Ask Joseph Finder and Barry L. Levy - August 5th! discussion

Welcome to the group! Joseph and Barry will be answering questions throughout the day on Monday, August 5th in this thread only. In the meantime if you have a question for the writers or just want to introduce yourself feel free to do so in this thread.

HI Joseph we meet at the Rindge, NH Lib. when Buried Secrets came out. I hope it has been optioned. Would you like Barry to be the screen writer for it?

Lee Child recommended your Nick Heller books and I am glad I listened because I loved them. My only problem, when is the next one going to be released?

Susan wrote: "Lee Child recommended your Nick Heller books and I am glad I listened because I loved them. My only problem, when is the next one going to be released?"
they r awesome I am also waiting on the next one

Aloha Joe and Barry!

First of all, I would like to offer my congratulations on Paranoia, releasing on August 16! I am so excited about Paranoia hitting the big screen!

I have read Paranoia and am wondering what the process is for a book to transform into a movie. Do you Barry read the book then transform everything into a script or take the ideas from the book and write your own story with a movie in mind?

Joe, how does it feel to have your characters come to life, especially with the cast of mega stars in this movie?!!!

I can hardly wait for next week! I can't believe I won @YahooMovies and @RelativityMedia sponsored trip to the August 8 premeire and after party in LA! Hope to have the opportunity to see both of you there!

Aloha,
Merle

Congrats Merle

Thank you, Deb! :)

Hi Joe and Barry (and everyone else)!
I am so excited to see how the movie plays out in comparison to the novel.

Barry what would you say was the most difficult scenario/scene to take from novel to screen?

Joe, I believe you said you got to have a cameo in the film, am I remembering correctly? If so, how was that experience? Also going back 11 years, did you do a cameo for High Crimes?

For the both of you, How did you like working with (another of my favorites) Rob Luketic?

Joe you already know I am a huge fan :) and Barry, I loved Vantage Point, it was definitely unique! I am sure you will do Joe's Paranoia justice.

xx - Charity

How did you win it and I hope u get to meet one of my all time fave's Harrison Ford. HMm Nick Heller maybe Channing Tatum or Vin Disel what do you all think?

Merle wrote: "Aloha Joe and Barry!

First of all, I would like to offer my congratulations on Paranoia, releasing on August 16! I am so excited about Paranoia hitting the big screen!

I have read Paranoia and am..."

Love you my lucky duck of a friend, you totally deserve it. Only person over myself I wanted to go so YAY!!! I can't wait to hear all about it and get some behind the scenes pics too perhaps? ;) <3

Yahoomovies had a contest on twitter! :)

Merle wrote: "Yahoomovies had a contest on twitter! :)"

guess I have 2 join tweeting world

How difficult is it to turn a 400 plus page novel into a screen play? Are you worried that fans of the book will not see the movie? Jack Reacher fans were not happy seeing Tom Cruise as Jack Reacher. The movie might have done better had Tom Cruise not been cast as Reacher.

charity wrote: "Merle wrote: "Aloha Joe and Barry!

First of all, I would like to offer my congratulations on Paranoia, releasing on August 16! I am so excited about Paranoia hitting the big screen!

I have read P..."

charity wrote: "Merle wrote: "Aloha Joe and Barry!

First of all, I would like to offer my congratulations on Paranoia, releasing on August 16! I am so excited about Paranoia hitting the big screen!

I have read P..."

Awwwww, thank you, Charity! i'm not sure about how to use this thread thing. Lol. I hope this posts correctly.

Eric wrote: "How difficult is it to turn a 400 plus page novel into a screen play? Are you worried that fans of the book will not see the movie? Jack Reacher fans were not happy seeing Tom Cruise as Jack Reache..."

so agree

Deb wrote: "Eric wrote: "How difficult is it to turn a 400 plus page novel into a screen play? Are you worried that fans of the book will not see the movie? Jack Reacher fans were not happy seeing Tom Cruise a..."

I liked Jack Reacher, despite Tom Cruise being cast. He did the character well... minus being shorter -- which if you pay attention they gave him extra height in the movie!

