Doom scriptwriter speaks out
In an open letter to Doom fans, Dave Callaham addresses quotes that he says have been wrongly attributed to him, and aims to set the record straight about the film.
An open letter from Doom movie scriptwriter Dave Callaham addressed to fans of the series has emerged this week aimed at clarifying quotes recently attributed to him and the "perceived shortcomings of the film", as well as giving us an insight into how the project was originally conceived and developed.
The letter, which you can read in its entirety over at HomeLAN Fed, begins as Callaham distances himself from a quote attributed to him in the last fortnight regarding his "bravado" in "disfiguring" the plot of the Doom games while writing the screenplay. "I would never under any circumstances address either the press or the Doom fans with anything resembling the snide elitism that I perceive that quote to connote," he writes.
Callaham goes on to describe how his script does differ from the way the games outline the plot, but that this was unavoidable and that he knows he "won't make any friends amongst the fans of the game in doing so". However "it should be mentioned that it was never the goal of anyone involved in this film, from myself and the producers to the studio to the guys at id, to make a direct film adaptation of the game(s)."
"The thought process has always been to create an extension of the Doom universe that will give fans an interesting new take on the themes that they've come to enjoy in the game," he notes.
In terms of immersion and the cinematic experience, "we were never going to top Doom 3 anyway," he later insists, and reveals that he and the various parties collaborating on the project "have toyed with some elements of the game" in bringing it all to life. "Let me assure you, though, that the themes and elements that you love about Doom are ALL represented strongly in the film... just with some new twists," he adds.
Callaham goes on to discuss the frustration he's experienced at being "the goat for the perceived shortcomings of the film", adding that while the process has "not been ideal" and has changed thanks to "the nature of the Hollywood machine", "the bottom line is there are literally hundreds upon hundreds of good people working their asses off on this movie right now, and you, just like me, have to trust them to do the best job they can."
"We all have high expectations, and a lot of them won't be met, but the bottom line is the movie is going to be pretty cool" he concludes.
You can find the full letter here.