So, we all know about the Monkey Island movie that ILM was puttering around with twenty years ago from its concept art and bizarre plot synopsis, all of which was eventually collected as bonus features in the Special Edition compilation LucasArts put out in 2011.
But what about the real behind-the-scenes dirt on this legendary project’s origin and demise? What about that rumor that Steven Spielberg threw a spanner into everything by suggesting that the main character be replaced by a monkey because he has lousy story instincts?
Wait, that was never a rumor. But it is nevertheless one of the several new tidbits unveiled by Polygon’s sordid tell-all about the Monkey Island movie, which offers hitherto unavailable insight into the abandoned project with the aid of its director, visual effects supervisor David Carson. Read all about the various permutations of the story - each pass of which took it further and further from its initial form as a loose adaption of the first game - and feel elTee's shame when the stubborn rumor that the screenwriters of Pirates of the Caribbean had any meaningful involvement is forcefully refuted. Then there’s this:
Beyond the problems of adaptation, there were also more troubling concerns. This included a second meeting with Spielberg. Jim Morris, Patty Blau, Rosen, and Tom Bertino (who was going to act as animation supervisor) were all present at this meeting.
“The first meeting was just this little table, but now Steven wanted to make the project the table … [imagine] this cartoonishly long conference room where Steven is sitting at one end, Tom Bertino is sitting at the other,” Rosen recalls. “The funny thing about Hollywood meetings and creative projects when you come up with ideas is, you’re like, ‘Oh, I have this great idea,’ and then the committee assembles. All of a sudden, this story that everyone was shaking hands on becomes, ‘What if we change the main character to a monkey?’”
“We gathered in Steven’s office, and the first thing he said was that we shouldn’t have the main characters be human,” Carson says. “Instead, he suggested we should make the movie be about the monkeys on Monkey Island. Everyone just nodded, but my heart stopped. What the heck? We had worked for several weeks on a story that was based on the charm and humor of the games, and Steven wanted to throw all that out and make some new story about monkeys? I was completely confused.
Share in the confusion and add to your knowledge by reading the full article.
Source: Polygon
Scummbuddy
It may have worked, if we're discussing a movie of Guybrush and Elaine running amuck. As referenced in the article, Romancing The Stone is an excellent movie and could have been a mold to try and fit Monkey Island. Not that that makes it a good Monkey Island movie, but it may have been an entertaining one.
For sure, odd couple movies can certainly work. I guess it's all academic now - I don't see Disney doing anything with this as it would tread on their Pirates franchise too much (unless they pulled an "On Stranger Tides" and mashed it in).
So either the screenwriters took this element from the game or the book, because it wasn’t an element in the ride.
Although, maybe that’s something that happened more in the sequels. And I guess “cursed treasure” isn’t exactly an original idea. And there is that one skeleton captain steering the boat in the ride.
So maybe they did just come up with it all by themselves. Or maybe Purcell pitched things that they took onboard. Who knows.
Jason
...that Steven Spielberg threw a spanner into everything...
Or would 'spanner' have been another ridiculous change in this script? ;)