By Trent Moore, Source: Blastr.com
Just how dedicated is current showrunner Steven Moffat to Doctor Who? Dedicated enough to walk away from a sweetheart deal with Steven Spielberg and a potential Tintin film trilogy so he wouldn’t be distracted from the beloved BBC sci-fi program.
Who fans probably already know Moffat co-wrote the recent big-screen adaptation of Tintin, which was coming together right about when former Who showrunner Russell T. Davies handed the series reins to Moffat two seasons ago.
In a recent interview with The Guardian, Moffat address how his exit from the potential Tintin series went down.
“I felt really guilty. Far from swaggering out of the building saying, ‘I don’t care about your damn movie,’ I felt haunted with guilt because I was the villain,” he said. “I’m glad they used some of my script in the first film. Steven was lovely about it. He could have sued me.”
When asked why he would leave a potential Hollywood blockbuster to focus on British TV, Moffat said the answer was simple: TV provides more freedom and flexibility.
“I think TV is pushing ahead. It used to be we make TV on video and they remake it on 35mm,” he said. “We all now work in high-def, we all have the same cameras. You can get things made the same year you think of it, rather than 12 years later. We can make three Sherlock films in the time it takes Hollywood to have lunch.”
Considering the fact that work is already underway on the next batch of adventures for The Doctor – plus a third season of Moffat’s hit series Sherlock, which was recently announced – it seems he’s staying true to his word.
What do you think? Was Moffat nuts for walking away from Hollywood for the BBC?