As for the other comment about Nick Heller, I don't think either of those two.. am I the only one who pictures Joe as Nick? ;)

charity wrote: "Deb wrote: "Eric wrote: "How difficult is it to turn a 400 plus page novel into a screen play? Are you worried that fans of the book will not see the movie? Jack Reacher fans were not happy seeing ..."

no ur not I have always pictured him especially after meeting Joe in person but I was thinking a list actors as Joe only wants cameos if I remember currently.

charity wrote: "Deb wrote: "Eric wrote: "How difficult is it to turn a 400 plus page novel into a screen play? Are you worried that fans of the book will not see the movie? Jack Reacher fans were not happy seeing ..."

I liked the movie OK, but the book is way better. I am a huge Reacher fan. Since the first trailer appeared online, Reacher fans were upset seeing Cruise as Reacher. I know for a fact it hurt the box office. I don't know how much, but I know it did. A lot of people could not get over the fact that Cruise, who is like 5'6 150lbs, was playing Jack Reacher, who is 6'5 and weighs about 250lbs. That right there was reason enough for some people to not see the movie and trash the movie.

Barry, how much responsibility do you feel as a screenwriter to remain "true" when you adapt a previously published work, and how closely did you work with Joe on developing the screenplay?

Joseph,

Is it true that the corporate culture you write about is based on your research of Cisco Systems, as noted on this reviewer's blog?

http://www.prolificliving.com/blog/20...

Joseph, how much input did you have in the drafting of the screenplay in terms of what characters would remain versus new ones created for the purposes of dramatic license?

Hey Joseph, I just wanted to ask you how you came up with the idea for one of the most original plotlines I've ever read.

Thank you :)

Hi, Mr. Finder! I was happy to discover that we're related. Browers' side. I found your name on the "official" thirst. Lol Anyway, I'm happy there are at least two writers in the family. I write sci-fi and fantasy. Best of luck!!!!!

Deb wrote: "HI Joseph we meet at the Rindge, NH Lib. when Buried Secrets came out. I hope it has been optioned. Would you like Barry to be the screen writer for it?"

I'd be lucky to get a screenwriter of Barry's talent to adapt BURIED SECRETS. It hasn't been optioned but only because I'm not ready to sell the rights to my series character Nick Heller.

Susan wrote: "Lee Child recommended your Nick Heller books and I am glad I listened because I loved them. My only problem, when is the next one going to be released?"

Thank you! Fear not, I've finished my next book, and it should be out next year. Plus I've got the next one half done. So after this brief pause I'm back. Thank you for being patient. I won't keep you waiting again.

Deb wrote: "Susan wrote: "Lee Child recommended your Nick Heller books and I am glad I listened because I loved them. My only problem, when is the next one going to be released?"
they r awesome I am also waiti..."

Deb -- thanks for being patient. With PARANOIA being re-released, we should recruit a bunch of new readers for my next one, which I hope will be out next year. But I'll have an announcement soon.

Hi Merle -- Greetings to my #1 fan!
I'm very excited about PARANOIA the movie coming out. It's funny, you ask about how it feels to have the characters "come to life," but in my head, PARANOIA was already a movie -- in my head. This feels like a different movie. In some ways cooler and more amped up. I sort of think of the movie as my book turned up to 11.

Merle wrote: "Aloha Joe and Barry!

First of all, I would like to offer my congratulations on Paranoia, releasing on August 16! I am so excited about Paranoia hitting the big screen!

I have read Paranoia and am..."

Oh, and major congratulations on winning the trip to the movie premiere! I'll see you on Thursday!

Merle wrote: "Aloha Joe and Barry!

First of all, I would like to offer my congratulations on Paranoia, releasing on August 16! I am so excited about Paranoia hitting the big screen!

I have read Paranoia and am..."

Hi Charity! -- No, unfortunately I wasn't offered a cameo in PARANOIA. It was a blast to be an extra in HIGH CRIMES and hang out with Morgan Freeman and Ashley Judd and the other actors. It is hard work making a movie--don't let them tell you otherwise!

charity wrote: "Hi Joe and Barry (and everyone else)!
I am so excited to see how the movie plays out in comparison to the novel.

Barry what would you say was the most difficult scenario/scene to take from novel..."

Sorry, I hit send too fast.
I didn't actually work in any way with Rob Luketic. But I got to watch him work. I watched him direct a classic scene between Gary Oldman and Liam Hemsworth, beautifully shot and acted and quite powerful. Rob did one of my favorite comedies, "Legally Blonde," and I consider him a super-talented director.

charity wrote: "Hi Joe and Barry (and everyone else)!
I am so excited to see how the movie plays out in comparison to the novel.

