Interview: James DiLapo (2012 Nicholl Winner, 2012 Black List) — Part 5
James DiLapo’s original screenplay “Devils at Play” not only won the young screenwriter a 2012 Nicholl fellowship, it also landed on the 2012 Black List, garnering 28 votes, the 9th highest total of any script on the list this year. In January, Warner Bros. hired DiLapo to write the futuristic re-telling of Homer’s The Odyssey.
In addition for those of you who happen to be in Marfa, Texas this weekend, there is this:
Ballroom Marfa’s distinguished Filmmakers’ Selection Committee has chosen Academy Nicholl winner James DiLapo’s script “Devils At Play” to be presented as the 2013 production of The Reading on Saturday, May 18 at the Crowley Theater in Marfa, Texas. Film director Julia Dyer (The Playroom and Late Bloomers) has been brought on board to direct the staged performance of “Devils At Play” for The Reading. Veteran film producer Carolyn Pfeiffer and Ballroom Marfa board member Nancy Sanders return as producers. As part of Ballroom Marfa’s continuing film program, “Devils At Play” will be performed by actors with scripts in hand, full stage direction, state-of-the-art lighting and sound for this year’s presentation of The Reading.
James was kind enough to agree to an interview and recently we had a wide-ranging hour-long conversation in which we covered a lot of territory related to screenwriting. I will be posting the whole interview over the course of this week, definitely a Q&A you will want to read in its entirety as James offers some terrific insight into the craft.
Today in Part 5, James discusses the high profile project “Odyssey” he is writing for Warner Bros. and its connection to Joseph Campbell and the Hero’s Journey:
Scott: Despite that litany of story aspects I mentioned earlier that go against the supposed conventional wisdom of commercial film‑making, Hollywood did respond to “Devils at Play,” and it made the 2012 Black List. How did you discover you made the list?
James: I was actually sitting at my laptop working on the next script, “The Odyssey,” and I got a text from a friend saying I was on the Black List. I had been so focused on work that I hadn’t really been keeping up with what day it was going to be announced. So it took me by complete surprise. It was a huge honor. It is so gratifying to know that people have responded to the script. You work for so long writing something. You don’t really know what other people’s reaction to it is going to be. And the fact that there are people who enjoy the story, that means the world to me.
Scott: Let’s talk about “The Odyssey,” a high profile deal for you with Warner Bros., the classic Greek myth as a futuristic tale set in space. Can you talk about how that whole process unfolded?
James: It’s been an absolute pleasure working with the studio and the producers. They had a tone and direction they knew they wanted to take the story in, but they were also very open to me coming in with ideas. It’s been a great team to work with. They’ve let me throw my imagination into that world. I’d give my kidney to write Star Wars. I’ve been fortunate to get Homer. He’s the best writing partner you can possibly have.
Scott: So I guess you’re a fan then, of “The Iliad” and “The Odyssey”?
James: I’m huge a fan of Greek antiquity. It’s the history fan inside me.
Scott: How closely are you planning on hewing to the source material? Can we plan on seeing the outer space versions of sirens, Cyclops and the like?
James: I don’t want to give away too much. I will say that I have strived to find creative ways of incorporating elements of the mythology. So there will be sirens and a cyclops in the story, but they won’t be what you expect.
Scott: Years ago in 1981, there was a science fiction movie called Outland starring Sean Connery, which was, in effect High Noon in space. So there’s a precedent for this type of thing. I understand Warner Bros. sees this as a potential franchise.
James: It’s a very exciting possibility, but my focus right now is just on doing this story to the best of my ability. I will say that if you look at the source material, there are other great epics which could be told in that setting. But right now, I just want “The Odyssey” to stand on its own as the narrative of a man trying to get home.
Scott: That brings us to Joseph Campbell, who referred to “The Odyssey” as one of the great examples of the cosmogonic cycle — departure, initiation, return. Are you are a fan of Campbell?
James: Yeah, absolutely Joseph Campbell gives you the template for mapping the emotional growth of a character, irrespective of what the genre it is. I think his lessons fit anywhere you want to apply them to. He is definitely in the back of my mind now, along with Robert McKee and Homer. They’re all sort of co‑pilots guiding me along this thing.
Scott: Is it fair to say that none of what transpired in your life ‑‑ the WGAE Fellowship, the Nicholl, the Black List, the Warner Bros. deal ‑‑ would have happened had you not followed your passion to write “Devils At Play,” and is there a lesson there for aspiring screenwriters?
James: My advice to anyone who wants to do this is don’t worry about networking, don’t worry about writing what the industry wants. Write what you want to see and write it as best as you can. If you do that with authenticity, in my experience that helps open opportunities that you would never have seen otherwise. Good luck with that. We’re all working with an industry that is a struggle to get into. My heart goes out to everyone else out there chasing the dream.
Tomorrow in Part 6, James discusses his approach to the screenwriting craft.
For Part 1, go here.
For Part 2, go here.
For Part 3, go here.
For Part 4, go here.
Please stop by comments to thank James for taking the time for the interview and post any follow-up questions you may have.
James is repped by Verve and Kaplan/Perrone.