Writer/directors Michael Brandt and Derek Haas had to go into production on Wanted before the comic book had even picked up steam. With only two issues published, the writers came up with their own story based on the set up.
“The first two issues were pretty much act one,” said Haas. “The first two issues were a great set up, the first two issues of the comic. Then it went in a different direction than what we took the film.”
The story of a loser drafted by assassins who believe he has his father’s talents, the movie is action packed adventure, but not comic book-y. “Our take on the material was big, but not big like the comic book,” said Brandt. “The comic book took it to crazy heights with superheroes and we kept ours kind of grounded into today’s world so you could actually believe that it could take place in today’s world.”
Haas still promises hard action. “We really want to make a hard R movie,” said Haas. “To the studio’s credit, all the way through they said, ‘Do it. Keep that same tone’. And then when they cast Angelina [Jolie], Morgan Freeman and James McAvoy we thought, ‘Oh here it comes. Here comes the PG-13, got to have the broadest audience possible.’ But, no. The whole time they said keep it the same way so that’s the movie they shot.”
Wanted is due March 28, 2008 and will be the English language Hollywood debut of Night Watch director Timur Bekmambetov.
