Alten looks back on the life of a shark
In an interview with Monsterfest’s Harold Goldberg, writer Steve Alten encapsulates the life and eventual death of Meg at New Line. Last week the scribe revealed his big screen adaptation floundered at the studio after years of development.
Disney (actually Hollywood Pictures) optioned the novel with a script attached (Tom Wheeler). The script was lacking. They hired a new screenwriter (Jeff Boam) and his script was not well received either. About that time the VPs starting leaving Hollywood Pictures and the President who had optioned Meg (David Vogel) lost his job. The rights were not renewed and I got them back.
Over the years I penned my own script as a means of enticing producers. In February of 2004 Nick Nunziata and I hooked up for a CNN interview for Resurrection. We discussed Meg and Nick took it t o his friend, Guillermo del Toro. Guillermo showed the book to producer Lloyd Levin, and his partner, Larry Gordon. I gave them an option. They added Jan De Bont as director and Jan and I worked on the script. In early 2005 the package went to New Line. They had been trying to find a project for screenwriter Shane Salerno. Shane loved Meg and the deal was done.
Don’t fret. Alten maintains the Meg property is swimming around Hollywood showboating in front of interested studios. For the rest of the interview, click here.
Source: Ryan Rotten, AMC Monsterfest Blog
