Released in 2008, the film adaptation of the iconic Max Payne video game was quite offensive to his studio, Twentieth Century Fox. Mark Wahlberg may have given himself a pained look, a clenched jaw and a gun always at hand to satisfy his thirst for revenge, but the film grossed just over $87 million at the international box office. For a $35 million budget, it wasn’t exactly a triumph…
If the first images of the film made the fans salivate, at the end of the screening their disappointment was great, it was accused of completely cleaning the world and especially the violence of the game.
In an exercise in self-criticism that was at once interesting, challenging and ultimately quite rare in the Hollywood landscape at the time, its director John Moore returned to the reasons for this failure when we met him for the US DVD release of Max Payne. Specifically, about his failure with the MPAA, the American motion picture classification body.
To say he didn’t mince his words is an understatement. “The MPAA, which is an organization that would have made Joseph Goebbels proud, decided to let us carry it whether it was accepted or not. So don’t come and tell me that this version of the movie isn’t faithful. Economic reality means that this organization controls the content of films and they should not judge the content!’ he said.
“I was immediately disappointed and very excited”
in the message published onAfter the failure of this adaptation, it was the turn of game producer Scott Miller. “When the Max Payne movie came out and I saw it on the first day of 2008, I was immediately disappointed and very upset. The story changed drastically from the original script that we sold to FOX, the problem was that the director of the movie had. He changed the script so that it didn’t look like a game anymore. the story.
He even states that at the time he sent an email to FOX listing a dozen major problematic elements after seeing the film, with no response to his complaints. “I’m so glad they didn’t make a sequel after the first movie went off the rails” he writes.
Despite this grudge, he still believes it would be an opportune time for a new Max Payne adaptation, provided the original script is respected. And above all, take Sam Lake as a consultant; The latter is none other than the co-creator of the game.
For now, it remains optional. But the legendary runaway cop is set to return anyway, as the first two remakes of the trilogy, which were announced for 2022, are currently in production.
Source: Allocine
Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.
