Interview (Written): Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley
A conversation with two of the screenwriters of Spider-Man: Homecoming.
A Creative Screenwriting interview with Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley who share a co-writing credit for the newest iteration of the Spider-Man franchise along with Jon Watts & Christopher Ford and Chris McKenna & Erik Sommers, screen story by Jonathan Goldsetin & John Francis Daley, Marvel comic book by Stan Lee & Steve Ditko.
Let’s get that obvious question out of the way — being that this is the third cinematic iteration of Spider-Man, what did you consciously try to do differently to set your version apart?
Goldstein: We went in with a take that was diametrically opposed to the Spider-Man movies that had come before. Instead of a movie that focused on the drama and weight of the tragedy that leads to the origin of Spider-Man, we would lean into the high school movie aspects of it.
We really let the adolescent issues that Peter Parker faces breathe, to imagine what it would be like to be a real kid who gets superpowers.
Daley: We think that aspect of the character is what sets him apart from any other superhero in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He’s a kid that doesn’t have his shit together, is immature, and is very often using his powers for his own personal gain — at least in the beginning.
We liked the element of a learning opportunity, for him to not only learn to be responsible with his abilities, but to also learn how to survive the atmosphere of high school.
Speaking of that high school angle, a name that has been tossed around in reference to the film’s storytelling is John Hughes. Can you talk about his influence on the screenplay?
Daley: We’re huge John Hughes fans. A movie that we wrote and directed, Vacation, is a reboot of one of his beloved movies. We are very familiar with his work.
What he did so well was find the relatability in his characters. Even characters that you wouldn’t think you would relate to, like the jock in The Breakfast Club, ends up having a whole backstory where he is just trying to fit in. He’s as desperate as the nerdy kid.
We think there’s something very cool about being able to see the world through the eyes of someone like Peter Parker who we can truly relate to — unlike Captain America or any DC Comics superheroes, where you don’t really know what’s going on in their heads.
Goldstein: Another thing I would say that John Hughes did so well was to embrace the reality of what it means to be a kid, and not shy away from it or sugarcoat it. I think that’s why his movies resonate so well with each generation. That’s what we tried to with Peter Parker’s world — put him in a real high school, have it be a real coming-of-age story, and just add spider powers to it.
For the rest of the interview, go here.
Twitter: @CreativeScreen, @JohnFDaley.
