CBR: Willingham: "Fables" Pilot a Surprise

[CBR News]

In this exclusive interview with CBR News, venerable "Fables" creator Bill
Willingham says he's not involved in any way with the ABC television project
based on his Eisner-winning Vertigo series.


Full article here.

[Another Aaron]

This leave a sour taste in anyone else's mouth?

Why wouldn't you have him as a consultant, AT THE VERY LEAST, if for no other reason than to avoid the backlash?

He's the one who won all those awards.....do they really think his opinion would be worthless?

H*ll, I'm not even going to go into the ethics of it. I feel like I need a shower just for reading it.

[Psistorm4472]

Heh, you said "ethics" in post about Hollywood execs.

I agree, Willingham should be involved in some way, shape or form in the creation of this. It was his and his collaborators' vision. TV execs will absolutely butcher this.

[Trey]

The douchebags that "wrote" Elektra?

Pass.

[kalorama]

Don't really have a problem with it. In the absence of some kind of contractual requirement, the network isn't obligated to bring Willingham on board. And there's nothing to say that he'd even want to be involved (often novelists prefer to distance themselves from big or small screen adaptations of their work, viewing it a separate animal best handled by people who know what they're doing in that arena). That's the way things work. It is what it is.

I'm not particularly optimistic about this show's chances, because I think Fables would be incredibly difficult to adapt in a live action TV format in a way that (A) retained the essential feel of the book butt (B) still worked well enough on TV to attract a sizable audience. But I also doubt that having Willingham on board would really change that.

[Pixie_Solanas]

I smell a full-baked turd coming on, if it ever gets out of the "pre-production" mode.

This gave me serious pause:

"Stu Zicherman and Raven Metzner, the duo who penned the Jennifer Garner-starring “Elektra” and have been tapped to write a screenplay for “Deathlok,” are scripting the “Fables” pilot"

Um, yeah, that's a GREAT scriptography they've got goin' on. Also never trust anyone who goes by "Stu".

[Somebody]

Created by writer-artist Bill Willingham and illustrated by primarily by...

“Fables” has garnered an incredible 14 Eisner awards since its debt in 2002.

Proofreading - it's a lost art (there's also a redundant "or" in the second-last paragraph)

And since when is the term "alpha male in sheep's clothing"? "Wolf in sheep's clothing", yes?

[kalorama]

I smell a full-baked turd coming on ...

You might want to have your oven looked at.

[Ilash]

So Willingham's not involved at all? But the people responsible for Elektra are? Well, I'll give it a shot but, me, I'll reserve my excitement for the Powers TV show.

[jediracer]

that's pretty cold.

[Charles RB]

I thought Willingham owned Fables. Wouldn't they have to talk to him, unless he signed a deal saying they didn't have to in return for something?

[Schornforce]

That blows, but I'll probably give it a shot.

[Pixie_Solanas]

You might want to have your oven looked at.

My oven's clean as a whistle thanks to my Mr. Clean EZ Oven Cleaner. Takes the edge off nicely.

Now, the ambulatory bowel movements that are network programming suits, that's another story.