Barry what would you say was the most difficult scenario/scene to take from novel..."

Hi Eric -- Thanks for writing in. I'm not worried that my readers won't see the movie. Harrison Ford, Gary Oldman, Liam Hemsworth -- how could you not want to see it. But the movie will feel quite different from the book, and it should! The story is the same, though, and Liam is a GREAT "Adam."

i>Eric wrote: "How difficult is it to turn a 400 plus page novel into a screen play? Are you worried that fans of the book will not see the movie? Jack Reacher fans were not happy seeing Tom Cruise as Jack Reache..."

Deb wrote: "HI Joseph we meet at the Rindge, NH Lib. when Buried Secrets came out. I hope it has been optioned. Would you like Barry to be the screen writer for it?"

Joe, I hope you don't mind if I answer...
"Yes."
Kidding. Kidding.
The truth is, working with Joe was amazing. He's a great collaborator who clearly knows this world better than anyone and yet possesses incredible patience to allow someone else to come in a novice and slowly pick up on all of the nuance within his novel.

Merle wrote: "Aloha Joe and Barry!

First of all, I would like to offer my congratulations on Paranoia, releasing on August 16! I am so excited about Paranoia hitting the big screen!

I have read Paranoia and am..."

Hi Merle. Thanks so much...
To answer your question: I believe the first step in adaptation is to find where it resonates within me. I'm of no use to anyone if I don't have strong feelings for (and about) the characters. I still remember the first time I read Paranoia. I remember the first page as Adam Cassidy spoke about being careful what you wish for. It wasn't the theme per se that hooked me. It was how Adam spoke... "I believe in all of those cautionary proverbs now." As I kept reading, I felt like I knew the voice.

The whole process of reading it and then writing down my thoughts came faster on Paranoia than any project before or since. I got the book on Monday. Finished by Wednesday. Was sitting with the producer two days later. I practically reached across the table in expressing my passion.

From there, I knew I had to speak with Joe... it was just a matter of when. To me, the key/the challenge for screenwriters who adapt other people's work is that before they bring other voices, other opinions, even other agendas -- we need to work through our own internal process of figuring it out. I needed to know what sparked for me... where were the sacred cows and where were the elements where I felt I needed to make things around.

From there, I usually build a bulletin board with every scene in the film. Once I had that... I felt like I was ready to speak with Joe. Not only because I knew what was important to me, but also because I had done the necessary work that I could speak intelligently to an author who had spent countless hours writing a novel I greatly admired.

Joe was terrific. We spoke at length. I talked about where I saw it going. He was both supportive and candid about what he liked and didn't like. As is often the case, much of both of these areas changed significantly as I worked.

Hope the above helps answer your question.

charity wrote: "Hi Joe and Barry (and everyone else)!
I am so excited to see how the movie plays out in comparison to the novel.

Barry what would you say was the most difficult scenario/scene to take from novel..."

For me, there really wasn't one difficult scenario or scene. The biggest challenge over all was preserving and honoring Adam's voice. The novel is written in first person. But film-goers can't possible know everything that readers understand about what Adam is thinking. So how does one create all of this visually?

The playful quality of Adam's voice (even amid mortal danger) is what what drew me to the book from the get-go... and it is a credit to all of the filmmakers (the director, my fellow writer, the actors, etc) that Adam Cassidy remains such a vibrant character.

Eric wrote: "How difficult is it to turn a 400 plus page novel into a screen play? Are you worried that fans of the book will not see the movie? Jack Reacher fans were not happy seeing Tom Cruise as Jack Reache..."

Hi Eric,
As for adapting a 400 page plus novel -- any adaptation is a challenge. Especially since there is no perfect adaptation. We all know people who scratch their heads at some of the Tom Clancy or Robert Ludlum adaptations because of the liberties those writers may have taken. For the record, I'm not one of those "head-scratchers" -- I believe those adaptations captured the essence of the underlying work and to that end -- honor the novels from which they came. Equally, I've heard the sniping among my contemporaries about the first Harry Potter films being too faithful to the books... so that the movies themselves become weighed down in their tribute.

