PUNISHER:WARZONE:THE LAST WORD (I PROMISE)

I will conclude with this. I am not apologizing for removing my name from this project. I do not want to be associated with this movie. I am not apologizing for my comments on the script. They are my opinion, my truth. I apologized for the disrespect to my fellow scribes that my blog implied. That was not my intention. I'm not a guy who says something and backs down. I enjoy confrontation and a good fight gets my competitive and creative juices flowing. I embrace the haters. I don't give a shit who I piss off as long as if I'm sharing honest and truthful information. God bless.

PUNISHER:WARZONE:SCRIBE AMENDS *

So, I have this little SutterInk blog. I have a thought, a gripe, a gratitude, I jot it down, let it go. I get maybe 15-25 hits a week. Mostly my Shield guys and a few Facebook friends who read it. I joke about my seven readers, but that's the ballpark I've been playing in. Last week, when I updated my friends about the Punisher project, I got 3500 hits in less than six hours. If I'm doing the math right, that's almost five years worth of readers between lunch and dinner. I forgot how big the marvel fanbase is. They live on the internet. I should have remembered. When Thomas Jane distanced himself from the project using my draft as the reason, my name was on hundreds of blogs. I was suddenly covered with the stink of past Punisher movies. As the Punisher 2 project moved forward, I was the writer probably most associated with the script. So when I read the shooting script and realized that not only wasn't I going to get credit, but it was a script I didn't want to be associated with, I took a proactive step. I pulled my name from the arbitration process. I emailed the producers, thanked them for the opportunity and let them know I was not seeking credit. I should have stopped there. On my blog, I listed the reasons why I didn't want credit. In my opinion, this script is dry and formulaic. It's a traditional comic book movie. Which I added, is not a bad thing, it's just not the kind of movie I would write. I know the producers went back to the script before my rewrite, which was Nick Santora's draft, and passed that on to the next team of writers. My comments made the presumption that the final draft was the work of the two guys that came after Nick and I -- Marcum and Holloway. In my entry, I said "the story was simple and the dialog was very obvious". That's the truth. Now if someone said that about my writing, I'd probably stab them in the throat. So when I heard from inside sources that Matt and Art did not have the final pass on the script, I realized that I owed these guys an apology. Although I know that scripts have many writers that come in at the end, the presumption in my blog was that Matt and Art were responsible for what I read. Apparently the writer responsible for the less than organic dialog has not been submitted for arbitration. So I apologize to Matt and Art for the presumed disrespect. I've got no problem rattling a cage with the truth, but I don't want to ever be accused of maligning someone with lies and half-facts. * I should also say that Nick's draft was a rewrite of an earlier script. Don't know who the original writer was. So the script I rewrote wasn't necessarily all Nick's. I know this, but I realized that most of my readers did not. I just want this movie to come out, do well... and go away. We've all been punished enough.

SONS OF ANARCHY UPDATE. CAMERAS ROLL.

We begin filming the pilot this Tuesday. At the risk of sounding self-congratulatory, I have to say, I think I've managed to surround myself with an amazing team. From my line producer to my costume designer, everyone is at the top of their game. I have the Sopranos A-team at the wheel -- Allen Coulter (director), Sidney Wolinsky (editor) and Scott Murphy (production designer). And Allen's DP from Hollywoodland, Rome and Damages, Jonathan Freeman. Allen Coulter is, in my opinion, one of the most talented directors working in television and film today. Any hack with a good DP can call shots and assemble images, but a good director is a story teller. Allen is just that; a true artist with a flare for originality, an uncompromising eye and a sensibility that's just twisted enough to get my shit. It's been a love fest since he stepped off the plane. My cast is as eclectic as they are talented. I have not had to make a single compromise in the casting process. Every actor in this show is the right actor for the role. We've just closed on some people so I hope I'm not stepping on any press releases. But I can't suppress my glee any longer. Here's my kick-ass Sons of Anarchy cast: JAX TELLER - CHARLIE HUNNAM CLAY MORROW - SCOTT GLENN GEMMA TELLER - KATEY SAGAL TARA KNOWLES - MAGGIE SIFF WENDY CASE - DREA DEMATTEO CHIBS TELFORD - TOMMY FLANAGAN HALF-SACK EPPS - JOHNNY LEWIS BOBBY MUNSON - MARK BOONE JR. OPIE LERNER - RYAN HURST ASSISTANT CHIEF HALE - TAYLER SHERIDAN HAWK CANTU - EMILIO RIVERA JC ORTIZ - THEO ROSSI PINEY WINSTON - BILL LUCKING SHERIFF TRAMMEL - GLENN PLUMMER DONNA LERNER - SPRAGUE GRAYDEN TICK WHALEN - RICHARD GANT ERNEST DARBY - MITCH PILEGGI LUANN DELANEY - DENDRIE TAYLOR LOWELL - ERNIE GRUNWALD HAPPY - DAVID LABRAVA HANG-AROUND - STEVIE LONG I'll post some pictures from set as we continue.