John Logan Speaks on Bond

The playwright and screenwriter John Logan, who is part of the 'Skyfall' screenwriting team alongside Neal Purvis and Robert Wade, was interviewed recently by the 'TriQuarterly', an online journal of writing, art and culture. Although the interview took place some time before the new 007 movie was officially confirmed as 'Skyfall', Logan made some interesting comments about his involvement in the iconic franchise.

The journal, which is produced by the Northwestern University in the USA (from which Logan graduated in 1983), sent Amanda Morris to interview their now-famous graduate about his career, his filmography and the wide variety of screenplays that have flowed from his pen. In particular, Logan was quizzed about how he approaches, researches and writes about the diverse range of topics that interest him. The interviewer noted that Logan, who admitted he is heavily influenced by Shakespeare, moves easily between drama and comedy and between stage and screen. And in the course of the interview some points emerged for Bond fans, especially for those looking for possible clues about his screenplay for 'Skyfall'.

At one point Logan was asked whether there is a common thread that connects all his work? He responded: 'Yes and no. In a way, I'm always drawn toward big characters and the exciting, theatrical idea. Complex, dark characters appeal to me'. Logan also argued that the work of a playwright or screenwriter 'is very specialized', and that he carries out a lot of background work on any historical figures he writes about: 'Research is a total immersion for me'. At another juncture in the interview, Logan was also asked: 'In 2002 you wrote Star Trek: Nemesis, and now you're working on the next James Bond movie, Bond 23. What is it like to work on a series in which other people have written the previous movies?'

Logan replied: 'It's like being part of an ongoing story. I grew up on the Bond movies, and I remember the first one I saw. I remember seeing other ones over the years. They are part of my life story. Same with the Star Trek characters: they've been a part of my life for years. So to get to go in and help shape that ongoing journey is thrilling'.

When asked whether there is any pressure, Logan commented: 'There is a unique sense of responsibility to it. The audience comes in with a certain level of expectation and a certain investment and familiarity with the characters. So you want to treat the audience really well'. Towards the end of the interview, when Logan was asked what drives him and keeps him going, he revealed: 'It's the only world I want to be part of. It's all I can do. It's what I was born to do'.

Interestingly, since the 'Skyfall' press conference was held on November 3, it has emerged that John Logan played a part in getting Ralph Fiennes a role in the new Bond adventure. The two men had collaborated recently on a modern version of Shakespeare, when Logan scripted Fiennes's critically appraised version of 'Coriolanus'. In an interview about 'Coriolanus' given on November 7 to The Playlist, which is part of the Indiewire Network, Fiennes revealed that Logan was partly responsible for him appearing in the new 007 because, said Fiennes, Logan 'wrote this really interesting part which is really quite fun'.