Interview with David Johnson, Screenwriter of 'Orphan' (with audio)

July 28, 2009 by Lance Carter

DavidJohnson2 David Johnson, screenwriter of the film, Orphan (starring Peter Sarsgaard and Vera Farmiga), sat down and talked with me during Comic-Con.

We talked about his new movie, Orphan, if he writes with actors in mind, improvising and much more!

Here’s some excerpts:

David Johnson: It’s kind of a dream cast and they’re so good that first time I saw the movie, I would just get caught up in their performances and afterwards have to remind myself that I had written it because they had brought it to life so well.

David Johnson: I don’t usually have a specific actor in mind when I’m writing a character.

Daily Actor: It’s been said that you end up with the cast you’re supposed to have. Do you think that’s true?
David Johnson: In this case it certainly turned out to be, yeah. Peter and Vera really brought the characters to life in a way that if they hadn’t, none of this would have worked. The movie is going into such larger-than-life place but it starts out very grounded and very real, and I think it has a lot to do with them. They bring authenticity to their characters so that when things start to get larger-than-life as the movie goes on, you buy it because it was rooted in reality.

Want more? Click on the audio link above.

Here’s David Johnson’s bio: He began his career as a production assistant on Frank Darabont’s The Shawshank Redemption, which was filmed on location in Johnson’s hometown of Mansfield, Ohio, at the historic Mansfield Reformatory, where Johnson’s great-grandfather had been a prison guard. Johnson spent the next five years as Darabont’s assistant, using the opportunity to hone his craft as a screenwriter.

In 1999, Johnson wrote an adaptation of the classic Doc Savage pulp novels, and later worked with Marvel Comics legend Stan Lee, adapting an original idea of Lee’s into a two-hour teleplay. Johnson then wrote a four-hour miniseries sequel to John Carpenter’s The Thing, which brought him to the attention of Leonardo DiCaprio’s producing shingle, Appian Way, for whom he wrote Orphan.

Johnson developed an early interest in storytelling and began writing plays in the second grade. He later became interested in film and, at age 19, wrote his first screenplay. He attended The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio, and graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Photography and Cinema.

He currently has several projects in development, most recently re-teaming with Appian Way to pen an epic horror/fantasy inspired by a classic fairy tale. Johnson’s next project will be an adaptation of the Australian ghost story thriller Lake Mungo.