In this particular instance, I made certain that Joe knew from our first conversations that part of my job was making certain that the voice and tone of his book appeared on the pages of my script.

Charity -- you're not the only one who pictures me as Nick . .;-)

charity wrote: "Deb wrote: "Eric wrote: "How difficult is it to turn a 400 plus page novel into a screen play? Are you worried that fans of the book will not see the movie? Jack Reacher fans were not happy seeing ..."

PS: a little insider detail here -- Rindge, HH appears fictionally in BURIED SECRETS, but that's where I did the research for the exciting final sequences...

Deb wrote: "HI Joseph we meet at the Rindge, NH Lib. when Buried Secrets came out. I hope it has been optioned. Would you like Barry to be the screen writer for it?"

Hi Joseph! I'm a big fan of your work. I still think Moscow Club is my favorite.

I know you probably cannot pick a favorite novel among your works but is there one that you are most proud of? And if so, why? Many thanks and cannot wait to read what Nick Heller is up to!

Joseph wrote: "PS: a little insider detail here -- Rindge, HH appears fictionally in BURIED SECRETS, but that's where I did the research for the exciting final sequences...

Deb wrote: "HI Joseph we meet at the R..."

Joe, I was trying to keep that a BURIED SECRET. But it is fun picking out places you know in your books with living in NE

Joseph wrote: "PS: a little insider detail here -- Rindge, HH appears fictionally in BURIED SECRETS, but that's where I did the research for the exciting final sequences...

Deb wrote: "HI Joseph we meet at the R..."

Joe, I was trying to keep that a BURIED SECRET. But it is fun picking out places you know in your books with living in NE

Dennis wrote: "Hi Joseph! I'm a big fan of your work. I still think Moscow Club is my favorite.

I know you probably cannot pick a favorite novel among your works but is there one that you are most proud of? ..."

loved finding Moscow Club.

Dennis - Thanks. I'm glad you like The Moscow Club. The book I've just written is always my favorite novel. And indeed the one I've just finished a week or so is, I think, my best. But I have a fondness in my heart for PARANOIA, because it was great fun to write, and I did it my way -- some humor, not much bloodshed, first person . . .

Dennis wrote: "Hi Joseph! I'm a big fan of your work. I still think Moscow Club is my favorite.

I know you probably cannot pick a favorite novel among your works but is there one that you are most proud of? ..."

By the way --I hope you all plan to see "Paranoia" the first weekend it opens. It's a terrific movie and a lot of fun. (My daughter, who's a teenager, says it's the perfect date movie.)

Hi Joe! It's Dana, official Heller's Angel here. Just wondering when you read for pleasure which categories do you enjoy? Any favorites?

I became a thriller writer because I love reading them. Just to name a few: Lee Child, Harlan Coben, Lisa Gardner, Tess Gerritsen, Nelson DeMille, Michael Connelly . . .

Dana wrote: "Hi Joe! It's Dana, official Heller's Angel here. Just wondering when you read for pleasure which categories do you enjoy? Any favorites?"

Joseph wrote: "I became a thriller writer because I love reading them. Just to name a few: Lee Child, Harlan Coben, Lisa Gardner, Tess Gerritsen, Nelson DeMille, Michael Connelly . . .

Dana wrote: "Hi Joe! It's..."

Thank you! We have the same favorites. Love all of them.

Hello Joseph! Have you considered writing in any other genre beside thrillers/suspense and if so which one?

Hey all! Great questions... thanks so much. Hope you all enjoy the film --

B

Barry wrote: "Eric wrote: "How difficult is it to turn a 400 plus page novel into a screen play? Are you worried that fans of the book will not see the movie? Jack Reacher fans were not happy seeing Tom Cruise a..."

Barry: Thank you for taking the time to answer my question. I think, more times, than not, Hollywood screws up great thriller novels. The Town, first written as Prince of Thieves, is an amazing heist thriller. The movie is not. The movie changes way too many things, including the ending. On the other hand, the movie Gone, Baby, Gone was great film adaptation of a great thriller. What is your favorite thriller novel turned film and what is your least favorite?

Patrice -- No, I've never considered writing outside the suspense genre. But I think the genre is incredibly broad and not at all constricting. So it's not a sacrifice on my part. I write what I read.

Patrice wrote: "Hello Joseph! Have you considered writing in any other genre beside thrillers/suspense and if so which one?"