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Max Landis Writing ‘Pepe Le Pew’ Picture

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Maybe WB greenlighted this as a joke to subtly say Max Landis stinks(like a skunk).

But his ego is preventing him from getting the joke.
 

neorej

ERMYGERD!
Knowing Landis, it's going to the core of Pepe Le Pew and then explore that. So it's not necessarily going to be the Pepe Le Pew that people know from the cartoons, but rather a darker version of him. He's essentially going to be a date rapist unaware of what he's doing is wrong.
 

Amalthea

Banned
So he needs just to write a psychogram of himself and wrap it into a story, the cat being an allegory for a movie project.
 

Strax

Member
Max Landis ‏@Uptomyknees 14m
The news about me writing a potential Pepe Le Pew romantic french new wave 60s heist movie?

C'est la vérité.

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CoI1XfAVIAESb0K.jpg
 

Lijik

Member
Id be surprised if this went anywhere. I feel like every year for the past decade WB announces some new looney tunes movie and you never hear about it again
 
Yeah, I'm a peach.

Not much will change my opinion that he and his father are pieces of shit, but at leastMax hasn't killed anyone yet, and neither have I, so I got one up on one of them.

The set accident was sad, but maybe shitting all over Max Landis with it just because his name was mentioned when a) he wasn't even alive yet, and b) I'm sure his father never wanted it to happen, is a weak moral stance, just so you're aware. I don't care what Max said about Rey from Star Wars. Your posts are weird.
 
Um

Huh

So this is either going to be a super controversial rapey movie or a reimagining of the character.

I don't know if I'd rather see Pepe Le Pew repaired for the modern day or see a trainwreck.
 

PSqueak

Banned
Cant he go back to making videos like "death and return of superman" and "wrestling isn't wrestling" as his day job?
 

Two Words

Member
This will only work if they make Pepe respond to being rejected by going on the Internet and bitching about how female skunks are stuck up only to realize that the world has moved past his 50s mentality towards women. Pepe then goes through the process of learning how to treat the opposite sex fairly and eventually finds another skunk, a real skunk, that likes him too.
 
But he's so talented and hard working, guys!

To be fair, he is definitely hard working. Being a show runner and writing screenplays alongside of that is hard work. Also, I saw a list of stuff he had written before and despite some very similar themes among (telekinesis being the first, weird stuff being the second) them, he does do the work for it. Though obviously a lot of those were as a teen, where "everything I do is awesome" applies, so basically trash, that is a good build up from nothing.

I spend last night reading the entire Bright script. Good setup, but it goes straight into American Ultra territory after page 40. It's not terrible and the writing technique is all there, but it start overdoing stuff (like American Ultra) if they film it directly from the spec script, and overplays its hand on a vital part of the plot. Kind of a 'nobody is going to buy that moment' when I was reading it. So that's getting rewritten at least, but that's obviously what you expect from a good production: to make your shit better. To be entire fair to the script, it's wacky as shit and would be an impossible sell if that technique wasn't there... and Zootopia didn't win the BO lottery. It very much has properties like that one in the first 20 pages, so I'm guessing Netflix will be riding that train hard.

I did learn that Max's version of 'directing on the page' is using bold on things, which is clean and keeps the speed up. But then he comments a lot on 'looks are saying: ' which I think is getting too close to the story as a writer and distracting versus the earlier cleansiness. Like he got over-excited or lost patience with doing it by the book.
I do hope things work out on Bright though. I did keep reading it and it was not what was I expecting at all. It could work. Or be a spectacular *beep*. Either way, I'm interested in seeing how it plays out.
 

Strax

Member
To be fair, he is definitely hard working. Being a show runner and writing screenplays alongside of that is hard work. Also, I saw a list of stuff he had written before and despite some very similar themes among (telekinesis being the first, weird stuff being the second) them, he does do the work for it. Though obviously a lot of those were as a teen, where "everything I do is awesome" applies, so basically trash, that is a good build up from nothing.

I spend last night reading the entire Bright script. Good setup, but it goes straight into American Ultra territory after page 40. It's not terrible and the writing technique is all there, but it start overdoing stuff (like American Ultra) if they film it directly from the spec script, and overplays its hand on a vital part of the plot. Kind of a 'nobody is going to buy that moment' when I was reading it. So that's getting rewritten at least, but that's obviously what you expect from a good production: to make your shit better. To be entire fair to the script, it's wacky as shit and would be an impossible sell if that technique wasn't there... and Zootopia didn't win the BO lottery. It very much has properties like that one in the first 20 pages, so I'm guessing Netflix will be riding that train hard.

