Interview: Marti Noxon On Being One of the Few Female Genre Screenwriters
- Details
- Category: Interviews
- Created: Wednesday, 07 September 2011 23:41
- Published: Wednesday, 07 September 2011 23:41
- Written by Lupe Haas
As one of the few successful female screenwriters in Hollywood, Marti Noxon doesn't mind being the go-to-gal for genre scripts, but the Fright Night and "Buffy the Vampire" writer remains "hopeful" that in the near future she'll be writing a lot more strong female leads in studio pictures that doesn't star Angelina Jolie.
Besides writing for the iconic vampire slayer (Buffy), Marti Noxon's writing assignments include films and television shows with male leads such as Fright Night, I Am Number Four, and "Mad Men". She's also written for television shows featuring strong women in the ensemble cast of "Grey's Anatomy," and Private Practice," but the mother of two feels that movies lack strong women roles, particularly in the fantasy and action genres like Twilight. She admits the teen in her enjoys the love sick vampire franchise, but she wishes the Bella and Edward saga contained better female roles.
The lack of actresses in Hollywood who can play "bad-ass" is the problem, according to the forty-something writer. She suggests the few costumed female characters that failed at the box office led studios to avoid genre films featuring female leads. Angelina Jolie is the only actress Hollywood studios trust to open an action movie, she told CineMovie.
"Angelina Jolie is the only woman you can write for right now. Its very frustrating. I feel the pendulum will swing the other way. I'd like to be part of that."Noxon hopes to "crack that" with her upcoming projects. She recently completed a rewrite on Pride, Prejudice and Zombies, and describes the traditional novel character as "awesome" and a "pre-existing reconceptualized female bad-ass." She also turned in a script for Dreamworks titled Bad Baby.
While she's done her share of prime-time dramas the last few years, she missed writing fantasy stories that involve "killing things" and monsters. "For a while I was really frustrated," she said. Her ideal project would be to write a story about witches. "Maybe that's how we'll get some strong chicks into movies."Marti Noxon, however, feels fortunate to be working in Hollywood and she's glad the fantasy genre is doing so well due in part to the success of the Harry Potter franchise.
Most people are surprised to meet the "Hancock Park looking-housewife," as she calls herself, when she arrives on set or at an event where most people assume she's a he and then assume she's written only romantic comedies. When she visited the Fright Night set, the crew had no idea the writer behind the remake to Fright Night starring Colin Farrell and Anton Yelchin was a woman. She further shocked them when they heard her say, "lets kill some stuff."
While she doesn't knock the romantic comedy writers, she says it's fun being in the boys club.
FRIGHT NIGHT is currently playing in movie theaters.