3) Jumper – David S. Goyer
You may know David S. Goyer for co-writing Man of Steel and that one Batman trilogy. You know, the one where Batman doesn’t wear hockey pads. And right now he’s working with DC and Warner to build up a “cohesive” superhero universe. Whatever that might be. Anyways, good for you David!
After Batman Begins, Goyer went out and wrote a movie script based on David Gould’s novel, Jumper. You might know that the movie eventually came out, but, to put it lightly, it was not enjoyable. Like, at all. The script from Goyer, though, is nothing like the film that was ultimately put out. The difference is that his version is actually quite good.
The only things director Doug Liman chose to keep from Goyer’s (superior) version is the first act and the inclusion of another jumper, Griffin. Simply put, this is a classic case of the good script being shelved and the bad one getting made. Too bad. And though you might never be able to watch Goyer’s Jumper, luckily you can still read it.
[zergpaid]Staying relatively faithful to the book, Goyer wrote a truthful, smart story of David Rice, a young man with the power of teleportation. And it worked. The structure is good, and if you liked the ending of Portal 2, Goyer’s Jumper is sure not to disappoint.
If you want to know more about Goyer’s point of view, go ahead and visit his website, davidsgoyer.com – he usually gives insight on every film he’s worked on.
Just one more thing. When you read the dialogue of Agent Cox, don’t do that with Samuel L. Jackson’s voice. It’s not going to work. Think more of… Tom Hanks in Catch Me If You Can. Or whoever suits you best. Just no Sam Jackson. Trust me.