I did learn that Max's version of 'directing on the page' is using bold on things, which is clean and keeps the speed up. But then he comments a lot on 'looks are saying: ' which I think is getting too close to the story as a writer and distracting versus the earlier cleansiness. Like he got over-excited or lost patience with doing it by the book.
I do hope things work out on Bright though. I did keep reading it and it was not what was I expecting at all. It could work. Or be a spectacular *beep*. Either way, I'm interested in seeing how it plays out.

Bright is 100% dependent on people buying in to the world from the first minute and I think Ayer can do that. I'm also wondering what Will Smith we'll be getting because if he plays it for laughs like its Bad Boys or Men In Black it won't work imo. This needs to be The Pursuit of Happyness/Seven Pounds Will Smith to work.
 
I feel like the real question isn't how you adapt a cartoon sexual predator in this day and age but how do you take the core joke that is Pepe le Pew and turn it into 90 minutes. The whole thing works as a ten minute short, but only barely.
 

SeanC

Member
The guy can write, it's just that he tends to go to the same well in terms of characterization and themes. His technique is solid, just that the content isn't always great.

I don't quite see the fit here, but if he's legit passionate about it then I say go for it. Maybe he'll find that area where he can fit because I still get a sense he's trying to find that area to carve out for himself. Right now when someone says "Max Landis" the thought, after checking up on what he wrote, is "oh yeah, he's fine I guess."
 
He's like Thor The Dark World, supposedly no one remembers and thinks is shit, but is constantly brought up.

that's because people keep rediscovering this mythical lost Marvel movie that nobody fucking remembers the plot of.

"ow, what's this? A Marvel movie? But I've never heard of this before?", every damn time.
 
I hate how graphic the language is. Pepe was all about romance and wanting to get some smooches, I don't recall him ever being overtly sexual like the kissing a muffin top and covering someone in creamy frosting shit. Taking a character that was overwhelmingly romantic and apparently making him sexual instead, sounds like Landis missing the point again.

If I'm wrong though someone please correct me and point me to some Pepe Le Pew cartoons with sexual innuendo and not just flowery romance stuff.
 

Einchy

semen stains the mountaintops
I hate how graphic the language is. Pepe was all about romance and wanting to get some smooches, I don't recall him ever being overtly sexual like the kissing a muffin top and covering someone in creamy frosting shit. Taking a character that was overwhelmingly romantic and apparently making him sexual instead, sounds like Landis missing the point again.

If I'm wrong though someone please correct me and point me to some Pepe Le Pew cartoons with sexual innuendo and not just flowery romance stuff.

Maybe he never had innuendos, I don't really recall, but his whole thing was wanting to fuck that cat. It's not like him wanting to kiss her in this movie is any worse than him sexually harassing the cat.
 

Alx

Member
But it's a character based on racist stereotypes ! :mad:
Nah we're good actually... although I never found the Pepe cartoons very funny, it was always the same plot and gags. At least road-runner/coyote cartoons were creative in their traps and failures.
 

RetroDLC

Foundations of Burden
I hate how graphic the language is. Pepe was all about romance and wanting to get some smooches, I don't recall him ever being overtly sexual like the kissing a muffin top and covering someone in creamy frosting shit. Taking a character that was overwhelmingly romantic and apparently making him sexual instead, sounds like Landis missing the point again.

If I'm wrong though someone please correct me and point me to some Pepe Le Pew cartoons with sexual innuendo and not just flowery romance stuff.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OP7k4LXM1rE

"In this play, a young man's love lightly turns to thoughts of fancy."

"Everyone should have a hobby, don't you think? Mine is making love."

"You may call me street car, because of my desire for..."
 
Maybe he never had innuendos, I don't really recall, but his whole thing was wanting to fuck that cat. It's not like him wanting to kiss her in this movie is any worse than him sexually harassing the cat.
I'm fine with his whole thing wanting to be fucking that cat what I'm getting at is the way it is presented. Pepe IIRC always used very flowery romantic language, not outright sexual innuendos.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OP7k4LXM1rE

"In this play, a young man's love lightly turns to thoughts of fancy."

