ashamed of themselves for their hand in sprinkling racist imagery in both Transformer movies.
Yeah, so what if they've written some good stuff in the past. That doesn't mean they aren't corporate automatons when the paycheck is big enough.
By Sertan at 11:17 AM ON 08/07/09
Transformers IS just a toy movie! Everyone still thinks that, that hasn't changed!
By DeeDum55 at 12:09 PM ON 08/07/09
A hamburger is a hamburger no matter how
you dress it up.
By kryche at 12:10 PM ON 08/07/09
I'm so torn. These guys created a great TV show in Fringe, but then they wrote two of the crappiest Hollywood blockbusters to be produced in years and now they are making a freakin View Master movie.
Whats next, a silly puddy movie? Or how about a Super Soaker movie, ohh better yet how about a muscle men movie (that one might actually make sense).
After they've done those, perhaps they can start looking towards the food industry for creative insperations. Mac and Cheese the movie, in theaters soon.
By MysteryMan7 at 3:02 PM ON 08/07/09
I'd like to see a Stretch Armstrong movie! Hollywood are you listening?
By Bobanort at 5:52 PM ON 08/07/09
Don't forget the little garbage can of slime!! Make a movie about that!! It could fight Play-Doh or the little green army men!!
By Paul in NJ at 6:42 PM ON 08/07/09
Hrm - When SciFi morphed into SyFy, they ran a bump trailer (featuring various series' cast members) to the tune of "Make It Better".
One of the scenes was a guy with a ViewMaster; each time he'd rotate to a new image, the image became his environment.
I'm guessing a new SyFy series is in the offing.
By Casper at 12:49 PM ON 08/08/09
A super soaker movie with Megan Fox would be a summer blockbuster
By Spaceman Spiff at 5:41 PM ON 08/09/09
~~"I would hope that by now people would know that we would never walk into something if we didn't actually have a real story behind it.~~
A Real Story!!? like the REAL story they came up with for the Crap Trek movie?
This sounds like the kind of rediculous garbage these ya-hoos would come up with.
By GQ at 9:54 AM ON 08/12/09
"But Orci and Kurtzman—who also wrote the two Transformers movies"
Whoop, ok, thanks but I'm out. Best of luck, lads.
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GQ:
"But Orci and Kurtzman—who also wrote the two Transformers movies" Whoop, ok, thanks but I'm out. Best of luck, la...More »