By: Terry Bunch
1. Orphan is based on a story by yourself and Alex Mace. For the benefit of our readers, who is Alex Mace?
David. Alex is an executive at Appian Way, the production company that hired me to write the script. He wrote a 10-page treatment that served as the basis for my screenplay. I was given the first three pages of the treatment and asked to come up with an ending. After I was hired, they gave me the rest of the treatment and I was able to then merge my ending into the story outline that Alex had written.
2. Without giving away anything, was there a specific reason you chose to write about a "creepy little girl"? Often, children are scarier than adults in movies and the formula has been successful in the past.
David. I've been a big fan of the "evil child" sub-genre ever since I saw THE BAD SEED in college. So when presented with the opportunity to write this movie, I jumped at it. The idea of the "evil child" basically flies in the face of our instinctive drive to nurture and protect our offspring, which makes it very fertile ground for sowing horror.
3. Were you involved in any filming decisions? Did you have any say in how the script was interpreted?
David. My opinions were definitely solicited during the pre-production phase. I had a very good collaborative experience with everyone involved. But ultimately, we were all pretty much on the same page in terms of how to translate the script to screen.
4. Did you have any interaction with director Jaume Collet-Serra during the making of the movie?
David. Unfortunately, the movie was shot during the recent WGA strike, so I was not able to be involved with the actual shooting until very near the end, but Jaume and I collaborated extensively before the strike. He put together a visual treatment of what he wanted the movie to look like and as soon as I saw it, I knew the script was in good hands. He's a great director and a real pleasure to work with.
5. When you were writing the story, did you have any specific people in mind that you would have liked to have seen cast in any of the roles?
David. I don't usually write with actors in mind, but for some reason, when I was writing the character of Sister Abigail, I kept hearing CCH Pounder's voice in my head saying her dialogue. I'm a big fan of hers and so at some point I just gave in to the voice in my head and purposefully wrote the role for her. When it came time to cast the part, I shared my thoughts on it with Jaume and the producers and I just got lucky. She was available and agreed to do it.
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Full Interview Here