"Everyone should have a hobby, don't you think? Mine is making love."

"You may call me street car, because of my desire for..."
Ah, well there you go, thank you. God that was hard to watch. Love the Chuck Jones animation but Jesus it's so cringey how badly she's not into it and how oblivious his is / does it anyway. It makes me think of those fuckin awful YouTubers that go around hugging women without consent, so gross.
 

RetroDLC

Foundations of Burden
Keep in mind that Pepe is a stereotypical French character mostly written in the 1950s. It will be a challenge for the character to be written in such a way for modern audiences, and I think Max Landis is wise enough to avoid outright innuendos even if they come to mind (the spur-of-the-mind cupcake topping tweet) for the sake of sticking to a PG script.

Edit: Hell, the teaser trailer for The Secret Life of Pets ends with a System of a Down song about fucking, and Zootopia has a joke during its opening scenes showing a sign with a fast increasing count of the local bunny population.
 

Osahi

Member
Well he sure is an interesting character (Landis, that is).

I haven't seen or read any of his work yet (I do have Chronicle laying around on BR, but haven't come around watching it yet), but seen some of his youtube vids and read some of his tweets. He is a person I don't really gel with. As a (European) screenwriter myself, being always very insecure about everything I write, I am easily put of by people who are (on the outside?) overly confident and very openly talkative about their work (while it is still in progress). I would never dream of making a Youtube video about how much fun I have writing something and reading some dialogue out loud, even if I were happy with it. Certainly not with a film or a tv-show that is not yet sure to be made

But then again, I like to see outspoken screenwriters who put the craft in the picture, as it is a part of filmmaking that is so often overlooked or underappreciated (the saying goes that if a film is bad it's the fault of the screenwriter, and when it's good its thanks to the director).

About Pepe: I am actually interested in what he has come up with for the character. I'm very interested into searching for ways to modernize old and maybe even controversial characters. I am also looking forward to see how he can turn what is essentialy a one note character from a 5 minute cartoon in a (anti)hero that can carry the weight of a full movie.
 
Wish he'd write a movie about his dad killing three people, including two vietnamese children that were working illegally.

Yeah, I'm a peach.

Not much will change my opinion that he and his father are pieces of shit, but at leastMax hasn't killed anyone yet, and neither have I, so I got one up on one of them.

I'm not sure what any of this has to do with Max Landis writing a movie script?
 

RetroDLC

Foundations of Burden
Wish he'd write a movie about his dad killing three people, including two vietnamese children that were working illegally.

Not relevant to Max, and John Landis was only at fault for not sticking to child labour laws. The helicopter had a mechanical malfunction when the special effects guy triggered a fireball at a time he shouldn't have.
 
So I got high and rewatched the first two Austin Powers movies last night and it got me thinking.

Would Pepe work in today's age if they made him like Austin Powers?

I think no matter what they do, they HAVE to change some core aspects of Pepe's characters. They can't just have him molesting women left and right and not taking no for an answer for 90 minutes.

But what if they played off his smell the way Austin Powers plays of his teeth?

They could have Pepe be this incredibly charming and charismatic person, he flashes a smile and the women come running but as soon as they get too close they smell him and pass out. Pepe is full of himself and in love with himself so he sees this as the women being overcome with such desire for him that they faint.

But for Pepe, it's about more than just playing the game and spreading the love, he wants someone special in his life, and that's when he meets Penelope. According to Landis it's a heist movie so she could be part of the team or even someone who works for the company they're stealing from, maybe his love for her would cause him to abandon the mission and become the hero. Their relationship could be like Powers' and Veronica in the first movie, where he flirts relentlessly but she's not having it because of his unique odor but due to having to spend the length of the movie with him, is able to see past his stink and his endless flirting and discovers he's more than just a playboy, eventually coming to find his over the top flirting endearing in some way. Maybe he abandons the heist for her, and once she sees his true character, she does something to deal with his smell (I think in one of the old cartoons Pepe eventually wins and his love interest wears a gas mask right?)

I still think this is a terrible character and idea for a movie. Pepe and Speedy are two Loony Tunes that I feel are better either left in the past, or at most serve as cameos or background characters.
 
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