Writer Kurt Sutter has removed his name from arbitration. Meaning he doesn’t want to be credited with any of the script (even though a key scene from Sutter’s script remains). Sutter goes on to explain why:
“I took my name off the movie for a few reasons. The obvious reason is because I didn’t deserve credit. There was very little of my draft that stayed in the shooting script. The one big one they kept, was the set piece where we see how Russo becomes Jigsaw. It’s pretty brutal. Glad they kept that.
The other reason I removed my name is because I didn’t want credit. My pitch, my vision, for the Punisher franchise was something much different. I tried to rip Frank Castle from the comic book world and place him in the real streets of NYC. Castle is the only superhero without powers. He’s a tortured, highly skilled soldier with a really bad anger problem. I always felt we should see Frank in some place uber-real and gritty. I threw away the first draft written by Nick Santora and did a page one rewrite. I changed the locations, the characters, the story. I dropped Frank in a real New York City with real villians, real cops, real relationships. To me, the Punisher deserved more than the usual comic book redress. It shouldn’t just follow the feature superhero formula.”
Sutter goes on to say how the new script, mainly written by Matt Holloway and Art Marcum, is a much simpler comic book movie script. According to Sutter, it’s designed to do exactly what a comic book movie should, fill seats and set up a sequel.
Apparently these words from Sutter created an outrage with the comic book fans and he quickly posted another update, stating how he thinks the new script is very tight and has no problem with the way it turned out. His ideas just went a different direction.
Regardless, lack of Mr. Thomas Jane already knocks PUNISHER: WAR ZONE down several pegs. Jane is a badass and I loved him as THE PUNISHER. Word is, after months of keeping fit to reprise his role as Frank Castle, Jane left the movie because he didn’t like Sutter’s script. I’m torn here. Like I said, without Jane this movie is not on my must-see list, but Sutter’s idea for the movie sounded pretty damn good. Regardless, PUNISHER: WAR ZONE is without Thomas Jane and without Kurt Sutter’s ideas. At least we get Julie Benz (below).